Ta Prohm – the Buddhist Monastery

Ta Prohm was built at the end of the 12th century (in 1186) during the reign of King Jayavarman VII. Dedicated to his royal mother Prajnaparamita, a statue that resembles her is placed in the central tower of the temple.

Ta Prohm temple has a total of 260 statues of Buddha. On the west gate are carvings of Garuda which were made in the same style like the ones on the temple of Preah Khan and Banteay Kdey. In ancient times 18 chief monks, 600 dancing girls and a congregation of more than 2000 people used to live in this temple.

Tetramelaceae trees show the power of nature

It is the only temple that has not been restored and has been left to the power of nature by french archaeologists who discovered the forgotten temple in the Angkor area. Because of this, Ta Prohm is now one of the most interesting temples to visit for tourists. For about 600 years, the Tetramelaceae trees have grown all over the temple making it slowly their own and a magical place.

Tetramelaceae belong to the order of Cucurbitales. Lots of people cannot believe it as they know Cucurbits only for their ball shaped fruits and not these majestic trees.

Many visitors fall in awe for this incredible scenery. To fully enjoy the experience, we recommend to visit Ta Prohm very early in the morning or in the late afternoon to avoid being surrounded by many other people visiting.

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