Bayon Temple or Angkor Thom, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Date of Construction: Late 12th century C.E.

Religious Affiliation: Buddhist
Patron or King: Jayavarman VII
Artistic/Archeo. Style: Bayon
Location: Central Angkor Thom
Location of Entrance: Eastern causeway

Bayon Temple or Angkor Thom, royal city and Buddhist temple complex at Angkor Wat, the capital of Khmer Empire of Cambodia from the early 9th century to the mid 15th century. It sized around 1177, and it was built by Khmer King Jayavarman VII after he had regained control of the Angkor Region from the Cham army of the northern Cambodia.

If you see only two temples, Angkor Wat and Bayon should be the ones. The giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most recognizable images connected to classic Khmer art and architecture. There are 37 standing towers, most but not all sporting four carved faces oriented toward the cardinal points. Who the faces represent is a matter of debate but they may be Loksvara, Mahayana Buddhism’s compassionate Bodhisattva, or perhaps a combination of Buddha and Jayavarman VII. Bayon was the Jayavarman VII’s state-temple and in many ways represents the pinnacle of his massive building campaign. It appears to be, and is to some degree, an architectural muddle, in part because it was constructed in a somewhat piecemeal fashion for over a century.