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Welcome back!

In the first of a three articles we feature Angkor Thom one of the best known temples from the Angkor dynasty of Cambodia.

Angkor Thom was built under the reign of  King Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century.  The best known temple of Angkor Thom is Bayon.  For those visiting the Angkor temples including Angkor Wat this is generally the first temple people encounter.  The entrance is stunning as you enter through two rows of statues that strike you as not just intimidating as it would have been in the period but also awe inspiring.  These are still impressive some 8 centuries after they were built and prepares you for the Angkor temples inside.

The Bayon temple which is the highlight of Angkor Thom is immediately impressive and amazing that it has stood the test of time despite the volatile recent history of Cambodia.  Bayon’s most impressive feature is the multitude of towers with massive stone faces that bear a state of enlightenment.  All the faces display a serene look as if they had reached a higher state of being, it has been said these may have been created in the likeness of the King. 


The Bayon temple has not been without alternation.  During the centuries the religion of Cambodia had changed from buddhism to hinduism and these periods resulted in alterations to the Bayon temple.  If it was not for the Angkor temples being abandoned perhaps today we would not be blessed with such a remarkable preserved series of temples in Angkor, especially the marvellous Bayon and Angkor Wat temples. 

Bayon is also blessed with having some of the most intricate and impressive bas reliefs documenting the history of the Khmer empire.  These bas reliefs document not just historical events but also everyday life for the Angkor people and provide some amazing insight into the life of the great khmer empire of the period. 

The Bayon temple and Angkor Thom will take several hours to investigate, you could spend much longer but if your trying to take in the major Angkor temples in one day then you need to keep investigating, next destination Ta Prohm.

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