[[Image:Bayon-temple.JPG|thumb|300px|right|The Bayon seen from the main hi my name is rusty gage The Bayon is a well-known and richly decorated Khmer temple at Angkor in Cambodia. Built in the 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. Over the years it has been 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.^[1] The temple is home also to two impressive sets of bas-reliefs, which depict an unusual combination of mythological, historical and mundane events. The main current conservatory body, the JSA, has described the temple as "the most striking expression of the 'baroque' style" of Khmer architecture, in contrast with the classical style of Angkor Wat.^[2] Unlike Angkor Wat, which impresses with the grand scale of its architecture and open spaces, the Bayon "gives the impression of being compressed within a frame which is too tight for it.^[3] From the outside, according to Angkor scholar par excellence Maurice Glaize, it appears "as but a muddle of stones, a sort of moving chaos assaulting the sky.... On the upper terrace, however, calm returns." There, the visitor is "dwarfed by the serenity of these stone faces" and no longer experiences "the confusion in the plan."^[4] Khmer can refer to, the: Khmer people, the ethnic group to which the great majority of Cambodians belong to Khmer language Khmer script Khmer Empire, which ruled much of Indochina from the 9th to the 13th centuries. ... Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities that is rk of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. (The angkor people relyed on the jungle for protection and food. ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Kuan Yin from Mt. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... Jayavarman VII (1125?-1215?) was a king of the Khmer Empire (1181 - 1215????) in present day Cambodia. ... Face-tower of the South Gate, showing Avalokiteshvara Bayon temple, Angkor Thom The Terrace of the Leper King, showing apsara Angkor Thom was the fortified inner royal city built by Jayavarman VII (1181 - 1220?), Buddhist king of the Khmer Empire, at the end of the 12th Century, after Angkor had... This article discusses the adherents of Hinduism. ... Theravada (Pāli: theravāda; Sanskrit: स्थविरवाद sthaviravāda; literally, the Way of the Elders) is the oldest surviving Buddhist school, and for many centuries has been the predominant religion of Sri Lanka (about 70% of the population[1]) and most of continental Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand). ... Bas relief is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal. ... Itihasa (Sanskrit: इतिहास - itihāsa in IAST notation, literally meaning that which happened) is the word for History. ... Prehistory and early kingdoms Archaeological evidence indicates that parts of the region now called Cambodia were inhabited during the first and second millennia BCE by a Neolithic culture may have migrated from southeastern China to the Indochinese Peninsula. ... JSA may stand for: Japanese Government Team for Safeguarding Angkor Japanese Standards Association Job Seekers Allowance Justice Society of America JSA (Korean movie) aka Joint Security Area Junior State of America - A student run organization This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that... Adoration, by Peter Paul Rubens. ... Angkor Wat Architecture of Cambodia has dated back to many centuries ago and has influenced Thai architecture. ... Classicism door in Olomouc, The Czech Republic Teatr Wielki in Warsaw Church La Madeleine in Paris Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicist seeks to emulate. ... Aerial view of Angkor Wat The main entrance to the temple proper, seen from the eastern end of the Naga causeway Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. ... Maurice Glaize was the conservator of Angkor from 1937 to 1945. ...

History

Face towers on the upper terrace.

The Bayon was the last state temple to be built at Angkor, and the only one to be built primarily as a Mahayana Buddhist temple (although various local deities were also worshipped there). It was the centrepiece of Jayavarman VII's building program, and the similarity of the 200 or so gigantic faces on the temple's towers to other statues of the king have led many scholars to the conclusion that the faces are representations of Jayavarman VII himself. Others have said that the faces belong to the bodhisattva of compassion called Avalokitesvara or Lokesvara. The two hypotheses need not be regarded as mutually exclusive, since the Buddhist monarch may well have identified with the great bodhisattva and may have required that the portraits be designed accordingly. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1234x932, 1139 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1234x932, 1139 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities that is rk of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. (The angkor people relyed on the jungle for protection and food. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin from Mt. ... Jayavarman VII (1125?-1215?) was a king of the Khmer Empire (1181 - 1215????) in present day Cambodia. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Avalokitesvara with a 1,000 arms, part of the Dazu Stone Carvings at Mount Baoding, Dazu County, Chongqing, China. ... Avalokitesvara with a 1,000 arms, part of the Dazu Stone Carvings at Mount Baoding, Dazu County, Chongqing, China. ...

Since the time of Jayavarman VII, the Bayon has suffered numerous additions and alterations at the hands of subsequent monarchs.^[5] During the reign of Jayavarman VIII in the mid-13th century, the Khmer empire reverted to Hinduism and its state temple were altered accordingly. In later centuries, Theravada Buddhism became the dominant religion, leading to still further changes, before the temple was eventually abandoned to the jungle. Current features which were not part of the original plan include the terrace to the east of the temple, the libraries, the square corners of the inner gallery, and parts of the upper terrace. Jayavarman VIII was one of the kings of the Khmer empire. ... Hinduism (known as in some modern Indian languages[1]) is a religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Angkor Wat The Architecture of Cambodia developed in a series of stages under the Khmer empire from 9th to the 15th century, preserved in many buildings of the Angkor temple. ... Angkor Wat The Architecture of Cambodia developed in a series of stages under the Khmer empire from 9th to the 15th century, preserved in many buildings of the Angkor temple. ...

In the first part of the 20th century conservation work was led by the Ecole Française d'Extrême-Orient, which restored the temple using the anastylosis technique. Since 1995 the Japanese Government team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (the JSA) has been the main conservatory body, holding annual symposia. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... Celsus Library in Ephesos (Turkey), anastylosis carried out 1970-1978 Anastylosis (from the Ancient Greek: ; = again, and = to erect (a stela or building)) is an archaeological term referring to a reconstruction technique where a ruined monument is restored after careful study and mensuration using original architectural elements where possible. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The site

The temple is orientated towards the east, and so its buildings are set back to the west inside enclosures elongated along the east-west axis. Because the temple sits at the exact centre of Angkor Thom, roads lead to it directly from the gates at each of the city's cardinal points. The temple itself has no wall or moats, these being replaced by those of the city itself: the city-temple arrangement, with an area of 9 square kilometres, is much larger than that of Angkor Wat to the south (2 km²). Within the temple itself, there are two galleried enclosures (the third and second enclosures) and an upper terrace (the first enclosure). Cardinal directions or cardinal points are the four principal directions or points of the compass, north, east, south and west. ... The moated manor house of Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, England Moats (also known as a Fosse) were deep and wide water-filled trenches, excavated to provide a barrier against attack upon castle ramparts or other fortifications. ...

The Bayon in plan, showing the main structure. The dimensions of the upper terrace are only approximate, due to its irregular shape.

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

The outer gallery: depictions of historical events and everyday life

Naval battle on a bas-relief of the south outer gallery, showing Cham soldiers in the boat and dead Khmer fighters in the water.

A market scene on the south outer gallery, showing the weighing of goods; the fish belong to a naval battle taking place above.

The outer wall of the outer gallery features a series of bas-reliefs depicting historical and everyday scenes, but there is considerable uncertainty as to which historical events are portrayed and how, if at all, the different reliefs are related.^[6] From the east gopura clockwise, the subjects are: a marching Khmer army (including some Chinese soldiers),^[7] followed by wagons of provisions; domestic scenes; in the southeast corner, a temple scene; on the south wall, a battle on the Tonle Sap between Khmers and Chams,^[8] with more domestic scenes underneath; a naval display; palace scenes; Cham boats, followed by a land battle won by the Khmers, then the Khmer victory feast; a military procession (including both Khmers and Chams); on the west gallery, unfinished reliefs show an army marching through the forest, then arguments and battle between groups of Khmers;^[9] a royal procession; on the north gallery, again unfinished, royal entertainments and more battles, one showing Khmers defeated by the Chams; in the northeast corner another marching army; and on the east gallery, a land battle being won by the Khmers. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2560 × 1920 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 427 pixelsFull resolution (2548 × 1360 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 427 pixelsFull resolution (2548 × 1360 pixel, file size: 2. ... Detail from the Elgin Marbles, an example of bas-relief Greek soldier in Armour in bas-relief     Bas-relief is a method of sculpting which entails carving or etching away the surface of a flat piece of stone or metal. ... Khmer can refer to, the: Khmer people, the ethnic group to which the great majority of Cambodians belong to Khmer language Khmer script Khmer Empire, which ruled much of Indochina from the 9th to the 13th centuries. ... NASA satellite image of the Tonle Sap (the Great Lake) The Tonlé Sap (meaning Large Fresh Water River but more commonly translated as Great Lake) is a combined lake and river system of huge importance to Cambodia. ... South East Asia circa 1100 C.E. Champa territory in green. ...

The outer gallery encloses a courtyard in which there are two libraries (one on either side of the east entrance). 16 chapels formerly in this courtyard were demolished by Jayavarman VIII.

The inner gallery: depictions of mythological events

The inner gallery is raised above ground level and has doubled corners, with the original redented cross-shape later filled out to a square. Its bas-reliefs, later additions of Jayavarman VIII, are in stark contrast to those of the outer: rather than set-piece battles and processions, the smaller canvases offered by the inner gallery are decorated for the most part with scenes from Hindu mythology. Some of the figures depicted are Siva, Vishnu, and Brahma, the members of the trimurti or threefold godhead of Hinduism, Apsaras or celestial dancers, Ravana and Garuda.^[10] There is however no certainty as to what some of the panels depict, or as to their relationship with one another. One gallery just north of the eastern gopura, for example, shows two linked scenes which have been explained as the freeing of a goddess from inside a mountain, or as an act of iconoclasm by Cham invaders.^[11] Another series of panels shows a king fighting a gigantic serpent with his bare hands, then having his hands examined by women, and finally lying ill in bed; these images have been connected with the legend of the Leper King, who contracted leprosy from the venom of a serpent with whom he had done battle.^[12] Less obscure are depictions of the construction of a Vishnuite temple (south of the western gopura) and the Churning of the Sea of Milk (north of the western gopura). Hindu mythology is a term used by modern scholarship for a large body of Indian literature that details the lives and times of legendary personalities, deities and divine incarnations on earth interspersed with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. ... This article is about the Hindu God. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... Brahma (IAST: Brahmā) (Devanagari ब्रह्मा, pronounced as ) is the Hindu god (deva) of creation, and one of the Hindu Trinity - Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. ... From left, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva In Hinduism, the Trimurti (also called the Hindu trinity) is a concept that holds that God has three aspects, which are only different forms of the same one God. ... An apsaras from the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, China. ... A depiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka In Hinduism, Ravana (Devanagari: रावण, IAST ; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Angkor Wat The Architecture of Cambodia developed in a series of stages under the Khmer empire from 9th to the 15th century, preserved in many buildings of the Angkor temple. ... Vishnu (IAST , Devanagari ), (honorific: Sri Vishnu) also known as Narayana is the Supreme Being or Ultimate Reality for Vaishnavas and a manifestation of Brahman in the Advaita or Smarta traditions. ... The Bhagavata Purana (sometimes rendered as Bhagavatha Purana), also known as the Srimad Bhagavatam, written c. ...

Very little space is left between the inner gallery (left) and the upper terrace (right).

Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (576 × 768 pixel, file size: 225 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) View of the Bayon, Angkor, showing how little space there is between the inner gallery (left) and the upper terrace (right). ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (576 × 768 pixel, file size: 225 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) View of the Bayon, Angkor, showing how little space there is between the inner gallery (left) and the upper terrace (right). ...

The upper terrace: 200 faces of Lokesvara

From a given vantage point on the upper terrace, one can see any number of the gigantic stone faces of Lokesvara.

The inner gallery is nearly filled by the upper terrace, raised one level higher again. On this level, the visitor is surrounded by face towers, each with two, three or (most commonly) four of the famous smiling faces. According to Maurice Glaize, "On the upper terrace, mystery reigns. Wherever one wanders, the faces of Lokesvara follow and dominate with their multiple presence, always countered by the overwhelming mass of the central core."^[13] The towers are located along the inner gallery (at the corners and entrances), and on chapels on the upper terrace. Additional faces are carved on the central tower. Despite efforts to find significance in the number of towers and faces, the numbers varied from time to time as more towers were added: at one point there were up to 49 towers, although only 37 now remain.^[14] There are around 200 faces, but as some are only partially preserved there can be no definitive count. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Maurice Glaize was the conservator of Angkor from 1937 to 1945. ... Avalokitesvara with a 1,000 arms, part of the Dazu Stone Carvings at Mount Baoding, Dazu County, Chongqing, China. ...

The central tower and sanctuary

Like the inner gallery, the central tower was originally cruciform but was later filled out and made circular. It rises 43 metres above the ground. At the time of the temple's foundation, the principal religious image was a statue of the Buddha, 3.6 m tall, located in the sanctuary at the heart of the central tower. The statue depicted the Buddha seated in meditation, shielded from the elements by the flared hood of the serpent king Mucalinda. During the reign of Hindu restorationist monarch Jayavarman VIII, the figure was removed from the sanctuary and smashed to pieces. After being recovered in 1933 from the bottom of a well, it was pieced back together, and is now on display in a small pavilion at Angkor.^[15] Media:Example. ... Ajax prepares to violate the sanctuary of Athena by abducting Cassandra by force: red-figure vase, c. ... Mucalinda or Mucilinda is the name of a naga (a snake-like being), who protected the Buddha from the elements before his enlightenment. ... Jayavarman VIII was one of the kings of the Khmer empire. ...

References

• Freeman, Michael and Jacques, Claude. Ancient Angkor. River Books, 1999, pp.78 ff. ISBN 0-8348-0426-3.

• Glaize, Maurice. The Monuments of the Angkor Group. English translation revised 1993 and published online at theangkorguide.com. (The link takes you directly to the section of this work having to do with Angkor Thom and the Bayon.)

• Rovedo, Vittorio. Khmer Mythology: Secrets of Angkor (New York: Weatherhill, 1998), pp.131 ff.

• JSA Bayon Master Plan Accessed 17 May 2005.

• JSA Bayon Symposia Accessed 17 May 2005.

1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Notes

1. ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.78.
2. ^ The Bayon Symposium.
3. ^ Glaize, p.85.
4. ^ Glaize, p.87.
5. ^ Glaize, p.87.
6. ^ See Glaize, pp.90 ff. and Rovedo, pp.134 ff., for detailed descriptions of the bas-reliefs.
7. ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.85-86. The Khmer are depicted as having short hair and long earlobes, and as wearing loinclothers and little else. The Chinese are identified by their beards, topknots, and patterned tunics.
8. ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.85-87. The Cham are identified by their tunics, curved shields, and distinctive crown and scarf headgear. It has been speculated that this scene represents the Cham naval attack on the Khmer capital in 1177. However, since the scene seems to have the Khmer winning, and since the Cham naval attack of 1177 was successful and led to the sack of the Khmer capital, it may be more accurate to say that the scene depicts a subsequent naval engagement from which the forces of Jayavarman VII emerged victorious.
9. ^ Freeman and Jacques, pp.91-92. The subject-matter here may be a revolt documented to have occurred in 1182.
10. ^ Glaize, pp.94 ff.
11. ^ Glaize, p.98; Rovedo, pp.148-149 (both preferring the former interpretation).
12. ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.101; Rovedo, p.149-150 (speculating that the serpent is symbolic of the disease itself).
13. ^ Glaize, p.89.
14. ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.78.
15. ^ Freeman and Jacques, p.83; Glaize, p.87.

External links

• The Bayon Symposium (Unesco): 1996 - 2001
• 46 photos of Bayon
• Bayon Photo Gallery
• Photos of stone carvings at Bayon depicting a battle between Khmer and Cham forces
• Photogallery of bas-relief scenes from Bayon, including battle scenes and scenes from civilian life at Angkor

Coordinates: 13°26′31″N, 103°51′35″E Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities that is rk of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. (The angkor people relyed on the jungle for protection and food. ... Angkor was the site of a series of capital cities that is rk of the Khmer empire for much of the period from the 9th century to the 15th century CE. (The angkor people relyed on the jungle for protection and food. ... Face-tower of the South Gate, showing Avalokiteshvara Bayon temple, Angkor Thom The Terrace of the Leper King, showing apsara Angkor Thom was the fortified inner royal city built by Jayavarman VII (1181 - 1220?), Buddhist king of the Khmer Empire, at the end of the 12th Century, after Angkor had... Aerial view of Angkor Wat The main entrance to the temple proper, seen from the eastern end of the Naga causeway Angkor Wat (or Angkor Vat) is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built for King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. ... Angkor viewed from space The Bayon temple at Angkor Angkor is the ancient capital of the Khmer empire (history) which thrived from the 9th century to 15th century CE. Its ruins are located in forests to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap), near present day Siem Reap, Cambodia... Baksei Chamkrong at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, built in the middle of the 10th century, and completed during the reign of Rajendravarman II (941-968). ... Angkor viewed from space The Bayon temple at Angkor Angkor is the ancient capital of the Khmer empire (history) which thrived from the 9th century to 15th century CE. Its ruins are located in forests to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap), near present day Siem Reap, Cambodia... Banteay Samré is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia located east of the East Baray. ... Banteay Srei (or Banteay Srey) is one of the most unusual temples of Angkor, Cambodia. ... The layout of the temple as seen from above Pen and watercolor reconstruction of what the temple may have looked in the 11th century by Lucien Fournereau in 1889 The Baphuon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. ... Angkor viewed from space The Bayon temple at Angkor Angkor is the ancient capital of the Khmer empire (history) which thrived from the 9th century to 15th century CE. Its ruins are located in forests to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap), near present day Siem Reap, Cambodia... The East Baray is a baray at Angkor, Cambodia, orientated east-west and located just east of Angkor Thom. ... The East Mebon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, located in the centre of the East Baray. ... Kbal Spean (Head Bridge) is an Angkorian era site on the southwest slopes of the Kulen Hills, 25 km from the main Angkor group. ... The Khleangs are two buildings of unknown purpose on the east side of the Royal Square in Angkor Thom, Cambodia. ... Krol Ko at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Buddhist temple built at the end of the 12th century under the rule of Jayavarman VII. It is north of Neak Pean. ... Lolei is the northernmost temple of the Roluos group at Angkor, Cambodia. ... Neak Pean at Angkor, Cambodia is an artificial island with a Buddhist temple at the center of Jayatataka Baray, or Pool of Jayavarman. ... Phimeanakas at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the Khleang style, built at the end of the 10th century, during the reign of Rajendravarman II (from 941-968). ... Categories: Stub | Buildings and structures of Cambodia ... Phnom Bok is a temple in Angkor, the area of Cambodia that was capital of the Khmer Empire. ... Phnom Krom in Angkor, Cambodia, was built on a mountain at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of Yasovarman (from 889-910). ... Prasat Ak Yum is a temple of Angkor, Cambodia. ... Angkor viewed from space The Bayon temple at Angkor Angkor is the ancient capital of the Khmer empire (history) which thrived from the 9th century to 15th century CE. Its ruins are located in forests to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap), near present day Siem Reap, Cambodia... The ruined temple is still a destination for Buddhist pilgrims. ... Angkor viewed from space The Bayon temple at Angkor Angkor is the ancient capital of the Khmer empire (history) which thrived from the 9th century to 15th century CE. Its ruins are located in forests to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap), near present day Siem Reap, Cambodia... Preah Palilay is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia. ... Preah Pithu is a group of five temples at Angkor, Cambodia, located in Angkor Thom east of the Terrace of the Elephants. ... Pre Rup is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or 962. ... Spean Thma at Angkor, Cambodia is known as the bridge of stone west of Ta Keo. ... Srah Srang is a baray at Angkor, Cambodia, located south of the East Baray and east of Banteay Kdei. ... Angkor viewed from space The Bayon temple at Angkor Angkor is the ancient capital of the Khmer empire (history) which thrived from the 9th century to 15th century CE. Its ruins are located in forests to the north of the Great Lake (Tonle Sap), near present day Siem Reap, Cambodia... Ta Nei is a late 12th Century stone temple located in Angkor, Cambodia. ... Face tower on the fifth western gopura. ... Ta Som at Angkor, Cambodia, is a small Buddhist temple dedicated to the father of King Jayavarman VII. It was built at the end of the 12th century. ... Terrace of the Elephants, Angkor, Cambodia The Terrace of the Elephants is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom, a ruined temple complex in Cambodia. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: it is patent nonsense. ... Thommanon at Angkor, Cambodia, is one of a pair of Hindu temples built in the end of the 11th century, completed during the reign of Suryavarman II (from 1113-1150). ... The West Baray is a baray at Angkor, Cambodia, oriented east-west and located just west of Angkor Thom. ... The West Mebon is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, located in the centre of the West Baray. ... Yasodharapura was the first capital of the Khmer empire to be built at the Angkor site. ... Motto Nation, Religion, King Anthem Nokoreach Capital (and largest city) Phnom Penh Official languages Khmer Government Democratic constitutional monarchy  -  King Norodom Sihamoni  -  Prime Minister Hun Sen Independence from France   -  Declared 1949   -  Recognized 1953  Area  -  Total 181,035 km² (89th) 69,898 sq mi   -  Water (%) 2. ... Banteay Chhmar is a large temple complex in northwest Cambodia, Banteay Meanchey province, 63km north of Sisophon and fairly near to the Thai border. ... Beng Mealea is a temple in the Angkor Wat style located 40 km east of the main group of temples at Angkor, Cambodia, and 77 km from Siem Reap by road. ... Koh Ker is an Angkorian site in northern Cambodia. ... Prasat Preah Vihear is situated near to the Thai border of Sisaket Province. ... Lopburi is a city in Thailand, capital of the Lopburi province. ... 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