#5 Bayon Temple, Siem Reap, CAMBODIA

Bayon in Cambodia is one of the most famous Angkor temples and is renowned for possessing a unique architectural display of giant stone carvings of faces as part of its structure. The temple is located 10km from Siem Reap and the main UNESCO archaeological park, and has a privileged location right in the center right of the town of Angkor Thom. Bayon temple highlights include a dramatic array of architectural complexes to explore aside from the signature faces who will watch your every move. It has never been confirmed exactly who the faces represent, you can decide for yourself. Keen photographers can ascend to the top and will have a great view of the surrounding panorama.

Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple built in the late twelfth century or early thirteenth century. Built at the centre of King Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha.  Following Jayavarman’s death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance to their religious preferences. 

Bayon’s most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers that jut from the upper terrace and cluster around its center peak. The similarity of the 216 gigantic faces to other statues of Jayavarman VII has led many scholars to the hypothesise that the faces are representations of the king himself. Others believe that the faces belong to Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.  

The temple is also popular for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes

The Bayon, is the exact centre of the town of Angkor Thom. Having to power after the burning of the capital by a Cham fleet, he rebuilt the city and surrounded it with a strong wall. This rampart constitutes the outer enclosure of the Bayon, it is a wide, provided the earth for the enormous embankment which support it, and makes a boulevard 25m wide, with four little temples at the corners, called "Prasat Chrung": the north-east one which is the best preserved, can be reached after charming walk along the top of the rampart in the thick forest.

The surrounding wall is opened up by five gates, 4 on the axis of the Bayon, the fifth is in the axis of Phimeanakas and the second Angkor. These entrances are splendid examples of carving in the very spirit of the Bayon; their mass is carried by enormous elephants with three heads and with trunks touching the ground in the act of picking lotuses. Above, the structure of triple tower makes the great faces of Avalokiteçvara, casting this benevolent gaze in all directions. The doors have lost their façades and have the appearance of pointed bows, before they were high rectangular bays 7 meter by 3. 50 meter strengthened with powerful leaves. The road which crosses the moat was decorated with two imposing balustrades; the churning serpent drawn by devils at the right (on entering) and by Gods on the left.

The central sanctuary is a huge mass, the dark centre of which is surrounded by a narrow corridor. The excavation of G. Trouvé brought it to light. It is a fine big statue of Buddha sitting on the coils of Naga and in the shelter of his head; it can be seen, re-installed on a terrace, on the right hand side of the avenue leads to the victory gate.

The bas-reliefs on the outer wall (160m 140m) and on the inner gallery differ completely and seem to belong to two different worlds. On the outside is the world of men, of events in history which might actually have taken place, and on the inside is the epic world of gods and legends. Many of legendary scenes are found repeatedly on Cambodian monuments and can be easily recognized. A number of the historical events pictured by the sculptors have also been identified since the correct dating of the Bayon in the 12th century directed research to the history of that time.

The faces ornamenting the towers, which are also found on the gates of Angkor Thom, of Ta Prohm, of Banteay Kdei and of great Banteay Chmar, are certainly the features which most impress the visitors.

Louis Finot formulated a theory (in 1911) that the towers at the Bayon, with somewhat phallic form, were enormous Lingas sculptured with faces, sheltering those worshipped in the shrines inside. This theory was based on the certain belief that the Bayon was a Hindu temple dedicated to Siva. But this theory had to be abandoned when the pediment representing Lokeçvara was discovered, a pediment which had formerly been hidden be the central mass. This indicated that the original and basic character of the Bayon was a Buddhist temple. The faces were certainly Buddhist and probably represented the compassionate Bodhisattva.

Even the archaeologists of the Ecole Français were not able to decide immediately whether the heads on the Bayon were Brahma, Siva or Buddha. The distinctions which clearly different: Brahma: the creator of the universe; Siva spreads blessings on every region in space; Buddha of the Great Miracle duplicates himself infinity; and Lokeçvara faces in all directions. The spirit behind these Indian divinities, which the architect tried to represent, was not so much a real being or individual, but an abstraction.