Prasat Bayon
It’s occurred to us that we’ve written posts on our favourite Angkor temples, on lesser-known sites, about Baphuon, Bakheng and Banteay Kdei and even the apsaras of Angkor Wat but we haven’t posted on one of the most famous of them all, Bayon. So, to rectify that – and as an excuse for a few pretty pics – here’s a rundown on the famous ‘Temple of the Faces’.
Bayon in History
Bayon sits at the geographical centre of the huge, walled and moated city of Angkor Thom. Known to the Khmers of the time as Yasodharapura, the site, in various incarnations, served as the imperial capital for over three hundred years. (There was a brief interlude in the early 10th century when the capital was moved to Koh Ker located 120 kilometres from Siem Reap and also now a World Heritage-listed site.)
There may well have been a pre-existing structure on the site but much of what we see today dates from the late 12th century when the Bayon was commissioned as the state, or royal, temple of King Jayavarman VII. The confusing architectural layout indicates that various, subsequent additions and alterations were undertaken – perhaps by Jayavarman himself or his son Indravarman II. The sanctuary was consecrated as a Mahayana Buddhist temple – Jayavarman’s religious tendency of choice.
The famous towers and their faces The temple today
The Bayon is far from being one of the larger Angkorian temples – it’s dwarfed by Angkor Wat and other sites dating to the same king’s reign are larger, such as the sprawling Banteay Chhmar – but it is one of the most intricate, complicated and indeed confusing of all period temples.
Numerous narrow corridors and stone steps wind around the multi-levelled structure with many now hidden carvings demonstrating that certain elements were squeezed in as afterthoughts. Quite how the original design would have appeared is now almost impossible to discern.
A quiet moment at Bayon Its most famous architectural features today are, of course, the famous faces and – before we go any further and whatever your guide may feel compelled to tell you – nobody knows for certain who they represent. Yes, they may represent the face of the king himself, they may depict the Boddhisattva Lokeshvara (a commonly seen figure on Bayon-period temples), perhaps Buddha himself, or possibly even a fusion of all of the above.
While the four-headed towers rise in profusion from the upper sections of the temple, the lower, enclosing walls are also spectacular with their extensive, well-restored reliefs depicting both battles against the perfidious Chams as well as fascinating scenes of everyday life.
It’s one of the most spectacular Angkor temples but as we mentioned, it is small and, not surprisingly, very popular.
The late afternoon light isn’t too bad either On our tours
Timing our visit is then key. Popular opinion claims the morning light is better – and maybe it is – but visiting a temple at the time the guides and guidebooks recommend is not, in our opinion, a recommended idea because that’s exactly what everybody else will be doing.
Apsaras – a kind of heavenly dancer. Day 2 of our Angkor programme involves an early morning tour of Angkor Wat itself, time to relax in Siem Reap during the middle – hottest part – of the day and a walking tour of the various sites of Angkor Thom in the afternoon when it’s cooled down a bit. We’ll get dropped off at the Terrace of the Leper King and walk through the forest via Phimeanakas and the Elephant Terrace to Baphuon. Beyond the massive sandstone pyramid of Baphuon lies Bayon, the day’s final stop. By then, visitor numbers are far fewer and we don’t reckon the light’s too shabby either, so a fine time to visit and a great ending to the afternoon’s tour.
