Cambodian temple Ta Prohm and giant trees. Ta Prohm - Angelina Jolie's temple in the middle of the jungle

For those who have no idea what Ta Prohm is, the easiest way to explain it is: “It’s a nice place with huge tree roots, among which Angelina Jolie (aka Lara Croft) ran, in the film about the irrepressible tomb raider.” If you dig deeper, Ta Prohm is a mysterious temple of the Khmer civilization, located on the territory of Angkor in distant Cambodia. It is shrouded in a simply fantastic atmosphere of mystery and undoubtedly deserves the attention of those who have come to get acquainted with the sights of Cambodian heritage or are just planning their trip.

After filming the aforementioned film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” the Cambodians themselves nicknamed Ta Prohm “the temple of Angelina Jolie.” It is not surprising that after this the temple-monastery became super popular among tourists who literally poured here in a flood. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that Ta Prohm gained its popularity not only due to the fact that the actress beloved by many walked along it, but also because it itself is very extraordinary and very colorful.

What is Ta Prohm?

Today Ta Prohm is one of the most beloved temples of Angkor, which was once built by the restless Khmer king Jayavarman VII as a monastery and university in one. It was founded for a reason, but in honor of the king’s mother, which is why its original name translates as “Royal Monastery.” Ta Prohm is paired with Pre Kan, erected in honor of his father. This is how the grateful son honored his parents, fortunately there were funds for this during his reign.

In the fifteenth century, after the fall of the Khmer Empire, the temple was abandoned and remained in obscurity until the twentieth century, when the “discovery” of the Angkorian heritage began. During this “downtime”, Ta Prohm was swallowed up by the jungle, so much so that the researchers did not immediately discover it, and when they finally got to it, they were amazed at how closely the trees and stone buildings had become friends over the centuries of close proximity.

Ta Prohm belongs to the group of temples of the so-called Small circle of Angkor* and is included in the mandatory program of every visitor to these attractions, that is, even if you have only one day allotted to Angkor, you simply must visit Ta Prohm.

Location of Ta Prohm: approximately 1 km east of Angkor Thom (on the road from Angkor Thom through the Victory Gate).
Construction time: mid-XII - early XIII centuries.
Duration of inspection: 1-2 hours (depending on the density of the visit schedule).

General layout of Angkor:

Diagram of Ta Prohm Temple:

Attractions Ta Prohma

The territory of Ta Prohm, compared to the same Angkor Wat, or even more so Angkor Thom, is very small and there are no individual outstanding attractions as such; the monastery itself is one big attraction. It probably doesn’t even make much sense to be guided by the above diagram of the temple and look for the separate buildings marked on it (although the guides would probably argue with me, they like to tell stories about every stone and nook and cranny). If you, like Andryusiks and I, are the type of tourists who “love with their eyes, not their ears,” go to Ta Prohm and just enjoy everything you see around you. Well, let's go for a walk?

Weather: We were in Angkor in mid-February and the weather was beautiful; during the whole week during which we explored the temples, there was not a single rain.

Ta Prohm greets its visitors with gates with beautiful gapurs (gate towers), crowned with the faces of Avalokiteshvara, in whose image Jayavarman the builder immortalized his beloved and thus crept through the centuries to us, curious tourists.

To a viewer unfamiliar with Khmer construction principles, the local buildings may seem like one big labyrinth in which one can simply get lost. However, if you look at the temple from above, then everything seems quite logical and orderly: the layout resembles a kind of cube within a cube, in the center of which is the main tower.

During the heyday of Jayavarman VII's empire, there were many villages outside the monastery, the total population of which was about eighty thousand inhabitants, and almost thirteen thousand people lived on the territory of Ta Prohm itself, or so the surviving inscriptions say, although somehow with difficulty I can imagine how they could all fit here.

Today is bright distinctive feature What sets Ta Prohma apart from other temples of Angkor are the powerful trees entwining the buildings, which have become an integral part of the complex both literally and figuratively. On the one hand, giant roots are business card Ta Proma, and one would think that they were left mostly for the amusement of tourists, but on the other hand, start destroying them, and many buildings will simply collapse, since they are held together precisely by these very roots. Such a close union!

Many of those who find themselves in Ta Prohm immediately begin to look for “the same trees” that they saw in the film about the clever adventurer Lara Croft. The guides, of course, will show you everything and tell you in detail, but, as it turned out, it’s not so easy to find them on your own; Andryusiks and I, for example, managed it only on our second visit, so look more carefully. Here are a couple of stills from the movie:

Next, for those who are interested, I will briefly tell you how all these lovely intricacies are created when the tree seems to grow from the roof, and its roots go down to the ground. Everything is much simpler than it might seem: tree seeds, carried by the wind and birds, fall onto buildings, fall into cracks in the masonry, after which some of them take root and take root. Gradually, the trees grow, their roots become thicker and seem to grow into the stones, repeating their shape.

There are mainly two types of trees found in Ta Prohm: the large and powerful cotton trees and the smaller but no less persistent strangler ficus trees.

Cotton trees are distinguished by thick, light-colored roots that wrap around the buildings of Ta Prohm like big hands.

Strangler ficuses are characterized by numerous thin gray roots that entangle stones in a lacy web. Ficus trees with overgrown roots are called banyans.

If you take a leisurely walk around Ta Prohm with a camera, you can collect a whole collection of picturesque photographs with the quaint trees for which this temple is so famous.

They decided to practically not carry out restoration work in Ta Prohm in order to leave it in a state close to its original state and to show what the untouched temples of Angkor were like. However, something still had to be done and is constantly being done in order to give visitors the opportunity to touch the beauty, preserve what is there and prevent further destruction.

There is something else in Ta Prohm that deserves close attention - its bas-reliefs. The red thread running through all the depicted scenes is the image of Prajnaparamita, who is the personification of wisdom. The model in this case was none other than the mother of Jayavarman VII, in whose honor, if you remember, the monastery was built.

Finally, I’ll tell you about one secret of Ta Prom, which surprises, puzzles, and somewhat shocks. Just imagine that one of the temple bas-reliefs depicts a dinosaur! Yes, yes, that's not a typo. Most real dinosaur, namely, a stegosaurus. Where he came from and what he’s doing among the deer and swans is a big question.

Finding a dinosaur is also not at all easy, and we still don’t remember at all where it settled down, so if you are interested in looking at the creature with your own eyes, picking it up with your fingernail and checking whether it is real or a joke of the restorers, ask any guide passing by to tell you where to look "dino".

Perhaps these other people's photos showing the location of the stegosaurus will help you, but in my opinion they are completely uninformative. I can only suggest what you need to look for at the western wall, that’s it, then do it yourself))

Undoubtedly, photographs do not convey even a hundredth of the atmosphere of this magical place, its energy, aura of magic and a certain touch of untouched purity of antiquity. It’s all worth seeing with your own eyes and feeling with your own skin.

Scheme of a walk along Ta Prohm for those who are afraid of getting lost:

Virtual walk around Ta Prohm with Google Maps: If anyone is interested, click here.

Video about Ta Prom:

Recommendation #1: I strongly recommend going to explore Ta Prohm as early as possible in the morning, or vice versa in the late afternoon, because in daytime, from about nine o'clock until three or four in the afternoon, the temple territory is approximately like a bazaar - full of people, noise, din and other distracting moments that are not conducive to a thoughtful inspection. We checked it ourselves: the first time we arrived at the monastery at about eleven o’clock and it was already full of tourists, and the second time we arrived at six in the morning and walked for a couple of hours almost alone, not counting a couple of the same cunning people.

Recommendation #2: Ta Prohm can be reached through two entrances - western and eastern. If you want to quietly slip into the temple, use the far eastern entrance, because the western one has a lot of beggars and obsessive sellers of all sorts of trifles who will follow you around. If you are interested in souvenirs, there are several stalls with all sorts of things.

Recommendation #3: Since you find yourself among the famous roots, take a photo as a souvenir a la “Lara Croft”, then you will show it to your friends and show off)) To do this, watch the film, take a couple of cute shots from Ta Prom and go ahead!

They say that during filming in Cambodia, Angelina fully felt the plight of the local population, became imbued with the whole matter and began to devote a lot of effort and money to charity. She also really liked Cambodian children, to such an extent that she even took one into her family.

Tip #1: came to Ta Prohm at the height of the visit, but want to minimize bumping elbows with other tourists? Go for a walk counterclockwise. Guides lead groups mostly clockwise, and as soon as you see them, immediately move in the opposite direction.

Tip #2: Since restoration work was carried out in Ta Prohm in a minimal volume, some places in the temple are difficult to pass due to piled up stones (and in some places you can’t even see where to go because it’s dark), so wear comfortable shoes.

Tip #3: I write about this in every article on Angkor - take plenty of water with you! It is very hot during the day, the prices for water and other snacks near the temples are not at all affordable, so it is better to hide a few spare bottles in your backpack so that you can drink and wash yourself if desired.

Tip #4: have some small change with you, i.e. small money, I already mentioned somewhere that the entrance to the temples is full of Cambodian children with pitying eyes who ask to buy some small change from them or simply give them “one dollaaa” for free. It seems that for them we are not people at all, but just wallets, so they beg for money very persistently and not always in a pleasant manner, which over time begins to become somewhat annoying, but all that remains is to understand and forgive))

Impression: Ta Prohm is another attraction of Angkor that deserves close attention. Undoubtedly, this temple will be remembered almost more than all the others for its atmosphere and colorfulness. The main thing is to be here at the right time, so that crowds of tourists do not become an obstacle to getting to know this mystical place.

If you have little time, but want to see and learn as much as possible with minimal effort, you can book in advance a tour of Angkor with a Russian-speaking Khmer guide, for example, on the website, which offers unusual excursions from local residents. For example, a tour in addition to a walk through the most famous temples accompanied by a guide includes transfer from the hotel and back and car for the whole day. The organizer is our compatriot, so it will be possible to discuss all the details without any problems.

Ta Prohm Temple is one of the most monumental in the Angkor Hindu complex in Cambodia. It is located in a dense jungle in a dilapidated state. The terrifying force of nature “strangles” the temple: the trees that have entwined the towers, terraces and statues of Ta-Prom for centuries have changed them beyond recognition. And the vines formed a kind of natural dome over the temple.

Construction of the Ta Prohm temple was completed in 1186. It was erected in honor of the mother of Emperor Jayavarman VII in the traditional Khmer Bayonne style. Initially, the territory of the temple complex with an area of ​​730 square kilometers included 260 gilded statues of Hindu gods, 39 towers and several hundred stone dwellings for servants. Ta Prohm was surrounded by a triangular wall, which has practically not survived to this day.

The large territory of the temple complex was served by almost 12 thousand people - monks, servants and dancers. Gold dishes, diamonds, pearls, silk bedspreads and umbrellas encrusted with precious stones were found on its territory. Three thousand nearby villages were subordinate to the temple.

Over hundreds of years, the encroaching jungle has changed the architecture of Ta Prohm beyond recognition. Walking through the ruins of a religious building, you can turn into a real explorer: it’s not for nothing that several scenes of the film “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” were filmed here.

In the mid-20th century, archaeologists and scientists decided not to restore the original appearance of Ta Prohm so that tourists could get an idea of ​​what the temples of Angkor looked like before the arrival of civilization. However, in 1992 the complex was included in the list World Heritage UNESCO - and restoration work began throughout the entire territory. The reconstruction of Ta Prom began only in 2009: first of all, centuries-old trees were cut down here to prevent further destruction. On full recovery The original appearance of the temple will take at least ten years.

Trees mercilessly destroy the temple and its walls // Maria Puzankova

the territory of the temple complex was served by almost 12 thousand people // Maria Puzankova

The film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" was filmed in Ta-Prom // Maria Puzankova

Construction of the Ta-Prom temple was completed in 1186 // Puzankova Maria

Wood versus stone // Maria Puzankova

Ta-Prom is very popular among tourists // Puzankova Maria

It is best to explore Ta Prohm accompanied by a local guide - he knows how to get to the most interesting parts of the temple along narrow paths. We recommend that independent travelers have a detailed guide.

To visit Angkor, you must obtain an individual pass with a photo. This can be done at the ticket office at the main entrance to the temple complex. A one-day ticket costs $20. You cannot be on the territory without a pass; violation is subject to a fine. Visiting Angkor is possible from five o'clock in the morning until sunset.

If you wish, you can stay in Siem Reap for several days. Hotels and guest houses are located throughout the city and along the roads. .

How to get there

The closest town to the Ta Prohm temple is 15 kilometers away. You can get to the attraction as part of a tourist group or on your own - by tuk-tuk. For reference: the outer wall of Ta Prohm is located near the Banteay Kdei temple. The entrance is on the western side, and the exit is on the eastern side.

You can get from Phnom Penh to Ta Prohm Temple (327 kilometers) via National Highway No. 6, as well as by speedboat through Siem Reap. Flights operate daily from 7:30 am until sunset. The path runs along Tonle Sap Lake, past floating fishing villages. Travel time is about six hours. Tickets can be purchased at hotels and tourism offices in Phnom Penh. During the dry season, from April to July, boat schedules are subject to changes (and in some cases, cancellations) due to shoaling. From the pier in Siem Reap, you can take a taxi or tuk-tuk to Ta Prohm Temple.

Bus services connect Siem Reap to many cities in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, in particular Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Pattaya. Tickets are sold at travel agencies, in hotels and from vendors on the streets. It is better to avoid driving at night in Cambodia: most accidents involve... tourist buses occur at night. Travel time from Phnom Penh and Battambang to Siem Reap is 6 hours, from Sihanoukville – 10 hours. You can get from Bangkok and Pattaya to Siem Reap with a transfer at the Aranyapratheta border crossing.

Siem Reap Airport, located 7 kilometers from Ta Prohm Temple, accepts flights from Phnom Penh, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and other cities in Southeast Asia.

Location

Ta Prohm Temple is located within the complex, southwest of the East Mebon Temple and east of the historic city of Angkor Thom, in the northwest province of Siem Reap.

Those interested in ancient civilizations and their heritage probably know what Ta Prohm(Ta Prohm) is an amazing temple of the ancient Khmer civilization, which is located on the territory of Angkor near the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia. It is also called the Angelina Jolie Temple in memory of the fact that it was the location of a Hollywood film.

The Ta Prohm temple gained particular fame not only after the filming of the film, but also thanks to the symbiosis of stone buildings and the trees entangling them with large roots- insidious ficus trees that are gradually destroying the temple, but doing it as beautifully as possible. No one wants to leave mysterious Cambodia without walking through one of the most spectacular temples of the Angkor complex.

Seeing Ta Prohm will be interesting for all travelers interested in the sights of the ancient Khmers. And we also went to get to know him during an excursion to Siem Reap and a tour of the Angkor temples.

Temple of Ta Prohm- This is one of the first temple-monasteries of Angkor, which is among the most famous attractions of Cambodia. It was built during the reign of King Jayavarman VII at the end of the 12th century, along with another temple-city, Angkor Thom. The original name of the temple is Rajavihara, which means “Monastery of the King”. A unique feature of Ta Prohm is that it is oriented on an east-west axis, and in ancient times had four entrances to the territory. Today, only two of them operate - the main western one, filled with merchants, and the quiet eastern one.

The modern name Ta Prohm means “ancestor of Brahma.” The temple covers an area of ​​about 1 km 2 and is located about a kilometer from the center of Khmer life at that time - from the city of Angkor Thom. The king built Ta Prohm for his mother, and perhaps that is why the design of the temple used a large number of apsaras - in the form of bas-reliefs and sculptures. It seemed to me that on the walls of Ta Prohm I saw the largest number of both dancing and resting apsaras. Everywhere you look there are heavenly dancers! And, by the way, this is where art school students go to learn how to paint stones. female figures. And for his father, Jayavarman built an even more impressive temple - Preah Khan.

In the 15th century, Angkor fell to its neighbors from Thailand, and the Khmer rulers moved south to modern Phnom Penh. When the Thais took all the treasures to , the temples of Angkor were abandoned, left to the mercy of the jungle. And nature is harsh with those who do not take care of their property.

Following the re-opening of the Angkor temples and Cambodia's return to the world stage after the end of the years and for many years restoration of the destroyed country, tourism returned to Siem Reap. Ta Prohm was not released from captivity in the jungle, but trees with large roots who captured it, made it a “feature” of this Angkor temple, since its walls looked especially impressive with them.

All restoration work that was carried out took into account the new appearance of Ta Prohm and preserved as much as possible the opportunity for all travelers to be in the role of pioneers. Agree, it’s nice to walk along the ancient twilight corridors, immersing yourself in the atmosphere of historical discoveries!

The creators of the Hollywood film “Lara Croft - Tomb Raider” soon took advantage of the fame of the wild temple, planning to shoot a movie with Angelina Jolie on the territory of the Ta Prohm temple.

One of the galleries in Ta Prohm

False windows in the design of a temple-monastery

Solid walls of temples and monasteries

The famous Ta Prohm Temple is called the Temple of Angelina Jolie for a reason. You need to understand that it was built by the ancient Khmers in the 13th century, and not by modern Cambodians, as a thank you to the world famous actress, who has taken Cambodia's problems wholeheartedly. And yet we (and modern Khmers too) call Ta Prohm the Jolie Temple after the film and game about Lara Croft, which she played in the movie. However, behind this temple there is much more than just a location for filming, because Ta Prohm is such a wild, unique and atmospheric temple with its own history.

It's not just the temple from the Tomb Raider movie that connects Angelina Jolie with Cambodia(and in general with Southeast Asia). In her book “My Travel Notes,” she talks in detail about her acquaintance with the country, how she was shocked tragic story Cambodia under the regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge and what emotions she experienced visiting the Tuol Sleng genocide museum in Phnom Penh. Everyone knows that the actress has been to Asia more than once. She even managed to get one of the Cambodian boys adopted and is now raising him in her family.

Interesting fact. In February 2017, the premiere of the film “First They Killed My Father,” directed by Angelina Jolie about Cambodia, took place. The inspiration was a book by Loung Ung, who described the history of her family and the Cambodian people during the . Loung Ung took part in the creation of the film, as well as the actress’s two sons, Maddox and Pax, adopted by her from Cambodia and Vietnam.

Jolie continues to support not only the orphanages from which she took the children, but also took under her patronage the one located on the border of Thailand and Burma in the province of Mae Hong Song. When we ourselves lived in Northern Thailand, we went to a Karen village (a long-necked tribe living in a camp) for a visit. We were convinced that this is not an ordinary tourist attraction, but really a real village for refugee people who are forced to live in a strictly designated area for them, because they fled their country - Burma, but do not yet have any rights in Thailand. Angelina also comes to this village when she is in Thailand. It’s curious that when we visited there, we didn’t even know that she was under the patronage of Jolie. We were just looking for a Karen village, which served as the prototype for the Thai cartoon “Eco-Planet,” and we found a place in which Angelina Jolie showed interest.

But let's return to Cambodia and the mysterious Ta Prohm temple.

• Firstly, Ta Prohm can be seen by going to explore the temples of Angkor along the route of the Small Circle of Angkor. In fact, this temple stands next to the road along which both popular routes pass - and Big circle, and Small. Therefore, Ta Prohm can be included in any of them, depending on the personal convenience of the tourist.
• You can also visit Ta Prohm by hiring a tuk-tuk with a driver or renting a motorbike or bicycle in the city of Siem Reap.
• It is worth keeping in mind that when visiting the temple you must present a single tourist ticket for the temples of Angkor that is valid here.

• Read more about the route of the Small Circle of Angkor.

Ta Prohm on the map

Excursion to Angkor and walk along Ta Prohm

Going to excursion to Angkor from Siem Reap city, you will definitely visit Ta Prohm Temple. It is simply impossible to drive past it, and this adds to its popularity even more, making it one of the most important attractions in Cambodia, almost on a par with Angkor Wat. We advise you to plan at least 1 hour to view Ta Prohm, but a detailed inspection may require much more time and even multiple visits. It all depends on your interests and weather and what you want to do here interesting photos in the absence of crowds of tourists, or are ready to sacrifice them due to lack of time.

Description of the temple

A large number of merchants are located at the entrance and along the long, shady path leading to Ta Prohm itself. The wide gopura is distinguishing feature Ta Proma.

Ta Prohm seems similar to the other temple-monasteries of Banteay Kdey and Preah Khan, but Banteay Kdey is larger in size and sometimes seems haphazardly built - all the architectural errors are obvious there. And Preah Khan has its own unique buildings and details for Khmer temples that make it stand out.

But the main thing is that it is not interested in destroying the walls, but wraps around them, because it absorbs the moisture that the sandstone collects after the rains. Therefore, such a symbiosis can last a very long time.

We saw such a symbiosis of trees and temples in a small place called Little Bagan. However, it is difficult to compare it with Ta Prohm. Ta Prohm also stands out among all the temples of Cambodia entwined with ficus and cotton trees - Banteay Kdey, Ta Som or Beng Melia.

Ta Prom in the photo

The temple was swallowed up by strangler ficus trees

Dinosaur on the walls of Ta Prohm temple

That Promu has little of the mysterious atmosphere that the branches and ficus banyan and cotton tree roots! For some reason, when constructing this temple-monastery, the builders left among the various ornaments for which this era was famous, not only plant motifs, not only creatures belonging to Khmer cosmology, but also the figure of a dinosaur! This makes an excursion to Angkor even more amazing and exciting, because in fact, it is much more interesting for everyone not just to walk and see the sights, but to try to find some secret places and find out the secrets that this or that Angkor temple keeps.

Dinosaur on the wall of a 13th century Cambodian temple! This is both shock and bewilderment. We felt about the same way when we looked at the engraved figures of dinosaurs on the surface of black stones.

Well, in Ta Prohm, it turns out there is one like this unusual place. When I first heard about this, I really wanted to find a dinosaur in this Khmer temple! There are confusing instructions online for finding the mysterious carving. Many people advise simply asking local guides where the dino is hiding. But we, wandering around the temple and looking at its details, ourselves approached the desired prasat, for some reason decided to go around it and immediately came across evidence that in the Khmer Empire someone knew exactly what a stegosaurus looked like.

Where to find the dinosaur in Ta Prohm Temple? If you enter through the main western entrance, turn left after entering the temple grounds. There, in a quiet corner, on the wall of one of the prasats next to the doorway, a mysterious decoration lurked.

Here it is, the famous stegosaurus adorning the 12th century Cambodian temple of Ta Prohm

More familiar amphibians characteristic of Khmer temples are nagas

Our impressions of Ta Prohm Temple

The impressions from visiting the Ta Prohm temple are, of course, more than fantastic. Of course, its fame is deserved and the scientists made the right decision by deciding not to free Ta Prohm from the trees. Now this is an indestructible symbiosis that not only delights tourists, but also feeds the country.

We visited Ta Prohm three times and each time we were amazed by it and found some interesting details. It seems that coming here has become a good tradition for us.

• The best time to visit the Angelina Jolie Temple is in the morning (from 6.00 to 10.00) and after 15.30. Only during these hours is it possible to avoid the huge number of people who want to see the very temple from the film. Ta Prohm's extreme popularity is both attractive and repellent.
• The temple has two entrances - western and eastern. Therefore, if you went to Angkor by tuk-tuk, then ask the driver to meet you at the opposite entrance so as not to walk back and forth. It is best to enter through the western entrance, because after leaving the eastern exit you can immediately get to the entrance to the territory of the next temple - Banteay Kdei.
• Take the time to stroll through the many galleries. The era of Jayavarman is characterized by decoration, so you can find many interesting details.

What else is important to know about Ta Prohm and other temples of Angkor

• Read more about - Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdey and others
• All information about
• — how to get there, where to stay, what to bring from Cambodia

Ta Prohm means "ancestor of Brahma" in Khmer. However, its name is initially mentioned as Rajavihara (Royal Monastery). It is a Buddhist temple complex and is part of the structure of the city of Angkor.

It was dedicated and erected in honor of the mother of King Jayavarman VII in 1186. It reached its greatest prosperity by the 13th century, more than 12 thousand people lived here, but, like the entire city of Angkor, in the middle of the 15th century. destroyed by Siamese troops and abandoned.

Clearance of the complex began in the 20s of the 19th century. However, the specialists who carried out the restoration of Ta Prohm decided not to radically change appearance the temple and its surroundings. Therefore, today this is the only temple “swallowed” by the jungle, the walls and towers of which are entangled with tree roots, and this was done deliberately. That is why it, along with Angkor Wat and Bayon, is considered the most popular place for pilgrims visiting Angkor. Ta Prohm gained great popularity among tourists after the filming of the film “Lara Croft” with the participation of Angelina Jolie. Tomb Raider".

Attractions Ta Prohma

The territory of Ta Prohm is very small and there are no individual outstanding attractions as such; the monastery itself is one big attraction.

Ta Prohm greets its visitors with gates with beautiful gapuras (gate towers), crowned with the faces of Avalokiteshvara, in whose image Jayavarman the builder immortalized himself.

The layout of the temple resembles a cube within a cube, in the center of which is the main tower.

Today, a striking distinctive feature of Ta Prohm, which sets it apart from other Angkor temples, is the powerful trees entwining the buildings, which have become an integral part of the complex. On the one hand, the giant roots are the hallmark of Ta Prohm, and one would think that they were left mostly for tourists, but on the other hand, if you start destroying them, many buildings will simply collapse, since they are holding up just due to these very roots.

The deeper you go inside the temple grounds, the more of these giants there are and the more bizarre they are. root system. It seems a mystery why trees grow on the surface of stone slabs and the ruins of ancient temples, and not on open ground. The thing is that sandstone absorbs a lot of moisture, and seeds that fall on the stone actively germinate. Young shoots grow quickly, and soon entire buildings are engulfed by their root systems.

There are mainly two types of trees in Ta Prohm: large and powerful cotton trees and more modest in size - strangler ficus.

Cotton trees are distinguished by thick, light-colored roots that wrap around the buildings of Ta Prohm like big hands.

Strangler ficuses are characterized by numerous thin gray roots that entangle stones in a lacy web. Ficus trees with overgrown roots are called banyans.

The bas-reliefs at Ta Prohm deserve close attention. The red thread running through all the depicted scenes is the image of Prajnaparamita, who is the personification of wisdom. The model in this case was none other than the mother of Jayavarman VII, in whose honor, if you remember, the monastery was built.

It is very surprising that on one of the temple bas-reliefs, among deer and swans, a dinosaur is depicted - a stegosaurus.

This type of dinosaur became extinct millions of years ago. Scientists still cannot explain how his image ended up on the wall of the temple.

In the center of the complex is the heart of the temple - a room that once brought people into sacred awe. The walls there were covered with precious stones and gold. The dome of this room is a long pyramid, at the top of which there is a hole through which light falls. The light reflected from the precious stones and crystals, and created an amazing, magical atmosphere. It was here that particularly important Khmer religious ceremonies were held. Only a select few could see this incredible beauty.

Unfortunately, over a thousand years, the temple was plundered. The French made the final contribution. It was they who finally plundered the decoration of this amazing place, at a time when Cambodia was a French colony.

Even more damage was done to the temple during vietnam war, Americans. Their bombing of this territory, with the aim of destroying the Vietnamese army units sheltered in this area, caused irreparable damage to the temple structures. Many buildings were destroyed or seriously damaged by the acoustic waves from the detonating bombs. But, despite everything, this temple has survived to our times!

In general, between the Angkor temples there is quite a lively wide road, but inside the temples you can’t really get anywhere, especially for Ta Prohm. Restoration work is underway, there is still a lot of destruction, and you could inadvertently fall somewhere. To prevent this from happening, the places where a tourist can step are outlined, and here is the most famous cave Well, they actually fenced it off and put a wooden pedestal nearby, where the folk trail is not overgrown and tourists just have time to queue up for a photo.

I thought that Angkor was really such a jungle. At least photographs of the complex from a helicopter give just such an impression. That there are forests all around, and temples hiding between them. Of course there are jungles there, but there are no temples in them. Where there are temples, everything has already been cleared and restored.

Ta Prohm is perhaps the only island where you can see what a “temple in the jungle” is, unlike Angkor Wat and Bayon. Not all the trees have been cut down yet and not everything has been restored, so there is a chance to see how it was, and use your imagination to imagine what the Frenchman Henri Muo saw in 1861, when he rediscovered Angkor. Near each temple there are blocks, numbered, with signs not to touch anything and not to take anything with you. Restoration work continues, but it’s literally like putting together a Lego set or a puzzle without any idea of ​​what the end result should be. They select which stone should fit where literally by touch. And sometimes you literally go to a construction site.

The guide showed some places where it was possible to clear karma, some drawings on the walls of the temple, which could hardly be seen without a guide. But in principle, looking at where other guides point and visitors look, you can do without it if you don’t want to spend money. Our guide didn’t bother us and answered questions when we had them. He took photographs and gave us enough time where we wanted to stay. Overall he was a great guy. And of course, the Ta Prohm temple, like the entire Angkor complex, is a place that you need to see with your own eyes. Photos do not convey all the sensations, although after viewing them without saying “Wow!” not a single session is complete)))

Now, I have the opportunity to compare the jungle, say, in Malaysia on Borneo, and I understand that in Cambodia, at least in Angkor, there are none. This is not a jungle. What is this? It's just an ancient tourist attraction. However, see for yourself. Today we have Ta Prohm Temple in our slideshow.

Ta Prohm Temple, like all the temples in the complex, is surrounded by a wall, and only in the center is the temple itself. Inside the wall there is this kind of jungle, everything is real, with vines!














This pile of stones is still waiting in the wings. When restorers find them, they will return them to their rightful place in the temple.
The web, like the jungle, has taken over ancient temple.
The tree has grasped the stone and does not want to part with it.
Not only trees try to enslave the stone, grass also successfully grows on it.

Angkor temples were built from soft stone and then bas-reliefs were carved on it. There are no paintings or mosaics on the walls or floor, and probably thanks to the eternity of the stone, everything has been preserved to this day.


There are boulders of stone everywhere. In each of these holes was mounted gem.

Exactly this famous place at Ta Prohm Temple. This is where everyone takes photos, aka Angelina Jolie. But you have to wait in line, there are a lot of people willing)))


Hello Lesha and Yulia)))
And this is me)
Of course, no one will let you climb inside the buildings, and it’s dangerous, obviously without guides.
According to restorers, such iron pipes can keep the temple from further destruction.
The temple is quite large. You can walk along it for a couple of hours, making stops and wondering and admiring. Both human creation and natural.
This tree began to grow very strangely. On the roof. Tree roots sometimes look like ginger roots))
The roots hang down from above.
But what you see in the temple besides the temple itself, the workers
and construction...