Here's why Angkor Wat was just named the best tourist attraction in the world

Lonely Planet just announced its list of the 500 best attractions on the planet, and Cambodia's Temples of Angkor took first place.

While most people have heard of Angkor Wat, they don't realize that it's just one temple in a complex of more than 1,000.

The complex is actually a massive 700-year old city, with canals, temples, shrines and tombs spread over 154 square miles, deep in the lush jungles of northern Cambodia.

Take a look at these pictures to see why it topped the list of the world's must-see sites.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best tourist attractions in the world, according to Lonely Planet

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The Temples of Angkor are the architectural zenith of the Khmer Empire, which ruled from the 19th to the 13th centuries. For centuries, it was the Khmer Kingdom's capital, which at times ruled much of  Southeast Asia, from modern-day Laos and Burma to Thailand and southern Vietnam.

More than two million tourists visited the site last year.

Angkor covers more than 154 square miles — in comparison, Manhattan only covers 33.

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