The Bayon is a richly decorated Khmer temple
at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the
state temple of the Mahayana Buddhist King Jayavarman VII , the Bayon stands at
the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom. Following Jayavarman's death,
it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in
accordance with their own religious preferences.
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the
multitude of serene and smiling stone faces on the many towers which jut out
from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak. The temple has two
sets of bas-reliefs, which present a combination of mythological, historical,
and mundane scenes.
The
main conservatory body, the Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of
Angkor (the JSA) has described the temple as "the most striking expression
of the baroque style" of Khmer architecture, as contrasted with the
classical style of Angkor Wat.
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