The Echo Chamber of Angkor Wat
In a small stone chamber inside Angkor Wat, visitors thump their chests, and a deep boom echoes back, much louder than seems possible.
What was reported
Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century, is the largest religious monument in the world. In one of its galleries is a small, tall chamber where guides show visitors a strange effect: standing against the wall and beating your chest makes a deep, booming echo that seems to fill the room, while clapping or speaking doesn't do the same.
Guides tell different stories about it: that it was a place for prayer, or for kings, or built on purpose to amplify sound.
Explanations offered
The effect comes from the shape of the narrow, high stone chamber, which resonates at the low frequencies of a thump on the chest, a little like a drum. Whether the builders designed it on purpose is unknown. Many ancient sites have rooms with unusual acoustics.
- When
- Built in the 1100s
- Where
- Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Witnesses
- Visitors and temple guides
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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