March 28, 2018 - From a distance it looks like a pile of rocks. When found by western researchers it was shrouded by dense jungle. They soon realized these ‘rocks’ were something far more.
This is the Bayon. It is also known as the Face temple. There are some 37 of these towers still standing. Each carries the visage that looks remarkably like the King at the time (Jayavarman VII- or ‘J-7’ as I call him).
It is hard to tell from the picture how large these are. They are very big. Bayon is about 2 miles from Angkor Wat.
Bayon is a very large statement of vanity as well as propaganda. It stands in the dead center of Angkor Thom, a city of around 100,000 in the 12th century. ‘Your King is all powerful and always watching’ , is the message. Similar to the Tudor Rose you will find all over London as Henry VII attempted to consolidate power after the war of the roses.
Bayon is surrounded by bas reliefs of extraordinary detail showing everything from battles to everyday life.
Bayon is much more than a pile of rocks. We saved Angkor Wat for tomorrow.
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