After Ta Prohm, we headed over to a large complex called Angkor Thom, that has two separate groups of ruins to visit. Angkor Thom itself was the capital of King Jayavarman VII, one of the most prolific kings in Khmer history, and he is the same that saw the construction of nearby Ta Prohm. Angkor Thom is a vast city, encompassing a larger area than it's more-well known neighbor Angkor Wat, and actually contains numerous groups of ruins. Two of the most significant are the walled complexes of Bayon and Baphuon. Bayon is the more intriguing of the two, as it went through several design changes through the centuries as different rulers came to power. It also has a different construction technique from other area complexes. The Elephant Terrace was a massive viewing platform for the king and his entourage to watch over their armies as they returned home victorious. Today what we see is actually the foundation of what was a much larger structure with a wood frame and covered in vegetation.
The Elephant Terrace
Bayon
Bayon is a fascinating place to visit because it has four unique aspects of it's identity that set it apart from other nearby complexes.
The first is it's construction, which utilized a different construction material than Angkor Wat or Ta Prohm. While those two were built with a stone known as laterite, Bayon was built almost exclusively with sandstone. Because the two stones are different, Bayon was constructed in a slightly different style, with larger stones and less emphasis on seamlessness. That's not to say it is by any means less beautiful, but instead just different. The stones have also weathered a bit differently, and have been more prone to moss and lichen growth than other area sites. It also displays signs of having been built quite rapidly, perhaps in as little as a decade (or even less) as opposed to other nearby temples, that took multiple decades to finish. All of these are clearly evident from the first time you see Bayon,
The first is it's construction, which utilized a different construction material than Angkor Wat or Ta Prohm. While those two were built with a stone known as laterite, Bayon was built almost exclusively with sandstone. Because the two stones are different, Bayon was constructed in a slightly different style, with larger stones and less emphasis on seamlessness. That's not to say it is by any means less beautiful, but instead just different. The stones have also weathered a bit differently, and have been more prone to moss and lichen growth than other area sites. It also displays signs of having been built quite rapidly, perhaps in as little as a decade (or even less) as opposed to other nearby temples, that took multiple decades to finish. All of these are clearly evident from the first time you see Bayon,
The second unique factor about Bayon is it's iconography and design styling, which is a result of basically three different religions coming to power over the years, and the temple being re-designed and re-styled as a result. When the temple was built, the dominant religion was Buddhism, more specifically Mahayana Buddhism. Later, during the reign of another king, Hindu came to be the prevailing faith, and the complex was altered to better offer worship to the numerous Hindu gods. Finally, yet another later ruler brought Theravada Buddhism to the state, resulting in another round of design changes. So to this day, you can still see numerous signs of the three different religions. In addition to the numerous Buddha faces (more than any other complex), the city was famous for it's towers. At one point it was supposed to have as many as 54, although nowadays the number of intact towers numbers in the high 30's. The whole complex was designed to be a five-step representation of the mythological home of the Hindu gods, Mount Meru. The photo below shows what it may have looked like in it's Hindu prime.
The third thing that sets Bayon apart from it's close neighbors is it's architecture. While the plan of the complex still utilized many common elements from other Angkor area cities, such as four cardinal points, towers, and walls, one huge difference to Bayon is that it's highest tier is a 25 meter wide central core that is circular in shape, a unique construction in the Angkor area, which elsewhere used almost exclusively squares or rectangulas. This is largely a result of the aforementioned religious styling and it's role as the representation of the summit of Mt. Meru. The complex is also much more compact than other Angkor cities, another possible indicator of it's rapid construction. Rather than the sweeping, expansive grounds seen on other local complexes, Bayon has small, limited open areas inside it's bulk. These are more intimate and quiet than the larger spaces located within a city like Angkor Wat.
Finally, the last (and some might say biggest) difference between Bayon and it's neighbors is the high quality bas-reliefs that adorn many of the complexes walls. These relief carvings are unmatched in quality anywhere nearby, and while there are panels dedicated to purely fictitious events from Buddhist and Hindu lore, there are also numerous panels that tell the history of the area. Research using archaeology and other historical sources (such as Chinese traders' manuscripts & journals) has shown that these panels and scenes are remarkably consistent with what is accepted as the "probable" history of the area.
One of the most famous and easy to link up is the battle on with the Cham armies on "The Great Lake" [today's nearby Tonle Sap], which scholars know happened in the 1180's. Here, vivid scenes of men on boats, fighting and dying, with scenes of underwater life below are all preserved in fascinating quality and detail. Other panels depict other battles between the Cham on land. Even the detail on the individual soldiers is remarkable; the Cham soldiers are clearly distinguishable from the Khmer soldiers. |
All photos copyright Kit Davidson unless otherwise cited.