Bayon, the

Bayon, the, Cambodian Buddhist pyramid temple constructed c. 1200 at the behest of Jayavarman VII (1181–c. 1220), who had broken with Khmer tradition and adopted Mahāyāna Buddhism.

In order to conform with traditional mythology, the Khmer kings built themselves a series of artificial mountains on the Cambodian plain at the royal city of Angkor, each crowned by shrines containing images of gods and of themselves, their families, and their ancestors. Most of the temple mountains are oriented east to west, the main gates facing east. Originally the Bayon was designed to serve as the primary locus of the royal cult and to serve as Jayavarman’s personal mausoleum; it stood at the center of Angkor Thom, the new capital that Jayavarman built. The four-sided central tower is carved with faces, some of which seem to represent Jayavarman in the guise of Avalokiteś-vara, the great bodhisattva.Each side of the tower is oriented to a cardinal direction. The central tower is surrounded by an additional 12 towers; each side of these towers has a carved face of Avalokiteśvara as well. In total, there are 54 towers at the Bayon site, all with carved bas-relief visages. The bas-reliefs depict Jayavarman’s military victories as well as scenes of ordinary life, providing a picture of 13th-century Cambodians at work, rest, and play.