Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm is the most atmospheric and hauntingly beautiful of the Angkor temples, a sprawling twelfth-century monastery deliberately left much as it was found, in the embrace of the jungle. Here the colossal roots of ancient strangler fig and silk-cotton trees pour over and through the crumbling stone galleries, prising apart and yet holding together the ruins in a mesmerising fusion of nature and architecture, famous the world over from the film Tomb Raider.

History

Jayavarman VII founded the monastery, then called Rajavihara, in 1186 in honour of his family, with its main image of Prajnaparamita modelled on his mother; its stele records more than 12,500 people living at the site, among them 18 high priests and 615 dancers, and 80,000 more in the surrounding villages supplying it, and building went on as late as the reign of Srindravarman at the end of the 13th century. After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century it was abandoned, and when the École française d'Extrême-Orient began conserving Angkor in the early 20th century it chose to leave Ta Prohm largely as it had been found, as a concession to the taste for the picturesque. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992, and since then the Archaeological Survey of India, working with APSARA, has restored most of the complex and added walkways to protect it (Wikipedia, Ta Prohm).

What's there

• The tree roots - the colossal fig roots engulfing the stone galleries.
• The famous corners - the much-photographed root-draped doorways.
• The crumbling galleries - the atmospheric ruined courtyards.
• The jungle setting - the temple in the grip of the forest.

When to go

November to February, the cool dry season, for the most comfortable weather; go early morning to enjoy the atmospheric ruins before the tour crowds arrive, as the famous photo spots get very busy.

Practical notes

Its very fame makes it extremely crowded, with queues at the famous root-draped photo spots, so go at opening for the atmosphere. Walkways and props now support the most fragile areas, so it is more managed than truly wild. It is best as part of a multi-temple day, and a modest dress code applies.

Nearby

Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are within the complex; Siem Reap is the base.

Key facts