Borobudur

Related Category: Archaeology: General

or Boroboeder(both: bō´´rōbdr´), ruins of one of the finest Buddhist monuments, in central Java, Indonesia. Built by the Sailendras of Sumatra, this magnificent shrine dates from about the 9th cent. It is a huge, truncated pyramid covered with intricately carved blocks of stone that illustrate the life of the Buddha and his teachings according to Mahayana Buddhist doctrine. A seated Buddha within may be seen from three platforms above the seven stone terraces that encircle the pyramid.