Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Borobudur Temple


IMG_7993, originally uploaded by Technical Tango.
Borobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Central Java, Indonesia.
The word Borobudur is believed to mean monastery on a hill. It was abandoned following the 14th century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.

It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 m2. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha. The monument was restored with UNESCO's help in the 1970s and has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Borobudur is also Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

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