Prasat Bayon
| Native Name | ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន |
|---|---|
| CISARK# | 372 |
| IK# | 474 |
| K Inscription | K.293, K.294, K.469, K.470, K.486, K.539, K.540, K.552, K.672, K.700, K.775, K.776, K.801, K.812, K.902 |
| Type | Large Prasat |
| Location | |
| Part of | Angkor Thom |
| Commune | Nokor Thom |
| District | Siem Reap |
| Province | Siem Reap |
| Country | Cambodia |
| Coordinates | N 13 26.480 E 103 51.535 |
| History | |
| Founded | 13th Century |
| Builder | Jayavarman VII, Indravarman II, Jayavarman VIII |
| Art Style | Bayon |
| Material | Sandstone |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| Deity | Lokeshvara |
| UNESCO Inscription | 1992 |
Prasat Bayon (ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន - Pronounced: Pra-saht Bai-yohn).
Debate still rages over the precise identity of Bayon's iconic carved faces - Lokeshavara, Jayavarman VII himself or a combination of the 2, and indeed opinions still diverge over the exact number of towers and the probable number of original towers as well as the number of faces themselves. Today some 37 towers still stand and despite assumptions that there were originally 54, architectural evidence points to a total of 49. Baseless assertions of 216 faces are then deduced from 4 faces on each of the 54 towers although it can be seen today that, while most towers do possess 4 faces, some only have 3 or even 2. (One particular tower comes with a single face.)
Enigmatic faces aside the temple is probably the single most complicated and confusing of all Angkorian monuments. A temple certainly already existed at the site - of unidentifiable date and form - when Jayavarman VII commenced his royal temple at the centre of Angkor Thom in the late 12th-century. Substantial remodelling was undertaken and major additions made by subsequent kings including a conversion to a Hindu temple and re-conversion to Theravada Buddhist site.
Although the highly elaborate shrine is relatively small in size - lacking even an enclosure wall or gopuras - some historians have pointed to the walls, gates and moat of Angkor Thom as actually belonging to Bayon. The South Gate, (Angkor Thom Khloung Thvear Tonle Om), is then the outer south gopura of Bayon and the main entrance of Bayon is actually the East Gate of Angkor Thom.
Map Location
Image Gallery
View from the south during the rainy season
The northern entrance
Reliefs from the outer enclosure wall
The Angkor smile
Classic side-view of one of the famous faces
The curious 2-story building on the temple's east side
View of the towers
The faces of the Bayon
Bas-relief at the Bayon
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Historic Archive
A collection of historic photographs, artist sketches, maps etc. (Please ensure that anything you do upload is free of copyright and/or you have permission from the original photographer/artist/author to share)
Nearby Sites
Angkor Thom Depot - Angkor Thom Royal Palace - Angkor Thom Sculptures 4714 - Angkor Thom Srah - Angkor Thom Terrace 733 - Angkor Thom Terrace 1739 - Angkor Thom Terrace 4720 - Angkor Thom Terrace 4752 - Angkor Thom Terrace 7670 - Angkor Thom Terrace A - Angkor Thom Terrace D - Angkor Thom Terrace H - Angkor Thom Terrace Q - Angkor Thom Terrace V - Angkor Thom Terrace X - Angkor Thom Terrace Y - Angkor Thom Terrace Z - Bayon Exhibition Hut and Depot - Prasat Khleang Khang Cheung - Prasat Khleang Khang Thbong - Prasat Phimeanakas - Prasat Srah Ta Set - Prasat Suor Prat - Preah Ang Kok Thlok - Preah Vihear Pram Pi Lveng - Preah Vihear Preah Ang Kok Thlok - Srah Andong - Terrace of the Elephants - Wat Preah En Tep - Wat Preah Ngok - Wat Preah Si Ar Metrei
External Links
Links to additional resources such as articles, websites, videos etc.
References