Baphuon is a massive 11th-century temple-mountain inside Angkor Thom dedicated to Shiva — the temple was built around 1060 under King Udayadityavarman II and originally rose three pyramidal levels to a bronze-clad tower that Chinese envoy Zhou Daguan (who visited Angkor in 1296) called one of the great wonders of the empire. Later, after Angkor converted to Theravada Buddhism in the 15th century, the western side of the temple was reshaped into an enormous 70-metre reclining Buddha, using stones taken from the original structure.
Baphuon is famous in archaeological circles as 'the world's largest jigsaw puzzle' — it was dismantled stone by stone by the French in the 1960s in preparation for a complete rebuilding, but the civil war and Khmer Rouge period (1970-1979) interrupted the project and destroyed the plans, leaving 300,000 stones scattered across the jungle without documentation. A 50-year reconstruction project completed in 2011 finally put it back together. Climb the central tower for views across Angkor Thom.
Verified Facts
Baphuon was built around 1060 under Udayadityavarman II
The temple has a 70-metre reclining Buddha on its western face
The reconstruction took 50 years and was completed in 2011
300,000 stones had to be reassembled without original plans
Get walking directions
Taphul Street, Svay Dankum, Siem Reap, Cambodia
