Center point of the cruciform cloister situated on the lower level of Angkor Wat
Center point of the cruciform cloister
The image shows the exact center point of the cruciform cloister on the lower level Angkor Wat. The lines on right and left sides are exactly oriented along the east-west axis.
The term cruciform cloister is used in architecture to describe a cross-like covered structure. The underlying design-principle was used in Angkor Wat to build two structures, one on the lower level and another on the uppermost terrace (also known as Bakan). The cruciform cloister on the lower level is situated near the west-side entrance of the temple and connects the outer-enclosure to the middle-enclosure.
The cruciform cloister structure has two perpendicular axial galleries that intersect in the middle to form a cross and four boundary galleries that surround the cross to form a square. The shape of the structure thus looks like a cross surrounded by a square.
Each axial gallery connects to a boundary gallery in the middle. Thus, the resulting structure has four equal-sized quadrants, each of which is enclosed by half of the boundary and half of the axial galleries. Each quadrant looks like a basin. Check this image.
The cruciform cloister structure described above is an example of a perfectly symmetrical design. It is symmetrical about the east-west axis as well as the north-south axis.
Related Images
– A cruciform cloister basin on the lower level
– Central gallery of the cruciform cloister on the lower level
– A cruciform cloister basin on the uppermost terrace
Related Pages
– Angkor Wat, Angkor Wat Bas-Reliefs, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei
– Phnom Kulen, Tonlé Sap, Cambodia
– Bali, Prambanan, Borobudur, Indonesia
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