🛕 Ta Prohm
តាព្រហ្ម
Also known as: Rajavihara, Tomb Raider Temple
Province
Siem Reap
Era
Late Angkorian
Difficulty
🟢 Easy
Crowds
🏟️ Very High
Key Facts
Built: 1186
Built by: King Jayavarman VII
Religion: Buddhist
Entry Fee: Angkor Pass
Time Needed: 1–2 hours
UNESCO: ✅ World Heritage Site
The atmospheric "Tomb Raider temple" where massive silk-cotton and strangler fig trees dramatically engulf ancient stone walls.
Ta Prohm is one of the most photogenic and atmospheric temples in the Angkor complex, deliberately left in a state of semi-ruin with trees growing through and over the ancient stones. Originally known as Rajavihara, it was built as a Buddhist monastery and university, and the stele inscription reveals it once housed 12,640 people including 18 high priests and 615 dancers. Jayavarman VII dedicated it to his mother, depicted as Prajnaparamita (the perfection of wisdom). The temple gained worldwide fame as the filming location for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) with Angelina Jolie. The massive silk-cotton trees (Tetrameles nudiflora) and strangler figs (Ficus gibbosa) that grip the gallery walls create a haunting, surreal beauty that embodies the power of nature reclaiming human creation.
Highlights
- ✦ Giant tree roots growing over walls
- ✦ Tomb Raider filming location
- ✦ "Crocodile Tree" root formation
- ✦ Hall of Dancers apsara gallery
- ✦ Atmospheric narrow corridors
- ✦ Photo-op with tree-root doorways
Best Time to Visit
Early morning (7-8 AM) or late afternoon to avoid peak crowds
Visitor Tips
- 💡 Follow the marked route through the temple
- 💡 The "dinosaur" carving on the east side is a popular debate point
- 💡 Combine with Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang nearby
- 💡 Rainy season (June-Oct) makes the green moss extra vivid
Nearby Temples
13.4351°N, 103.8891°E
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