Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple.
Nalanda, founded in the 5th century AD, is famous as the ancient seat of learning. The ruins of the world’s most ancient university lies here which is 62 km from Bodhgaya and 90 km south of Patna. Though the Buddha visited Nalanda several times during his lifetime, this famous center of Buddhist learning shot to fame much later, during 5th-12th centuries.
The Inca Empire was able to perform the most extraordinary architecture works that still can be appreciated from the large number of ruins left, all over the mountain system that surrounds the Citadel of Machu Picchu. Indescribable designs and great architectural organization were the main facts to make possible such an incredible city that was dividedin a number of sections.
The first act of architecture is to put a stone on the ground. That act transforms a condition of nature into a condition of culture; it’s a holy act. – Mario Botta
