Angkor Part 3: Ta Prohm

Terrace of the Elephants

The 350m-long Terrace of Elephants, found within the walled city of Angkor Thom, was built at the end of the 12^th century and dedicated to Buddha. 

It was built by Jayavarman VII, with additions by later kings, and was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as the base of the king's audience hall.

The Terrace wall was two and a half-metres tall and 350 metres long.

Terrace of the Elephants

 The wall of the Terrace was embellished with carved elephants and garudas (bird-men, the King of Birds and enemy of snakes), nagas (a snake or dragon, a creature of myth and legend. Nagas were worshiped as nature deities), hunting scenes and lions.

In front of the Terrace was a huge, open field, larger in size than a football field. The field was used as a parade ground and for entertainment for the spectators on the Terrace.

Directly across the parade ground from the Terrace, stood a row of towers, which defined the field's boundaries. Our guide told us that heavy ropes were strung between the towers and used by acrobats to perform for the King.

A structure on the Terrace

Terrace of the Leper King


To the north of the Terrace of the Elephants is the Terrace of the Leper King. This terrace takes its curious name from the seated statue of the Leper King that is on the platform.

This statue is a copy of the original, which was moved to the court-yard of the National Museum in Phnom Penh for safe-keeping. The statue has been thought to represent a legendary ‘leper king,’ or possibly Yama, the Lord of the Dead: it has been speculated that the terrace may have been used for cremations.

Another theory as to who the Leper King was is derived from Cambodian legend. A minister refused to prostrate before the king, and as a result the king hit him with his sword. Poison spittle fell on the king and he became a leper and was thenceforth called the Leper King.

Some historians think that the statue represented Kubera, Hindu Lord of Wealth, or Ankgorian King, Yasovaraman I, both of whom were allegedly lepers.

Ta Prohm




King Jayavarman VII built this temple in honour of his family in the late 12th and early 13th centuries as a Buddhist monastery and university. It was dedicated to his mother and was home to an estimated 12,500 people, including high priests, officials, assistants, dancers and an additional 800,000 people living in the surrounding villages who provided services and supplies. The property was reportedly also home to a set of golden dishes weighing more than 500 kilograms, diamonds, pearls, precious stones, veils from China, silk beds and parasols.

Ta Prohm

A devata (female deity)

Trees grow among the ruins.

Other than clearing a path and constructing walkways and stairs for visitors, and strengthening of some of the structures, Ta Prohm has been left virtually untouched by archaeologists, unlike other temples at Angkor. The trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of the most visited complexes in Cambodia’s Angkor region. UNESCO placed Ta Prohm on the World Heritage List in 1992.

Paul is wearing his 'temple pants' - he had to purchase long pants in Siem Reap because shorts are not permitted in some temples. It was a hot day however, and he rolled his up with no complaints from the authorities.

Sources disagree on the types of trees that spread their gigantic roots over stones walls or form roofs over structures with their branches and leaves. The most common trees identified include the False Hemp, Kapok, Strangler fig (Banyon) and Golden Apple.

The temple of Ta Prohm was used as a location in the film, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The scenes of the temple were quite faithful to the temple's actual appearance. 

Same spot!

Buddhist monks at Ta Prohm. Angkor is a sacred area and a pilgramage destination.

Some believe that this carving resembles a stegosaurus. Since the temple was built around the end of the 12th century, some take this as evidence to suggest that Stegosaurus survived until a few hundred years ago. On the other hand, fossils of stegosaurids have been found in North America, China, Europe, Africa, and East Asia. But not in Cambodia! I don’t know . . . looks very dinosaur-like to me. You decide!

The huge trees growing throughout the temple ruins were truly amazing.

Ta Prohm