Bayon Temple of the mysterious stone face towers

The Bayon was the state temple of King Jayavarman VII, built at the end of the 12th century. It is a mountain temple built to represent Mount Meru, the center of the universe in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology.
The King had the temple constructed in the center of Angkor Thom, the 9 km2large capital city of the Khmer empire. Four roads from the four entrance gopuras of Angkor Thom lead directly to the temple.
Unlike most Khmer temples, the Bayon is not surrounded by a moat and walls with gopura entrance gates. Archaeologists believe that instead the moat and walls of Angkor Thom served as the temple’s line of defense.

Buddhist temple with separate shrines for Vishnu and Shiva

The Bayon was built as a Buddhist temple. A statue of the main idol, a seated Buddha image sheltered under the hoods of the snake Mucalinda, was discovered in a pit under the main shrine. A few decades after the death of King Jayavarman VII, the temple was turned into a Hindu temple when King Jayavarman VIII reverted the official Khmer religion back to Hinduism; images of the Buddha were destroyed or turned into Hindu images.
Although the Bayon was a Buddhist temple, other Gods were also worshipped. Separate shrines were dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva, while countless other deities were worshipped.
The Bayon is best known for the mysterious faces on its many towers. Due to its many alterations over time, the structure is of a very complicated design and has a cluttered feel, with the many towers and other structures cramping the monument. The Bayon has three enclosures. The galleried 3rd and 2ndenclosure, and the inner enclosure, which contains the 3rd floor platform with the central sanctuary.
Two concentric galleries are sculpted with bas reliefs. The inner galleries contain mainly religious and mythological scenes, while the outer galleries mainly show historical events, battles and scenes from daily life.
At some point the temple was deserted and became overgrown by thick jungle. Clearing of the monument was done in the 1910’s. The face towers and the central sanctuary were restored by the EFEO in the 1940’s using the anastylosis method. Since the end of the 20th century, the Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor (JSA) maintains the monument.

The Bayon’s face towers

The Bayon is best known for its large number of serene faces sculpted on its towers. Originally there were 49 towers, decorated with large carved faces looking into each of the four cardinal directions. Close to 200 faces, the largest ones being almost 2½ meters high, decorate the 37 remaining towers of the first and second enclosure. While most towers contain four faces, some only have three, and one tower only bears a single face, probably due to a lack of space.
Initially the faces were believed to represent Brahma, the Hindu God of creation depicted with four heads. When it was later established that the Bayon was not a Hindu temple but a Buddhist one, archaeologists believed the faces to be of Lokeshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. The similarity of statues of Jayavarman VII and the face towers had led some to believe that it is the King himself whose face is depicted on the towers.

Approach from the East

Approaching the Bayon from the East is a large terrace with guardian lions and Naga balustrades. To the left and right of the terrace used to be large pools, the remains of which can still be seen. A cruciform gopura gives entrance to the third enclosure.

The third enclosure

The third enclosure measures 160 meters long by 140 meters wide. It consists of galleries with 4 pavilions at the corners and 4 gopura entrance gates at the center of each side. The pillars of the galleries are decorated with a great number of dancing Apsaras.
The 3rd enclosure outer galleries contain extensive sculpted bas reliefs, mainly depicting scenes of historical events, battles and scenes from daily life in Angkor. They provide a good source of information about historical events and the way Angkor people lived at the late 12th to early 13th century. Inside the third enclosure, on either side of the Eastern entrance gopura is a library building.

The second enclosure

The second enclosure measures 80 meters long by 70 meters wide. They consist of corner galleries and inner galleries built on different levels. Its corner towers and intermediate towers are decorated with large faces of Lokeshvara. The bas reliefs sculpted on the galleries contain mainly Hindu religious and mythological scenes.
The circular, narrow and rather dark inner galleries were likely built first. The inner galleries contained a large number of sculptings of the Buddha. Only a few have survived. Most of them were destroyed or turned into Shavite images during the Hindu reaction of Jayavarman VIII in the 13th century. Built around the inner galleries, the rectangular corner galleries are at a lower level than the inner galleries. They were probably added later.

The first enclosure

The first enclosure consists of the 3rd floor platform holding the central sanctuary. Like the 2nd enclosure, the images of the Buddha have been destroyed or turned into Shavite images.
The central sanctuary that has a 5 meter diameter is accessed on the East through a number of chambers and vestibules. On either side is a structure, that might have been libraries. Around the circular central sanctuary are eight sanctuary towers bearing sculpted faces, forming the circular first enclosure. Around it are four satellite sanctuaries. The Western sanctuary is dedicated to Vishnu, the Northern one to Shiva. Next to each of them, on the 2nd floor is a structure that might have been a library. The Southern sanctuary is dedicated to the Buddha.
During excavation works of the central sanctuary, a large broken Buddha image was discovered in a pit under the sanctuary. The 3.60 meter high image in the meditation mudra is seated on the coiled body of the snake Mucalinda, sheltered by its hood. The image has been restored and is now enshrined in a pavilion at a Buddhist terrace named Vihear Prampil Loveng, along the way from the Royal Palace East to the Victory gate.
Face towers of the Bayon
Name
Bayon, Prasat Bayon
Date
Late 12th, early 13th century
King
Jayavarman VII
Location
In the center of Angkor Thom
Nearby
Royal Palace, Phimeanakas, Baphuon

Bakong First of Angkor’s large mountain temples

The Bakong is the first of the large mountain temples in Angkor. It belongs to the Roluos group, build at the end of the 9th century.
The Bakong and the other temples of the Roluos group, like the Preah Ko and the Lolei were build in Hariharalaya, an early capital of the Khmer empire. This area is now called Roluos, located North of Tonle Sap lake, about 15 kilometers East of Siem Reap.

State temple of King Indravarman I

The Bakong was build by King Indravarman I, who also build the Preah Ko temple and the huge Indratataka baray, a reservoir where water was stored to be used for irrigation during the dry season.
It was the state temple of King Indravarman I, dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. A stele found at the site states that the Bakong’s main linga named Sri Indresvara was consecrated in the temple in the year 881. The main linga, which is a representation of Shiva, is usually enshrined in the central tower of the Khmer temple.
One of the main attractions of the Bakong temple is its lintels, that contain very intricate, detailed and well preserved carvings of mythical creatures like Nagas and Makaras.

Moats and the first Naga bridges

The Bakong is a sandstone monument enclosed by two moats. The outer enclosure is delimited on each side by a laterite wall with a gopura, an entrance gate with a tower on top of it. Between the inner and outer moat are the remains of 22 brick temple buildings, most of which have collapsed. They contained statues of Vishnu, Shiva and a number of lingas.
The moat outside the inner enclosure is crossed by paved causeways, with huge seven headed Naga snakes on its sides. They are the first examples of Naga bridges, found in many of the later Angkor temples.

Inner enclosure

The inner enclosure contains a five stepped pyramid surrounded by eight brick towers. On top of the pyramid is a single sanctuary tower. In front of the temple on the Eastern entrance are two long halls positioned between two of the surrounding towers. At each of the four corners of the inner enclosure are brick buildings called libraries, although they probably did not contain any scriptures.
Around the pyramid are eight square brick towers, some of which have collapsed. Originally they were plastered on the outside and contained figures of dvarapalas and devatas, a few of which have survived. All towers have a real door the the East, the other three are false doors. The door knobs on the false doors are shaped like lion heads. The lintels in the towers contain some of the finest decorations to be seen in Angkor, with very intricate depictions like Vishnu on top of Garuda, warrior figures, animals and mythological creatures like makaras and Naga snakes.

Five stepped pyramid

The five receding terraces in the inner enclosure in the shape of a stepped pyramid were built to resemble Mount Meru, the sacred mountain in Hindu mythology. The tiers of the pyramid measure 67 by 65 meters at its base and 20 by 18 meters at the fifth tier. At the center of each side is a stairway flanked on either side by guardian lions. The stairway, divided into five parts becomes narrower at each higher level to make the temple look larger than it actually is using perspective.
In front of the stairway is a large entrance gate. Opposite each of the stairs is a statue of Nandi, the sacred bull and mount of Shiva. The corners of the first three tiers contain statues of elephants. All the way around the perimeter of the fifth terrace is a frieze with bas relief sculptings, that have mostly eroded.
Bakong temple
Name
Bakong
Date
881
King
Indravarman I
Location
Village of Roluos, just South of National Highway 6
Nearby
Preah Ko, Prasat Prei Monti

Angkor Wat

Angkor’s most impressive and best known temple, Angkor Wat is the best preserved of all the Angkor monuments. The temple is an object of pride for Cambodia, its depiction appears on the national flag.
Angkor Wat, which means temple city is located just South of the Khmer capital Angkor Thom.
It is a richly decorated, very large temple; the total temple area including the moat measures 1.5 kilometers long by 1.3 kilometers wide, or a total of about 2 square kilometers. Angkor Wat is the biggest Hindu temple in Cambodia.

Height of architectural skills of the Khmer

The temple represents the height of architectural skills of the Khmer builders. Its very detailed carved bas reliefs that cover much of the temple shows impressive craftsmanship. Unlike other Angkor temples, Angkor Wat is oriented towards the West and dedicated to Vishnu, where previous temples face East and are dedicated to Shiva.
Angkor Wat was the state temple of King Suryavarman II, who built the temple during the first half of the 12th century. He was one of Angkor’s greatest Kings who ruled for almost 40 years and expanded the Khmer empire. Some historians believe that the temple also served as a funerary temple for the King. This could explain its orientation to the West; the setting sun (in the West) symbolizes the end of the cycle of life.

Mount Meru, the center of Hindu cosmology

Angkor Wat is a mountain temple build to represent Mount Meru, the center of the world in Hindu cosmology. The temple’s five prasats or sanctuary towers represent the peaks of the sacred mountain, while the moats represent the oceans that surround Mount Meru.
The temple’s three tiers are surrounded by large galleries, that were introduced in earlier temples like the Ta Keo. One of Angkor Wat’s major attractions are the many intricate and well preserved bas reliefs with depictions of scenes from the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as many hundreds of statues of female devatas, a Hindu deity.
Angkor Wat was cleared at the start of the 20th century, after which extensive restoration work has been carried out. Around the end of the 13th century Angkor Wat was converted into a Buddhist temple.

Approach to the temple

Surrounding the temple complex is a 190 meter wide moat. At the Western end is a 12 meter wide bridge, in front of which is a terrace where lions and Nagasnakes guard the temple. Crossing the bridge the visitor approaches the impressive Western gate, which was build to resemble the front view of the temple itself.
The structure consists of long galleries with a three part gopura topped by towers that have partly collapsed. At both ends of the structure is a pavilion, large enough to enable elephants to go through. The Western gate contains apsaras and devatas as well as magnificent carvings on its lintels showing Vishnu, Garuda, warriors and scenes from the epic Ramayana. Only after passing the Western gate, the Angkor Wat temple comes in sight.
Behind the Western gate is a 350 meter long processional walkway elevated about 1½ meters above the ground towards the temple. On either side of the walkway is a library building. Past the libraries are two lakes, reflecting the silhouette of the of Angkor Wat’s towers. The temple itself is build on raised platform about 330 meters long and 255 meters wide. The structure comprises of three rectangular tiers each higher one smaller than the one below it encircled by long galleries with corner towers and a gopura in the center of its sides.

Bas reliefs galleries of the third tier

The third tier is surrounded by long concentric galleries. Its walls contain some of the finest and best preserved bas reliefs of Angkor Wat, including:
  • The battle of Lanka, a storey from the epic Ramayana, where Rama fights Ravana who abducted his wife Sita
  • The battle of Kurukshetra from the epic Mahabharata, between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, depicting soldiers and commanders on elephants or riding chariots
  • A 90 meter panel of the Royal Procession. Two sections depict King Suryavarman II and a procession of court ladies, another section shows a procession of soldiers on foot or on horses and elephants and a parade of Brahmin priests
  • The Heavens and Hells and the Judgement of Sinners by Yama, the Hindu God of Death. Depictions of the 37 heavens with palaces with servants and the 32 hells and the punishments and tortures received there, each one for a specific sin committed
  • The churning of the ocean of milk, a 50 meter long panel. This storey from the Mahabharata tells how an elixir of immortality over which the Gods and the demons fight is produced by churning the ocean with Mount Meru used as the churning rod
  • Vishnu and his incarnation Krishna
  • The victory of Vishnu over the asuras
  • The abduction of Shiva by Ravana
  • Other scenes from the Ramayana
Within the third enclosure, right after passing the main entrance on the West end are galleries that delimit four courtyards. Its walls are decorated with devatas, apsaras and rishis, while the pediments contain carvings of Vishnu and Krishna, one of Vishnu’s incarnations. The galleries also contain a number of Buddha images, placed there after Angkor Wat was converted into a Buddhist temple.
                                                   View of Angkor Wat from the West
Name
Angkor Wat, Prasat Angkor Wat
Date
First half of the 12th century
King
Suryavarman II
Location
Just South of Angkor Thom
Nearby
Phnom Bakheng

Phnom Bakheng First temple with 5 towers representing Mount Meru

The Phnom Bakheng temple was build around the year 900 in Yasodharapura by King Yasovarman I, also known as the leper King, as he suffered from leprosy.
Yasovarman I moved the capital of the Khmer empire from Hariharalaya to Yasodharapura, near current day Siem Reap where Angkor Wat was to be build more than 200 years later.

Mountain temple dedicated to Shiva

The Phnom Bakheng is a mountain temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. King Yasovarman I made this the state temple, the most important temple of the Kingdom. It harbored the most sacred linga in Angkor.
The temple is located on top of a 70 meter high hill. From the top there are great views of the surrounding area including Angkor Wat and and two other temples build on hill tops, the Phnom Krom and the Phnom Bok. It is a popular place to view the sunset, which can make the temple very crowded at times.

Representation of the mythological Mount Meru

The Phnom Bakheng is the first Angkor temple that has five prang towers on top of the pyramid to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru. In comparison, the Bakong temple, build around 2 decades earlier, has just one prasat. Many of the Angkor temples were build to be a representation of Mount Meru, the sacred mountain with five mountain peaks from Hindu mythology.

Layout of the temple

The temple area was surrounded by a moat. In front of the stairway leading to the hilltop temple are two 2½ meter high lion statues standing guard. A path leads to the main entrance, that faces East.
Just before the remains of the laterite wall with the gopura entrance gate are a few pillars that remain of a building, and a structure of a later date that contains a footprint of the Buddha. In front of the Eastern side of the stepped pyramid are two sandstone library buildings with entrances to the East and West.

Five stepped pyramid

The pyramid of the Phnom Bakheng consists of five receding tiers measuring 76 meters at its base and 47 meters at the top level. On the platform of the fifth tier are the large central sanctuary, surrounded by four smaller sanctuaries. The towers enshrined lingas, some of which are still there. The large central tower had four doors, whereas usually there is just one entrance (usually East), while the others are false doors. The North side of the central prang contains an inscription dating from the reign of King Jayavarman V (968 - 1001).
On the towers are finely carved statues of devatas (guardian spirits) and apsaras (a divine female usually depicted dancing). The lintels and pediments on the prasats show several depictions, like naga snakes and warrior figures.

109 Sanctuary towers

A total of 109 sanctuary towers were build at the site, 44 around the base of the pyramid, 60 on the five tiers of the pyramid and the 5 large prasats on top. Today only part of the central prang still exists, while very little remains of the four surrounding smaller towers. Most of the 60 around the base have not survived.
At the center of each side of the pyramid is a stairway leading to the platform on top. The very steep stairway is guarded by lions. Opposite each of the stairs was a Nandi bull (the mount of Shiva), of which fragments remain.
                                           Sanctuary of the Phnom Bakheng
Name
Phnom Bakheng
Date
Around 900
King
Yasovarman I
Location
South of Angkor Thom South gate, just North of Angkor Wat
Nearby
Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Prasat Bayon

Cambodia A country with a rich history and beautiful beaches

One of the world’s poorest countries, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand, Vietnam and Laos and by the Gulf of Thailand in the South. The Mekong, one of the world’s longest rivers, runs through the country.
Capital and largest city is Phnom Penh, a city where Cambodia’s colonial past is clearly visible in the old French quarters architecture.
Much of Cambodia has a rural character with rice fields scattered over the country. Cambodia is a Buddhist country with a largely conservative population. Most of its people are involved in small scale farming.
Tourism is one of the fastest growing sources of income and employment for the country, with the magnificent Khmer era temples of the Angkor Archaeological Park being the main attraction.

History of Cambodia

Cambodia is known the world over for its rich history. The Khmer empire that was founded at the start of the 9th century grew out to be one of the most powerful empires ever to exist in South East Asia. At the height of its power the empire extended out across much of Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. Many impressive monuments were build such as Angkor Wat and the Bayon, that are today a major tourist attraction and a source of pride for the country.
The power of the Khmer empire came to an end after an invasion by the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1431. The state religion during the Khmer era was Hinduism; Shiva and Vishnu were worshipped until the 13th century, when Buddhism became prevalent.

Recent history

Cambodia was colonized by France in 1863 and stayed under French control until 1953. French influence is still clearly visible in the colonial style buildings of Battambang and the French quarter of Phnom Penh. From 1975 until 1979 Cambodia was under control of the Khmer Rouge, the communist party led by Pol Pot. The regime tried to implement agricultural reforms, which led to widespread famine. More than one million people died of starvation, exhaustion or execution. This era in Cambodia’s history is known from the movie “The Killing Fields”.

To do & see in Cambodia

Cambodia is an increasingly popular tourist destination, the main destinations being Angkor, Phnom Penh and the beaches around Sihanoukville on the Gulf of Thailand.

Angkor Archaeological Park & Siem Reap

Most visitors to Cambodia visit the Angkor Archaeological Park, an area of more than 400 square kilometers near the town of Siem Reap. This area was the scene of one of the world’s most developed civilizations of its time. A large number of impressive monuments as Angkor Wat and the Bayon remain in a well preserved state.

Angkor night market

The Angkor night market in Siem Reap is a good place to try your bargaining skills, pick up some souvenirs, try local food or enjoy a Cambodian massage.

Apsara dance performance

Several of the more upmarket hotels in Siem Reap organise dinner and Apsara dance shows. They are named after the Apsaras, female celestial beings depicted on many of the Angkor temples. In Khmer mythology they entertain the Gods and are usually seen dancing. During the Khmer era these dances were performed for the rulers of the Khmer empire.

Sihanoukville beaches

Around the town of Sihanoukville are a number of sandy beaches. While some of them are very quiet, most beaches have facilities like beach chairs, bars and restaurants as well as accommodation options. For a gamble, try one of the Sihanoukville casinos.

Phnom Penh

Being the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh has many sites worth a visit, a few of them being the Royal Palace, the Independence Monument, the National Museum and the colonial houses of the old French quarter.
The city houses countless Buddhist temples like the Wat Phnom, a beautiful temple dating back to the 14th century and the Wat Botum, a 15th century temple. The central market Phsar Thmey is an enormous market in the center of town with countless stalls where almost everything seems to be for sale.
The Killing Fields Choeung Ek South of town is one of the sites where huge numbers of people were executed during the Khmer Rouge regime. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh was a prison where the prisoner cells can be viewed and where photos and other items of the Khmer Rouge era are on display.
                                             Angkor - Cambodia’s main attraction

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