Bayon Temple

The smiling stone faces on Bayon Temple's towers are widely believed to represent Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, though some scholars argue they depict King Jayavarman VII himself, blending Buddhist and royal iconography. There are approximately 200 faces across the temple's towers.

Bayon Temple is located at the center of Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire, in modern-day Cambodia. It was built in the late 12th or early 13th century under Jayavarman VII, one of the Khmer Empire's most prolific builder-kings.

Bayon was originally constructed as a Mahayana Buddhist temple, reflecting Jayavarman VII's Buddhist faith, which was a departure from the Hinduism of earlier Khmer kings. After Jayavarman's death, later rulers converted it to a Hindu and then Theravada Buddhist site, adding and modifying elements accordingly.

Bayon Temple features extensive bas-reliefs depicting historical events like naval battles with the Cham people, as well as scenes of everyday Khmer life including markets, fishing, and festivals. These reliefs provide invaluable insight into 12th-century Khmer society and military history.