Blurs

At the heart of Cambodia's ancient city of Angkor Thom stands a temple unlike any other in the world. Its towers do not end in spires or domes. Instead, they rise into the sky crowned by enormous stone faces. More than two hundred serene expressions gaze in every direction, their faint smiles unchanged for over eight centuries. To many visitors, the experience is unsettling. No matter where you stand, it feels as though the faces are watching. This is the Bayon Temple, one of the greatest masterpieces of the Khmer Empire and one of archaeology's most enduring mysteries. While historians understand much about its origins, fundamental questions remain unanswered. Who are the faces? Why was the temple built in such an unusual way? And what message were its creators trying to convey? The Temple at the Centre of an Empire The Bayon was constructed during the reign of King Jayavarman VII, one of the most powerful rulers in Cambodian history.  Built in the late twelfth and early thirt...