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Angkor[ang´kOr] Pronunciation Key, site of several capitals of the Khmer Empire, north of TOnlE Sap, NW Cambodia, for about five and a half centuries (9th to 15th), the heart of the empire. Extending over an area of 120 sq mi (323 sq km), the ruins contain some of the most imposing monuments in the world, including about a thousand temples, mainly Hindu and some Buddhist. The earliest of these were constructed of brick, the later of stone, and many are covered with elaborate sculptures. The Angkor site also contains palaces and other buildings associated with the Khmer state. The first capital of the empire was founded by Yasovarman I (r. 889–900) and was centered around the pyramidal temple of Phnom Bak Kheng.
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