North of Angkor Wat we have Angkor Thom which is said to be the city of Angkor complex. Angkor Thom was built on a large almost square site with a high and wide stone wall around it. At one time it had a huge population of people. Sadly the palace no longer exists.
The Bayon temple was built by King Jayavarman V11 within the stone walls of Angkor Thom between the late 12th - 13th Century! Bayon has a large centre dome and four smaller towers. Each tower has a sculptured head with a facial expression of sadness. The heads face north, south, east and west. Each one gazes out over the land of Angkor Thom.
There were fifty-one smaller towers, each individual tower has four small heads. Bayon is surrounded by a large stone wall which formed a defence support around the temple. Five entrances, provide access to the temple, each one with gates heralded by two large, three headed, stone elephants with long thick trunks down to the ground. The roadway up and over the moat to the main gate of Angkor Thom is guarded on one side by a serpent driven by the devil whilst on the other side the gods enter.
Throughout the temple bas-relief murals are accentuated over walls and pillars. Sculptured figurines of the apsaras and deity's decorate the inside of the dome, incorporating the mythical world and the Buddha religions. The historical fighting and domestic scenes are portrayed around the outside walls.
This temple was dedicated to the Buddhists.
Sound beautiful. I lived a "few" miles from there. Vientiane. Never saw this temple. Happy A to Z!
ReplyDeleteYou lived near Angkor Wat? It an amazing place. I was out visiting my niece. We visited a number temples but ran out of time.
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