BAYON

Surely one of Angkor's best-known and most beautiful temples. The more than 200 mysteriously smiling faces on each of the 37 intact towers have become a symbol of Angkor's splendour. Located at the crossroads of Angkor Thom's north/south and east/west axes, it is the spiritual heart of the capital built by Jayavarman VII and the last mountain temple to be built in Angkor. Unlike Angkor's many sanctuaries dedicated to the Hindu pantheon, the Bayon venerates Buddha, since the king was an ardent Buddhist.
Although it appears to have no walls, make no mistake: the ramparts of Angkor Thom are actually those of the Bayon, giving it a surface area of 9 km², far greater than that of Angkor Wat (2 km²). Later rulers also made their contribution by modifying the Bayon's original plans. The most significant modifications date from the reign of Jayavarman VIII in the ^mid-13th century, a Hindu ruler who reinstated the cult of Vishnu in the Khmer Empire. Unlike Angkor Wat, with its classical structure and open spaces, Bayon gives a certain impression of confusion and complexity.

The outer galleries

These are particularly noteworthy, not only for the four splendid gopuras marking the four cardinal points, but above all for the numerous bas-reliefs and friezes carved on the walls. In addition to the classic mythological and historical episodes depicted, many scenes from daily life are also depicted. You can admire the most remarkable clockwise from the east door. The absence of handwritten inscriptions has forced archaeologists to make assumptions when describing certain sculptures.

The first scene depicts a marching army of Khmer Empire soldiers and Chinese mercenaries. This is followed by musicians and officers on elephants, and carts loaded with provisions. Opposite, typical Angkor houses and their inhabitants. Some are said to be Chinese merchants. Then stop at the beginning of the south gallery to admire the naval battle on the Tonle Sap between the Angkor forces and the Cham empire. Just below you'll find a market, an open-air kitchen, women looking after children... Now you're near the south gate: a cockfighting scene is quite amusing; next to it, palace life is depicted, with princesses and their maids. At the end of the south gallery, the king of Angkor celebrates his victory with more fighting. The west gallery is exclusively military, despite a strange scene of a fish feasting on a young deer. The north gallery is largely unfinished. The first bas-reliefs depict wrestlers and athletes in full exercise, a parade of animals and some ascetics meditating in the forest. Then comes another battle between the Chams and the Khmers, but this time in favor of the sworn enemy: Angkor's forces are routed. Now that you've reached the north gate, it's time to climb to the second floor to admire the interior galleries.

The inner galleries

Very narrow, as the upper level was probably not foreseen in the original plans, the bas-reliefs sculpted here are very different from those you've just seen. Added by King Jayavarman VIII, a staunch Hindu, the scenes include the great classics of Hindu mythology: the churning of the sea of milk, opulently-breasted apsaras, the trinity of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma, and so on. However, a bas-relief depicts a legend probably inspired by the leprous king: a figure fights unarmed with a giant snake, then shows a woman his hands; we then see him bedridden, suffering from his illness.

The terrace of 200 faces

The top floor encircles the tower of the main sanctuary. This is where the Bayon's famous "face towers" dominate. While most have a face on each side, some have only two or three. Archaeologists and historians are unable to state with certainty which figure is represented by these enigmatic smiling faces. Could it be King Jayavarman VII himself, the Buddha, or simply the king represented as a bodhisattva? Impossible to say, and the faces that scrutinize your every step keep all their secrets. Some specialists have tried to find a symbolism in their number. But here again, the mystery remains intact: the towers with faces don't all date from the same period, some are original, others added later. Many have been destroyed by time and vegetation. Experts estimate that, at its peak, the Bayon had 49 of them. Today, there are just 37. In all, over 200 faces have been identified, some of them badly damaged.

The sanctuary

Originally in the shape of a cross, the sanctuary today takes the form of a circular tower, 43 metres high. At its heart was a 3.60-metre-high statue of Buddha. Destroyed during the Hindu restoration of the ^13th century, the parts were miraculously recovered during the anastylosis of the Bayon, and the statue was thus reconstituted. It is now on display opposite the elephant terrace.