Last of the face towers

The west face of tower 18 at Banteay Chhmar

The trademark face towers of Banteay Chhmar are a big attraction for visitors and face tower 18, located in the first enclosure, is the only tower with all four faces still in situ. On all of the other towers inside the main complex, at least one face has collapsed. So face tower 18 is unique and to highlight that, I have posted all the faces here together with longer distance shots to put them into context. The tower is topped off with a lotus motif but does not have any praying figures between the faces as other towers have. Though built mainly in the early 13th century under the kingship of Jayavarman VII, its believed the temple was constructed over a long period of time, hence there are subtle differences in the building techniques used. The only face tower I haven't posted photos of are the two faces on tower 73. But don't think that the face towers in the main complex are the only ones to be found at Banteay Chhmar. There are another 4 satellite temples in the surrounding fields and forest that also boast large face towers and are well worth seeking out if you have time. Believe me when I say that you will be rewarded by their location and setting, having visited the satellite temples three years ago. On my latest visit, we simply didn't have enough time.

Tower 18 at Banteay Chhmar with the west and south faces

The south face of tower 18

Tower 18 showing the south face

The east face of tower 18 at Banteay Chhmar

The foliage and trees are encroaching on the east face of tower 18

The north face of tower 18 is in danger of collapse

Tower 18's north face is in a perilous state

A book that is dedicated to the face towers at this temple was published in 2005 by Noto Publishers in Japan and is called The Face Towers of Banteay Chmar. It's a collection of colour and black & white photos by Baku Saito, with text by Olivier Cunin. It includes all the face towers at the main complex, those at the satellite temples as well as the faces to be found at Preah Khan of Kompong Svay. If you love the enigmatic faces at Banteay Chhmar, you'll love this book.