Located 25 miles northwest of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, Borobudur is an ancient Buddhist temple in the shape of a mandala. It was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries out of an estimated two million blocks of stone. The temple was abandoned in the 14th century when it is believed that much of the population moved to eastern Java due to volcanic eruptions, and for centuries it lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash until it was rediscovered in the 1800s.

   Today it is one of the top UNESCO World Heritage sites. Comprising six square platforms with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues, it is considered one of the greatest Buddhist sites in the world and one of Indonesia’s best tourist attractions.