Built in the late 12th and 13th centuries, the Bayon is the central temple of the ancient city of Angkor Thom, rebuilt by Jayavarman VII after being ravaged by the Chams. One of the world’s most enigmatic constructions, it has undergone several religious phases.
A temple-mountain, it has undergone successive alterations that make it difficult to understand. From a distance, the Bayon appears as a heap of stones. Of the original 54 towers, only 37 remain. The four faces of each tower, facing the four cardinal points, signal the omnipresence of the Buddha.
The outer gallery, accessible to the masses of worshippers, is famous for its 3-level bas-reliefs with superimposed registers. Alongside scenes from everyday life, it is devoted to certain historical episodes (parades and battles) from the reign of Jayavarman VII. The bas-reliefs in the inner gallery, on the other hand, are almost exclusively dedicated to mythological subjects.
The Bayon temple was visited every year from 2008 to 2020.
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