Ta Prohm Temple - World Heritage Site
Ta Prohm ប្រាសាទតាព្រហ្ម "Ancestor Brahma" is the modern name of the temple in Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and originally called Rajavihara រាជវិហារ "Royal Monastery". Located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray, it was founded by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Ta Prohm is in much the same condition in which it was found: the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors.
Undoubtedly the most evocative and photographic temple in all of Angkor, the Buddhist temple of Ta Prohm lies in a semi-ruined state engulfed by the jungle. The muscular roots of towering trees spill over the ramparts like the tentacles of a gigantic octopus with the leaves cloaking the temple in dappled shadow and casting a greenish hue that gives Ta Prohm an other-worldly ambience.
In 1186 Jayavarman VII embarked on a massive program of construction and public works. Rajavihara ("monastery of the king"), today known as Ta Prohm ("ancestor Brahma"), was one of the first temples founded pursuant to that program. The stele commemorating the foundation gives a date of 1186.
The temple's stele records that the site was home to more than 12,500 people (including 18 high priests and 615 dancers), with an additional 80,000 inhabitants in the surrounding villages working to provide services and supplies. The stele also notes that the temple amassed considerable riches, including gold, pearls and silks. Expansions and additions to Ta Prohm continued as late as the rule of Srindravarman at the end of the 15th century.
Much about Ta Prohm's history is known thanks to a Sanskrit stone inscription that details the temple's dependents and inhabitants, as well as figures on the precious stones once contained within its walls. Beneath the encroaching foliage and carpets of moss lie stone reliefs of female deities and meditating monks. Dislodged blocks of stone render many of the narrow corridors impassable and those that are navigable are largely in shadow thanks to the thick roots that fill window openings.
This temple is a must see if you come to Siem Reap. In addition to the photo opportunities it is famous for being the site of the movie Tomb Raider. The images of the massive trees among the temple ruins is an amazing site.
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