Bayon

State temple

The Bayon was the last state temple built at Angkor

The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only Angkorian state temple built primarily to worship Buddhist deities. It stands at the centre of Jayavarman VII's capital city, Angkor Thom.

The faces

Gigantic faces look out from the towers, and scholars disagree on whose

Many scholars conclude that the 216 gigantic faces on the towers represent Jayavarman VII himself. Others see the bodhisattva of compassion, and some locals believe the temple was built for Brahma.

216gigantic faces on the temple's towers

The reliefs

The outer gallery shows battles at sea and scenes from daily life

The outer wall of the outer gallery carries bas-reliefs of historical events and everyday life. They include a naval battle on the Tonle Sap between Khmer and Cham forces, a market, open-air cooking and a cockfight.

Changes

Later kings changed the Bayon again, and it was left to the jungle

In the mid-13th century, under Jayavarman VIII, the Khmer empire reverted to Hinduism and the state temple was altered accordingly. Theravada Buddhism later became dominant, bringing further changes, before the temple was abandoned to the jungle.

Crowded

The Bayon is crowded together where Angkor Wat is open

Unlike Angkor Wat, which has grand scale and open spaces, the Bayon is made of elements crowded against each other with little space between. It has no wall or moat of its own, because the city's wall and moats serve it.