This visit not only brought home to me just how huge the Angkor Wat complex is but also just how ancient this site is and how it was lost to the forest for so many years. The photos show how the forest has reclaimed this particular temple and how much work has had to be done to clear other areas of Angkor Wat. The tree roots (Mainly cotton trees and strangler figs) are so entwined in this temple that the trees cannot be moved or the buildings will collapse.
Ta Prohm is built in the Bayon style largely in the late 12th and early 13th centuries and is located approximately one kilometre east of Angkor Thom. Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. According to Wikipedia “the photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor's most popular temples with visitors”. Ta Prohm was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.
As of 2013, Archaeological Survey of India has restored most parts of the temple complex some of which have been constructed from scratch. Wooden walkways, platforms and roped railings have been put in place around the site to protect the monument from further damage from tourists.
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