The Bayon Travel Guide | Travel Loops

The Bayon

• The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated temple in the Angkor Thom complex, built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the Buddhist King Jayavarman VII. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences.
• The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers, which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and everyday scenes.