The expansive monastic complex of Jayavarman VII, Ta Phrom may be one of the most charming temples, featuring some of the greatest photo-ops at Angkor.
The temple is so popular that the feeling of “discovering” a temple overgrown with wilderness is only imaginable first thing in the morning before bus-loads of visitors arrive.
Famed for being “deliberately left in an uncleared state” to allow the visitor an appreciation of the temples when they were discovered by western archaeologists over a century ago, Ta Phrom has been undergoing massive restoration and reconstruction in recent years. While there are still numerous trees growing upon the temple walls and spires, there are at least as many cranes, scaffolding, and barrier ropes as there is evidence of ‘what once was’.
Ta Phrom was one of several expansive monastic complexes built during the reign of Jayavarman VII. The foundation stele discovered at the temple recounts a population of nearly 80,000 in service of Ta Phrom, including over 600 dancing girls and a treasury that included more than 40,000 pearls and golden dishes with a cumulative weight of more than 1,000 pounds.
Similar to neighboring Banteay Kdei and Preah Khan, both also consigned by Jayavarman VII, the temple is laid out horizontally along an east-west axis, with an exterior enclosure wall 700 x 1,000 meters that surrounds now-forested grounds within which additional series of enclosure walls frame various zones of ceremonial and religious structures.
As with other temples at Angkor, time and nature gradually took a destructive toll on Ta Phrom. The trees which make the temples especially picturesque grow from seeds that have fallen between the cracks in the stones. As the trees grow, their roots gradually force their way through the temple’s roofs and walls occasionally collapsing chambers, but otherwise holding the stones together like gigantic fingers grabbing a firm hold on the massive sandstone blocks as they grow upwards and outwards. Eventually however the trees die, either after being struck by lightning or simply aging to a point that they are blown over by powerful gusts of wind. It is when these trees perish that the roots holding the stones together decay and the stones that were buttressed by them collapse into rubble.
Orientation
While Ta Phrom has many areas that remain collapsed from trees and time and many trees remain perched atop the temples walls, so popular is the temple nowadays that visitors are no longer allowed the luxury of exploring the more dangerous areas, many of which are undergoing restoration.
Consequently, visitors to Ta Phrom must generally follow wooden walkways along a route marked with arrows indicating “way of visit”. While this path passes through the most interesting areas of the temple, including the best places to take photos, once the temple is filled with bus-loads of visitors you are almost assured of having to queue up to pass through certain chambers or pose for photos.
While it seems perfectly reasonable to follow a ‘safety path’ that avoids collapsed chambers and leads you past the top photo sites, just as the cranes and scaffolding have detracted from the original intent to leave the temple in a atmospheric state of natural disrepair, so too has the heavily trafficked path. One of the greatest charms of Ta Phrom, exploring a ruinous labyrinth that has been enveloped by jungle, has been generally lost. (Tip: Following the suggested path from east to west and arriving at the 4th western enclosure wall, you may wish to turn around and walk back to the eastern parking area by attempting a more circuitous/exploratory route: don’t worry, the chambers that are genuinely dangerous all feature signage warning you of such).
While you may enter Ta Phrom from either the east or the west, as the temple is oriented eastward and is best visited early in the morning when the sun is directed towards the east facing towers, it is best to have your driver drop you at the east and pick you up an hour or so later at the western parking area (Just remember what your tuk-tuk/car and/or driver looks like as there may be many others waiting in the area).
After passing through the easternmost (5th) enclosure wall, you must walk along a shady path for several hundred meters before arriving at the 4th enclosure wall, where you will see the first of the trees growing atop the temple. Pass through the doorway to your right (if its open) and pose for a photo with the tree on the inside of the gopura: its one of the most popular photo sites in Angkor though there is a barrier preventing you from getting closer to the tree than was once possible.
Continuing west from the tree you will pass along the north side of the Hall of Dancers, which, like those at Preah Khan and Banteay Kdei were likely used for ceremonial dance. If access to the hall is possible, you can see carvings of Apsara dancers on the pillars and on lintels above the interior doorways of the hall.
Passing through the 3rd enclosure wall brings you inside the temple proper, at which point you should follow the wooden walking path, stopping at various photo locations and enjoying the maze-like atmosphere of the collapsed chambers and corridors that lead you through the central sanctuary. Be sure to take some time to explore the 3rd and 2nd enclosure courtyards for other photo opportunities, particularly in the northeast of the 3rd enclosure and southwest of the 2nd enclosure.
As you depart the western gopura of the second enclosure, look for the small bas-relief carving that looks interestingly like a stegosaurus! From this point you can either continue through the temple to the western parking area or loop back around and explore some of the less visited areas of the temple and live out your Lara Croft, Tomb Raider fantasies (the movie was filmed in part inside Ta Phrom temple!)
Need to Know
- What is it: A monastic complex that has been left in a state of semi-disrepair to allow visitors to appreciate an atmosphere of yesteryear temple discovery.
- When to visit: First light of the day
- Nearest Town: Siem Reap
- Don’t Miss: Numerous photo opportunities with massive tree roots engulfing temple walls and towers.
- King: Jayavarman VII
- Date: c.1186
- Religion: Buddhism
- Artistic Style: Bayon