The Bayon is exactly the centre of Angkor Thom’s town. After a Cham fleet burned the capital, he took the power, rebuilt the city and surrounded the city by a strong wall which makes Bayon a solid rampant. The enclosure is 25 meters wide and has four little temples called ‘Prasat Chrung’ at the corners. The one at the northeast is in best preservation. Visitors can reach it when walking along the top of the rampant. There are five gates on the surrounding wall: four on the axis of the Bayon, the fifth is in the axis of Phimeanakas and the second Angkor. These entrances are typical for carving in the Bayon’s spirit.
Their mass is carried by a giant three-head elephant with its trucks touching the ground as picking lotuses. The triple tower structure makes Avalokiteçvara benevolent faces in all directions. The road across the moat was ornamented with with two balustrades; the devil’s images on the left and the god’s ones on the right.
The central sanctuary is very large and its dark center was discovered by G. Trouvé. He excavated a fine big statue of Buddha sitting on the coils of Naga and in the shelter of his head. Now, it’s re-installed on a terrace, on the right of the way leads to the victory gate.
The bas-reliefs on the wall outside (160m 140m) and on the gallery inside differ completely. The outside ones are the world of man, of historical events which might be existent. And the inside is about the world of gods and legends. It’s easy to find legendary scenes on Cambodian monuments. Many pictures about historical events have been recognized as correct dating of the Bayon in the 12th century fitted in with the history at that time.
The faces which can also be found on the gates of Angkor Thom, of Ta Prohm, of Banteay Kdei and of great Banteay Chmar, are significant characteristics that impress visitors most.
