Pagodas & Buddhist Temples in Cambodia

Originally built as a Hindu temple, Angkor Wat was gradually converted to Theravada Buddhism in the late 13th century. It remains the largest religious monument in the world, spanning 162.6 hectares with intricate bas-reliefs stretching over 800 meters.

Bayon is the state temple of King Jayavarman VII (reigned 1181–c.1220), built as the spiritual heart of Angkor Thom, the last great capital of the Khmer Empire. It stands at the exact geographic centre of the 9 sq km walled city of Angkor Thom. The most striking feature of Bayon is its 54 massive stone towers, each bearing between one and four enormous faces (216 faces total) carved with serene, enigmatic smiles, gazing in all cardinal directions. The faces are believed to represent either Avalokiteshvara (the bodhisattva of compassion) or to combine the features of King Jayavarman VII himself with the divine — an expression of the Devaraja (god-king) concept at the heart of Khmer religious ideology. Jayavarman VII was the most prolific builder in Khmer history and a devout Mahayana Buddhist, and Bayon was built as a Mahayana Buddhist temple — a departure from the Hindu traditions of most earlier Angkor temples. The temple has a unique architectural plan: a cruciform base with concentric galleries on two levels, opening to the central circular sanctuary tower. The galleries contain remarkable bas-relief panels stretching approximately 1.2 km total, depicting scenes of daily Khmer life, military campaigns (including the 1177 naval battle against the Cham), religious processions, and mythological narratives. These bas-reliefs are particularly valued by historians as documentary evidence of medieval Khmer society. After Jayavarman VII's death the temple underwent modification to reflect the return to Hinduism under his successors. Bayon sits within the Angkor complex, 1.5 km north of Angkor Wat.

A spectacular temple perched on a 525-meter cliff on the Dangrek Mountains along the Cambodia-Thailand border. Its 800-meter causeway and grand staircases create one of the most dramatically positioned temples in Southeast Asia.