Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap

Ta Prohm which was originally called Rajavihara (Royal Monastery) was a Mahayana Buddhist temple, monastery and a university. Its’ ruins are located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom in modern-day Siem Reap, Cambodia. Completed in 1186 CE during the reign of King Jayavarman VII (reigned from 1181 CE to 1218 CE), Ta Prohm is one of the most popular temples among the visitors to Angkor, due to the massive trees and roots growing out of its’ ruins.

It is believed that Jayavarman VII constructed Rajavihara in honour of his family. The main image of the temple which represents "Prajñāpāramitā" (the Personification of Wisdom in Mahayana Buddhism) was modeled after the King’s mother, whereas the northern and southern satellite temples in the third enclosure were dedicated to the king’s teacher "Jayamangalartha" and his elder brother respectively. 

Designed as a “flat” Khmer temple as oppose to a temple-mountain, five rectangular enclosing walls surround a central sanctuary at Ta Prohm. Oriented to the east like many Khmer temples, there are entrance gopuras (entrance towers) at each of the cardinal points of the temple. The three inner enclosures of the temple are galleried, whereas the corner towers of the first enclosure form a quincunx with the tower of the central sanctuary. The buildings which remain include the libraries in the southeast corners of the first and third enclosures, the satellite temples on the north and south sides of the third enclosure, the “Hall of Dancers” between the third and fourth eastern gopuras and a “House of Fire” east of the fourth eastern gopura.

Carvings on the walls of Ta Prohm that have survived include scenes from Buddhist mythology, “Devatas” (minor female deities), meditating monks and “Dvarapalas” (temple guardians) as well as mythical creatures among which there appears to be a depiction of a “Stegosaurus” (a genus of herbivorous Thyreophoran dinosaur).

Ta Prohm was abandoned during the 15th Century CE, with the fall of the Khmer Empire. Inscribed by UNESCO on the world heritage list in 1992, the temple was utilized as a location for the 2001 movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” starring Angelina Jolie.