Sanctuary : the temples of Angkor

Steve McCurry has beautifully and evocatively photographed the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, among the world's most impressive monuments. His stunning images of the site document a magical world of carved gods, weathered masonry, tangled vegetation and orange-robed monks. Angkor was the capital of the khmer rulers from the end of the ninth century until the mid-fifteenth. Each built a state temple at the capital, surrounded by walls, moats and embankments laid out in accordance with cosmological precepts. Designated a world heritage site by UNESCO, the temples attract tourists, archaeologists and art historians, and are an important buddhist pilgrimage destination. McCurry first visited Angkor on assignment for National Geographic magazine, for whom he has photographed all over the world. He has made many return visits, capturing a sublime portrait of the buildings, sculpture and people of Angkor.