Ta Prohm Temple

About

Ta Prohm Temple was built in the 12th century by Jayavarman VII. Originally a Buddhist monastery, Ta Prohm is centered around the giant stone face of Prajnaparamita, the personification of wisdom, whose features were based on the king’s mother. Eventually the Khmer empire fell, and Ta Prohm was abandoned. When it was rediscovered by French archaeologists in the early 20th century, Ta Prohm had almost entirely been reclaimed by the jungle - giant banyan trees growing over and through the delicately carved stonework. Now, the roots are as much a part of the walls as the stone, and are meticulously maintained, making for a picturesque ‘rawness’ that landed the temple an appearance in the movie Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Of the many carvings decorating the temple walls, one is especially noteworthy for the controversy surrounding it: the diminutive Dinosaur of Ta Prohm. This hand-sized carving bears a striking resemblance to a Triceratops, and while an easy explanation is that it’s a cow or rhino with a palm tree in the background, a certain sect of Creationists say it’s evidence dinosaurs walked alongside man.