Ta Prohm Temple was originally named “Rajavihara” and it is one of the most famous and largest Angkor temples. Located southwest of the East Mebon and east of Angkor Thom in the Angkor Wat Archeological Park in Siem Reap in Cambodia, it makes for a perfect stop while temple hopping. Ta Prohm was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1992.

The temple dates back to the late 12th century as its construction began in the year 1186 AD under the reign of the Khmer King, Jayavarman  VII. Originally, it was built as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university in a bayon style and was dedicated o the king’s mother. Aside from that, records show that the temple served as a home to more than 12,500 people.

After the fall of the Khmer Empire in the 17th century, Ta Prohm was left almost intact and it was rediscovered by French archaeologists until the early 20th century.

Aside from the archeological beauty of the site, another favourite for visitors are the trees that tower over the ruins as well as the roots that cover a large part of the remains of the temple.

An interesting fact is that the famous movie “Lara Croft: Tomb Reader” was filmed here.