Library building on the courtyard
The image shows a view of the south library building situated on the courtyard of the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The image was captured from the lower-level cruciform cloister located near the main entrance.
It is an independent building situated between the lower-level gallery and middle-level enclosure. This view from the middle terrace shows the location of the library with respect to the other structures.
The structures in the Angkor Wat Temple are symmetrical about its east-west axis, which runs exactly in the middle of the temple. In other words, the south-side structures are the mirror images of the north-side structures and vice-versa. In keeping with this symmetry, there is an identical library on the north side at the same distance from the east-west axis as the south library.
Located on the outer enclosure of the temple are two more identical library structures, which are also symmetrical about temple’s east-west axis.
Although the exact purpose of the libraries is not known, experts believe that they were shrines in addition to being the repositories of religious manuscripts.
Related Images
- South library: Library on the outer enclosure
- View of the entrance from the top level: Shows both the south and north libraries on the outer enclosure with respect to the other structures
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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