Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom was the last great capital of the Khmer empire, a walled city founded by King Jayavarman VII in the late twelfth century. You enter through monumental gates topped with giant faces, approached along causeways lined with gods and demons holding a great serpent, another telling of the churning of the ocean.

At its exact centre stands the Bayon, a dense cluster of towers carved with more than two hundred enormous, calm faces that seem to follow you around the upper terrace. Its outer walls hold lively reliefs of battles, markets and everyday Khmer life.

Close by are the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King, once used for royal ceremonies. Visit the Bayon in the morning or late afternoon, when the low sun brings the faces into relief.