Level three:
As the two lower galleries gave historical and religious meanings to the Bayon, the third and last level finally opens up to the outside, and gives the viewer a sense of the power that made it all possible.
As seen from afar, the top of this temple appears to be a jumble of decaying rock towers in shades from grey to black. In fact, from the entrance of the first level, the view of the tops level does not improve much, and the towers still appear to be broken towers.
When after the visitor climbed through the dangerous stairs and travelled the dark corridors of the lower levels, the third level is a complete change of attitude and seems different altogether.
A huge central sanctuary dominates the third level, which probably was the reliquary for the ash remains of the king. Surrounding the middle mountain (sanctuary) are 54 towers, each of these tower were carved with 4 humongous faces of the Buddhist god-king Jayavarman VII, or the incarnation of Avalokitesvara.
These 216 mysterious-looking faces seem to be looking at everybody, everywhere. With eyes down cast, slightly flared noses, long ears, and the classic curved-lips in slight and permanent grins, the god-king seemed to be so omnipresent with eyes and ears practically in all directions...
Who was this king? Why was this temple not dedicated to Shiva or Vishnu? What made it possible to build this super structure in the 12th century? Why and how did the Khmer people get involved with India's pantheon of Gods? The answers to these and other questions are addressed in the history section.