The Cambodian city of Siem Reap is the gateway to the Angkor temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1992. Ta Prohm is located thirteen kilometres from the city in the heart of the Angkor Archaeological Park, just to the east of Angkor Thom and eight kilometres from the world-famous Angkor Wat.
We travelled independently in Cambodia and hired a tuk tuk driver to take us around the temples – about $20 a day. Our hotel made the booking and it was an extremely pleasant and relaxing way to travel. Arriving from the hustle and bustle of Vietnam, we found Cambodia by contrast a very calm country.
Originally called Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was built in 1186 AD by King Jayavarman VII in honour of his family and was one of the first temples built during his prolific reign.
Designed as a Buddhist monastery and university, Ta Prohm was home to 12,500 people, including nearly 20 high priests and over 600 dancers. The surrounding villages were home to 80,000 people who provided services and supplies for the people living in Ta Prohm.
Like other temples in the area, Ta Prohm was deserted at some point in the 16th century and was left to the jungle to take over. Today, trees and vegetation are growing through the structure and smothering it with vast roots, adding to its mystique and, some believe, its beauty.
In 2000, Ta Prohm was one of the locations used for the filming of the Hollywood movie, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The main “Tomb Raider Tree” (title picture) can be seen in the central sanctuary of the temple, where many would-be Lara Crofts take selfies.
It is often reported that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was also filmed at Ta Prohm, but that’s not true and a brief review of history tells us why it wouldn’t have been possible. The film was made in 1983 and the Khmer Rouge were defeated only in 1979. With sporadic fighting continuing for years afterwards, Cambodia would have been too dangerous for a Hollywood film to be made there at that time.
