Localisation

Angkor Central – in the middle of Angkor Thom  (Look map "Angkor complex")

Style

Période angkorienne tardive

Construction - Inauguration

End of 12th century – beginning of 13th century

Initiator

State temple of Jayavarman VII and his immediate successors

Dédicace

At its origin, the temple hosted all the major Buddhist and Hindu divinities found throughout the Khmer empire in a spirit of broad tolerance. But the Buddha was in the “cella principale
Thanks to small inscriptions on most of the doors of numerous chapels spread on three levels. The different divinities to whom they were dedicated (of which the deified ancestors of the king) could be identified.”

Visit

2 hours

Caracteristics

• Bayon exudes grandness in every aspect.
• The gigantic face sculptures that adorn its thirty-seven surviving towers appeals to visitors. Facing in the four directions on each tower, the faces are thought to signify the omnipresence and benevolence of the king in the whole empire.
• A profusion of bas-reliefs depicts scenes of everyday life and history scenes with battles and processions. Ignoring the drawing in perspective, the scenes are presented mostly in two or three horizontal panels, the lower for the first plan and the upper panel for the horizon.