Angkor Wat Quiz: Cambodia's Temple City of the Khmer Empire

This Angkor Wat quiz explores the great temple of the Khmer Empire in Cambodia, with questions on King Suryavarman II, the god Vishnu, the gateway city of Siem Reap, the tree-wrapped Ta Prohm, the smiling faces of the Bayon and its place on Cambodia's flag. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Symbols
Angkor Wat appears on which country's national flag?
History
Which Khmer king built Angkor Wat in the early 1100s?
Religion
To which Hindu god was Angkor Wat originally dedicated?
Travel
Which nearby city is the gateway for visitors to Angkor?
Design
Unusually for Khmer temples, which direction does Angkor Wat face?
Temples
Which Angkor temple is famous for giant tree roots growing over its ruins and appeared in Tomb Raider?
Temples
Which Angkor temple is famous for its many huge smiling stone faces?
Design
What surrounds Angkor Wat?
History
Which empire built Angkor?
UNESCO
In which year did UNESCO list Angkor as a World Heritage Site?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Angkor Wat appears on which country's national flag?
Answer: Cambodia
Cambodia is one of the few countries with a building on its flag. Images of Angkor Wat have appeared on Cambodian flags since the 1850s.
Q2: Which Khmer king built Angkor Wat in the early 1100s?
Answer: Suryavarman II
Suryavarman II ordered the temple, possibly as his own funeral temple. Construction is thought to have taken around 30 years.
Q3: To which Hindu god was Angkor Wat originally dedicated?
Answer: Vishnu
Angkor Wat was built for Vishnu and gradually became a Buddhist temple from the late 1200s. Buddhist monks still use it today.
Q4: Which nearby city is the gateway for visitors to Angkor?
Answer: Siem Reap
Siem Reap is about 6 kilometers from Angkor Wat and has grown into a busy tourist town. Phnom Penh is Cambodia's capital.
Q5: Unusually for Khmer temples, which direction does Angkor Wat face?
Answer: West
Most Khmer temples face east, but Angkor Wat faces west, the direction linked to Vishnu. That makes sunrise behind its towers a famous sight.
Q6: Which Angkor temple is famous for giant tree roots growing over its ruins and appeared in Tomb Raider?
Answer: Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm was left largely as explorers found it, with silk-cotton and fig trees wrapped around its walls. It featured in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
Q7: Which Angkor temple is famous for its many huge smiling stone faces?
Answer: Bayon
The Bayon, at the center of Angkor Thom, has more than 200 carved faces. Many believe they show King Jayavarman VII or a Buddhist figure of compassion.
Q8: What surrounds Angkor Wat?
Answer: A moat
A moat about 190 meters wide surrounds the temple, representing the oceans around Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Hindu belief.
Q9: Which empire built Angkor?
Answer: Khmer
The Khmer Empire ruled much of Southeast Asia from the 800s to the 1400s. Its capital at Angkor may have been one of the largest cities in the world before the industrial age.
Q10: In which year did UNESCO list Angkor as a World Heritage Site?
Answer: 1992
Angkor was listed in 1992 and placed on the danger list at the same time because of looting and damage. It was removed from that list in 2004 after major restoration.

Angkor Wat Quiz – The Heart of the Khmer Empire

Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world and the pride of Cambodia. Built in the early twelfth century by King Suryavarman II, it was designed as a model of the universe in stone, with five towers representing the peaks of Mount Meru and a wide moat standing for the oceans around it.

The temple sits within the wider Angkor area, which was the capital of the Khmer Empire for several centuries. At its height, Angkor was a vast city supported by a complex system of canals and reservoirs. Hundreds of temples were built across the region, including the Bayon with its smiling faces and Ta Prohm, now wrapped in giant tree roots.

Angkor Wat's walls are covered with remarkable carvings. Long galleries show scenes from Hindu epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, battles, processions and the famous Churning of the Ocean of Milk. Thousands of graceful female figures called apsaras decorate its towers and walls.

Today Angkor Wat appears on Cambodia's flag and draws millions of visitors a year. Many arrive before dawn to watch the sun rise behind its towers, then explore the surrounding temples by bicycle or tuk-tuk.

This quiz covers the history, design and temples of the Angkor area.

Visiting Angkor takes planning. Most travelers buy a one-, three- or seven-day pass, start early to avoid the midday heat and combine the main temples with quieter sites farther out, such as the pink sandstone carvings of Banteay Srei or the jungle ruins of Beng Mealea.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is ideal for travelers to Cambodia, history fans and anyone fascinated by ancient temples.

Who built Angkor Wat and for which god
Why it faces west and what its moat represents
Which temples are famous for trees and stone faces
How Angkor connects to the Khmer Empire
Why Angkor Wat appears on Cambodia's flag
When UNESCO listed the site

Quick Facts About Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat means city of temples in Khmer.
The temple covers about 162 hectares, according to Guinness World Records.
Its stones were brought from a quarry about 40 kilometers away, probably by canals.
Angkor Wat has more than 1,700 carved apsaras.
The site is part of Angkor Archaeological Park, which covers about 400 square kilometers.
Sunrise at Angkor Wat is one of the most photographed moments in Asia.