| Bayon | |
|---|---|
Jaygiri | |
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism, Hinduism |
| Deity | Avalokiteshvara, Hevajra (Jayagiri) |
| Location | |
| Location | Angkor Thom |
| Country | Cambodia |
  Location in Cambodia | |
| Geographic coordinates | 13°26′28″N 103°51′31″E / 13.44111°N 103.85861°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Bayon |
| Creator | Jayavarman VII |
| Completed | end of the 12th century CE |
The Bayon (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, Prasat Bayoăn [praːsaːt baːjŏən]) (/ˈbaɪɔːn/ BAI-on) is a richly decorated Khmer temple related to Buddhism at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the state temple of the King Jayavarman VII (Khmer: ព្រះបាទជ័យវរ្ម័នទី ៧), the Bayon stands at the centre of Jayavarman's capital, Angkor Thom (Khmer: អង្គរធំ).[1][2]
The Bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and smiling stone faces of Brahma - probably modeled on the face of King Jayavarman VII - on every side the many towers that jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.[3] 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 (Khmer: ប្រាសាទអង្គរវត្ត).[4]
- ^ Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 9781842125847, p.121
- ^ Higham, C., 2014, Early Mainland Southeast Asia, Bangkok: River Books Co., Ltd., pp.378-382 ISBN 9786167339443
- ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.78.
- ^ The Bayon Symposium