Siem Reap
The first site we visited in Angkor was Prasat Ta Prohm. This temple is one of Angkor's most famous - for the large trees growing out of the relatively unrestrored ruins, as well as its use as a filming location in the 2001 film, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider." These small ruins are of a library building outside the main temple complex at Ta Prohm.
Ruins of the library at Ta Prohm.
Walking up to the main entrance of the temple of Ta Prohm, the large spung tree growing on top of the ruins towers above. Ta Prohm dates to 1186 AD, and was built by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII, as a Buddhist monastery and university.
Tree roots growing over the walls inside Ta Prohm.
Tree roots growing over the walls inside Ta Prohm.
One of the trees growing on top of the ruins.
One of the gates to the city of Angkor Thom, the Victory Gate is one of two gates on the city's eastern wall. All of the city gates feature towers with large carvings of faces in the Bayon style, which compliment those at the city's largest temple, Angkor Thom. Also common to the architecture of Angkor Thom's ruins are the elephants, whose tusks can be seen around the base of the gate.
Faces on the tower of the Victory Gate, as seen from the top of the eastern wall around Angkor Thom.
The Bayon, a large temple near the center of Angkor Thom, was built in the late 12th-early 13th century AD as the official state temple of King Jayavarman VII. The temple was originally Buddhist, but after Jaya VII's death, was modified to include some Hindu elements. Prasat Bayon is famous for the many faces that adorn the temple’s towers.
One of the bas reliefs inside the Bayon. These reliefs record a variety of historical and mythological stories.