Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple)

Temple in Siem Reap

Ta Prohm Tomb Raider Temple

Ta Prohm is a temple located near Siem Reap, Cambodia, about one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray. Constructed primarily in the late 12th and early 13th centuries in the Bayon style, the temple was originally known as Rajavihara (“Royal Monastery”). It was founded by King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and a center of learning, dedicated to his mother. The temple once housed over 80,000 people, including more than 2,700 officials and 615 dancers.

Ta Prohm is often called the “Tomb Raider Temple” or “Angelina Jolie Temple” due to its appearance in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

The temple was built without mortar, and over time, trees began to grow among its loose stones. These trees, combined with the surrounding jungle, have made it one of the most iconic and popular temples for visitors. Ta Prohm has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992.

History

Ta Prohm was constructed under the reign of Jayavarman VII, starting in 1186 A.D., as part of a large-scale construction program. The temple was dedicated to the king’s family, with the main image of Prajnaparamita, the personification of wisdom, modeled after his mother. The northern and southern satellite temples were dedicated to the king’s guru and elder brother. The stele at the site records that over 12,500 people, including high priests and dancers, lived at the temple, with another 80,000 people in the surrounding villages. The temple accumulated significant wealth, including gold, pearls, and silks. The site continued to be expanded throughout the 13th century.

After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries. In the early 20th century, the École française d’Extrême-Orient chose to leave Ta Prohm largely in its overgrown state, as a tribute to the picturesque merging of the ruins with the jungle. Restoration efforts began in the late 20th century and continue to this day, with the Archaeological Survey of India and the APSARA Authority involved in preserving the site. Some parts of the temple, including the Hall of Dancers, were renovated as recently as 2022.

Layout

Ta Prohm’s design follows the typical “flat” Khmer temple layout, surrounded by five rectangular walls and centered around a sanctuary housing the stone face of Prajnaparamita. The temple is oriented eastward, with the main sanctuary set along an east–west axis. The temple complex covers 650,000 square meters and once included a large town, though most of the area is now forested. There are entrances at each of the cardinal points, though today, access is only possible from the east and west. Face towers, similar to those at the Bayon temple, were added to the gopuras in the 13th century. The inner enclosures include galleries, libraries, and satellite temples.

Art and Trees

Unlike other Angkor temples, Ta Prohm has fewer narrative bas-reliefs but does feature stone carvings of devatas (minor deities), ascetics, and guardians. One of the most unique aspects of the temple is the trees growing out of the ruins. These trees, particularly the silk-cotton tree and strangler fig, have become synonymous with the temple, their roots winding through the stone like serpents.

Ta Prohm was famously featured in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), where Angelina Jolie’s character, Lara Croft, explores the ruins. This portrayal helped solidify the temple’s fame in popular culture.

The Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Siem Reap!

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Visiting Ta Prohm (Tomb Raider Temple)

Address: Ta Prohm, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

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