AWC 12 – THE MODEL AND ITS DOUBLE

Angkor Wat is a vast 12th century temple complex built in the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire, in what is modern-day Cambodia. Originally constructed as a Hindu temple, but gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple, the complex is a representation of the model of the universe: the central towers symbolize the five peaks of Mount Meru, the mythical home of gods; its square base is surrounded by concentric squares of moats (seas) and walls (mountain ranges), each diminishing in width and height. The complex was also serving the practical purpose of water management: providing water to the city; and irrigation to the surrounding fields, while controlling water levels of the nearby river. In 1860, the King of Siam (present-day Thailand) decided to move entire Angkor Wat to Bangkok, the capital of his kingdom. The move, supposedly a manifestation of power over the Kingdom of Cambodia, which was at the time a vassal state of the Kingdom of Siam, as France was seeking to colonize it, was also to claim the cultural heritage of the Khmer civilization. Despite several attempts to dismantle the temple, the task turned out to be impossible, and the king finally decided instead to commission a scale model of it.