Some say that after a trip to Cambodia, the perception of the world changes. So many temples, Hindu and Buddhist architecture, its appearance and atmosphere inside do not pass by. They go straight to the heart and make you fall in love with them forever. One of these places is the ancient temple of Ta Prohm.

The temple is located near the legendary Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, so you can combine two tours. Despite the similarity of the two buildings, Ta Prohm is significantly different from his "big brother". First of all, it is the number of trees. They literary grow through the buildings of ancient Khmers.

Ta Prohm is one of the first temples in Siem Reap. It was built in the XII century by King Jayavarman VII in honor of his mother. Jayavarman expressed his love and appreciation for his mother with a large number of the apsaras – images of goddesses. Dancing, singing and, by the way, resting women are everywhere. Interestingly, young artists come to this temple to learn how to reproduce dancing female figures. In addition to the apsaras (goddesses), the walls of the temple were depicted with vegetable motifs and ... dinosaurs. This choice is a little strange, but if you look closely, you can definitely see a stegosaurus there.

Once almost 13 thousand people lived on the territory of the temple. However, after 300 years since its construction, people gradually began to leave it, and Ta Prohm was taken over by nature. Lianas, shrubs, flowers, and, of course, trees did not care at all that a religious temple of historical and cultural value stood in their way.

They sprouted through walls, broke roofs and stairs, and wrapped their powerful roots around statues. People did not look after the temple, so nature took it for itself. When the temple was finally reopened, everything was left as it was. Huge trees became the highlight of the complex. And walking along the ancient walls, in a dark corridor, where almost no sunlight penetrates because of the wide leaves of green plants, you feel like a real adventurer, explorer-traveler, Indiana Jones.