Gopura 

My point of entry into the jungle temple built by Jayavarman VII and dedicated in 1186 to his mother .

In it's heyday the monastic  complex housed 12.640 people including 625 dancers with approximately 80,000 villagers responsible for  maintaining the temple.

Silk Cotton Tree (kapok) spreads its roots over under and between the laterite blocks from which the monastic temple was built.  How  excited must the  nineteenth century explorers been when they stumbled across it, almost engulfed by the jungle?

When the French began a restoration programme in the early twentieth century, it was decide to leave Ta Prohm to the jungle.  It was cleared of scrub and the buildings strengthened to prevent further destruction and this is how we see it now.  A magical place and my favourite at Angkor.

It is thought that the poor condition of Ta Prohm is due not only to the quality of stone used but also to the haste with which it was constructed.  Jayavarman VII was about 50 when he came to power and set about covering Angkor with his monuments.