THE FACES OF BAYON TEMPLE

Bayon temple is considered one of the "big three" sites that every visitor to Angkor should see - the other two being Angkor Wat and Ta Prohm. Bayon was constructed by one of great Khmer Empire King named Jayavaraman 7 at the end of 12th century, and it was dedicated to Buddha. Originally was called “Jayagiri” (which means “Victory Mountain”) but was renamed “Banyan Temple” sometime after the period of French occupancy it was later named Banyan Temple due to its religious significance and Buddhist imagery (the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under the Banyan tree). When the local Khmer came to work at renovating Banyan Temple, there was a mispronunciation in Banyan, which was pronounced Bayon. The name then stuck.
 In addition to the multitude of giant stone faces smiling down at you from every direction, the site also includes an impressive array of well-preserved bas-relief carvings depicting an unusual combination of scenes from history, mythology, and everyday life. Following Jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later Hindu and Theravada Buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences. The temple has two sets of bas-reliefs, which present a combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes.