Borobudur

Borobudur Temple is a unique temple building located in the Indonesian province of Central Java. It was built between 750 and 850 by the Sailendra dynasty. The name of the temple translates as "sanctuary on the hill." Nowadays, the Borobudur Temple is a very famous landmark that is protected by UNESCO. Every year, many tourists from all over the world rush to see this complex.

This temple complex is the only cultural monument of its kind, which has no analogues in the whole world. The Borobudur Temple, with its shape, resembles a multi-level pyramid. The height of the building is at least 30 meters. The idea of building a temple is the Buddhist classification, which consists of eight steps leading to enlightenment. The components of this unusual medieval building are the basement, stepped pyramid tiers, terraces that have a round shape. The final fragment of such a sacred building is a large stupa, which is a symbol of nirvana.

Borobudur Temple is decorated with a variety of carved compositions, wonderful sculptures of Buddha, the size of a man, unusual reliefs, where peculiar motifs are placed. There is harmony in all the details of architecture, which attracts many tourists from all over the world.

The reliefs decorating the walls tell us about the main stages of Shakyamuni Buddha's life on earth. This magnificent temple, among the island of Java, has long been the center of the Buddhist religion. That is why, on the territory of the temple complex, crowds of pilgrims of this religion gather in our time. Some believers come here for the celebrations dedicated to the Buddha's birthday, which take place here annually.

There is an opportunity to view the grandeur of the temple, as well as the surrounding area, from a height by climbing steep stairs that lead to the very top of the Borobudur temple.

But the temple did not always have a majestic appearance, because there was a time when it was abandoned and forgotten by mankind, as the religion of Buddhism was in decline. It was only in 1814 that the sacred building was restored and reopened. But a long time of oblivion made itself felt, because its reliefs, as well as the base, turned out to be very damaged. In the 20th century, major work was carried out, under the direction of a Dutch engineer, to strengthen the stupas and terraces, after which Borobudur acquired a solemn appearance.

Heavy rains turned out to be another threat to the temple, which caused problems with the soil on which the temple stands. A blurred hill would not have been able to withstand this huge structure for long. Thus, with the support of UNESCO, the fundamental foundation of the temple was dismantled and strengthened, as well as the soil on which it was built.