    thumb|right|200px|from the vantage point of the temple's upper terrace, one is struck by "the serenity of the stone faces" occupying many towers. the bayon () is a well-known and richly decorated khmer temple at angkor in cambodia. built in the late 12th or early 13th century as the official state temple of the mahayana buddhist king jayavarman vii, the bayon stands at the centre of jayavarman's capital, angkor thom. following jayavarman's death, it was modified and augmented by later hindu and theravada buddhist kings in accordance with their own religious preferences. the bayon's most distinctive feature is the multitude of serene and massive stone faces on the many towers which jut out from the upper terrace and cluster around its central peak.freeman and jacques, p.78. the temple is known also for two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which present an unusual combination of mythological, historical, and mundane scenes. the current main conservatory body, the japanese government team for the safeguarding of angkor (the jsa) has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the baroque style" of khmer architecture, as contrasted with the classical style of angkor wat.the bayon symposium. ==history== ===buddhist symbolism in the foundation of the temple by king jayavarman vii===  the bayon was the last state temple to be built at angkor, and the only angkorian state temple to be built primarily as a mahayana buddhist shrine dedicated to the buddha, though a great number of minor and local deities were also encompassed as repre
Angkorian_sites Angkorian_sites_in_Siem_Reap_Province Buddhist_temples_in_Siem_Reap_Province Hindu_temples_in_Siem_Reap_Province Visitor_attractions_in_Siem_Reap_Province