第一批寺庙在8世纪由古高棉国王耶跋摩建成，他的后代们继承祖业，继续修建。吴哥的整体建筑花了大约600年的时间，并且从未停止过。它要重现印度神话中 的米拉山–印度人的天堂。国王们想把自己提升到神那样的位置上，于是一代一代的国王不断地扩建，所以它就越建越大。每个国王都想新建一个庙宇，他们试图 建造人间的天堂。
The first temples were completed in the eighth century by early Khmer king Jayavarman and his heirs kept building on his legacy. The whole of Angkor was built over a period of about 600 years. It never stopped. It was to recreate in Hindu mythology the Mount Mira, the Hindu Heaven. And the kings wanted to elevate themselves to a god -like status and progressive kings enlarged upon it. And so it just grew and grew. Each king wanted to build another temple. They were trying to create Heaven on Earth.
(Source: wwenglish.com)