Borobudur is a large Mahayana Buddhist temple in central Java, Indonesia, built in the 8th and early 9th centuries under the Shailendra dynasty. It is laid out as a stepped pyramid of nine platforms, six square and three circular, crowned by a central stupa. Its walls and balustrades carry thousands of relief panels that tell Buddhist stories and guide pilgrims upward through stages of spiritual progress. The temple was abandoned after the center of power in Java shifted east and was covered by volcanic ash and jungle until it was rediscovered in the early 19th century during British rule under Thomas Stamford Raffles. A restoration supported by UNESCO took place in the 1970s and 1980s, and it is a World Heritage Site.
Before and after
- 800 CEBook of Kells
- from 800 CE to 909 CEAghlabids
- from 800 CE to 887 CECarolingian Empire
- from 8th century to 13th centuryHouse of Wisdom
- 8th centuryConstruction of Borobudur Temple
- from 800 CE to 1540Muisca Confederations
- from 8th century to 10th centuryCarolingian art
- from 800 CE to 1258Islamic Golden Age
- 8th centuryOrigins of Pattadakal Group of Monuments
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 622 CEConstruction of Prophet's Mosque
- 1342Construction of Palace of Westminster
- from 1368 to 1644Ming dynasty
- from 1370 to 1789Construction of Bastille
- 1386Construction of Heidelberg University
- from 1438 to 1533Inca Empire
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes.