1Deep in the forests of Cambodia stands Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument on Earth.
2It was built in the twelfth century as a temple for the Hindu god Vishnu.
3Over time, however, the temple gradually became an important centre of Buddhist worship and pilgrimage.
4The whole temple complex covers an enormous area of more than four hundred acres in total.
5Its five famous towers are shaped like the closed buds of a giant lotus flower.
6Its long stone walls are covered with carvings that show battles, gods, and scenes of daily life.
7For many centuries the jungle hid the ruins, and very few outsiders ever saw them.
8When French explorers reached the site in the nineteenth century, they brought the temple to worldwide attention.
9Today millions of visitors from every continent travel to Cambodia each year to admire its beauty.
10The temple even appears on the national flag of Cambodia, which is a rare honour for a building.