View to Grand Stupa from lower terrace through sculpted archway, Borobodur temple, Java, Indonesia.Ranking with Pagan and Angkor as one of the greatest Southeast Asian monuments, Borobodor is an enormous construction standing majestically on a hill overlooking lush green fields and distant hills, 42km northwest of Yogyakarta. It was built sometime between the years of 750-850 AD, during the Sailendra dynasty's rule on Java. The name probably originates from the Sanskrit words Vihara Buddha Ur, which mean Buddhist monastery on the hill. The structure consists of eight terraces built on a 118 square meter base, the five lower terraces are square, the upper three circular. The upper circle is crowned by the Great Stupa, which stands 40 metres above the ground. The walls of the Borobudur are sculpted in bas-relief, a total length of six kilometers. Nearly 1500 panels illustrate the life of Buddha and his teachings whilst over 400 images of the Buddha sit in chambers on the terraces. On the upper circular terraces there are latticed stupas, which contain 72 more Buddha images. It has been hailed as the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist relief's in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit and each scene an individual masterpiece.With the decline of Buddhism, Borobodur was abandoned (the nearby volcano Merapi violently erupted covering the entire tempe in volcanic ash) and only rediscovered in 1814 when Raffles governed Java. During the 19th century the entire construction was uncovered but unfortunately large numbers of stones and sculptures were plundered. The Dutch started a restoration project in 1907, but it soon became obvious that the monument's foundations were too weak. In 1973 a new project supported by UNESCO finally managed to stop the decline. The monument was officially opened by the President on 23 February 1983.