Faces on Bayon

Built in the 12th century by King Jayavarman VII at the exact center of the royal city of Angkor Thom in Cambodia, Bayon (ប្រាសាទបាយ័ន, Prasat Bayon) is the only state temple at Angkor built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist shrine dedicated to the Buddha. Jayavarman VII had over 200 smiling stone faces carved into the top of the temple, which remains one of the most richly decorated Khmer temples. Some say the faces represent Avalokitesvara, Mahayana Buddhism’s compassionate Bodh, while others think they are a likenesses Jayavarman VII himself or a combination of him and Buddha.