Located in central Java, Borobudur is the greatest Buddhist monument in the world and today forms part of Indonesia. The princes of the Shailendra Dynasty ruled there in the eighth century. It was a small kingdom that drew its great wealth from agriculture. Under their rule, construction of this huge structure began, a project that took a hundred years to complete.

Borobudur was built several centuries before the great cathedrals of Western Europe and around three centuries before Cambodia's world famous Angkor Wat Temple.

At first sight Borobudur appears like a grey stone mass above which rise numerous peaks. Lions guard the steps on the east side which cover the hidden foot of the monument and lead to the first terrace.

Many Buddha figures are located in open niches above the gallery corridors, each with a typical hand posture that describes certain actions. They also symbolize a particular stage of enlightenment. In Borobudur the Buddhist stupa seems to be connected to the sacred Mount Meru, symbolic seat of the gods.

Further terraces contain stone imagery connected to the life of Indian prince, Siddharta, the later Gautama Buddha. In former times, the virtuoso panels were colourfully painted, which certainly created an even more intense impression.

Borobudur was and is again a pilgrimage destination of the Buddhist world, a gigantic sacred building and for tourists a fascinating cultural heritage of mankind.