There really is a unique feel to Ta Prohm. The jungle had almost completely
swallowed it up before it was rediscovered and it still shows. Trees and
tree roots grow up,
around, and through the stonework of Ta Prohm giving it the appearance of how
ancient this place is. And just how temporary it was.
Ta Prohm is the largest of the temples at Angkor. There are many passages in
the temple that are impassable due to collapsed walls. But this is one thing
that surprised me about the temples of Angkor Wat - you can climb and explore
almost any place you want, if you're physically able. Except for the places
undergoing restoration, there are no prohibitions against climbing
here or walking there. I think someday these ruins will be much better protected
and preserved from the abuse that people give by climbing all over them, but for
now, you're free to touch, climb, walk on or just sit back and look at its
beauty.
The book entitled "Angkor" by Dawn Rooney states that Ta Prohm was supported by
3,140 villages and that it required 79,365 people to maintain it. Some of the
property owned by Ta Prohm included 1,100 pounds of gold dishes, 35 diamonds,
40,260 pearls, 4,540 precious stones, 876 veils from China and 512 silk beds.
This information
was based upon a sanscrit inscription in a stone that has been removed from the
ruins.
These photos of Ta Prohm in the Angkor Wat complex were taken in July of 2003.
I hope you enjoy my photos of Ta Prohm, one of the most beautiful of the
temples of Angkor
Wat.
The trees seem to have chosen the stonework of Ta
Prohm to grow
from rather than the open ground of the courtyards.
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And the treeroots are like tentacles spreading sometimes tens of meters
in different directions growing around and through the intricately carved
stonework of Ta Prohm.
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It's easy to spend hours exploring Ta Prohm - quite a fascinating place
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