The Ta Som Temple History

Ta Som (Khmer: ប្រាសាទតាសោម) is a small temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built at the end of the 12th century for King Jayavarman VII. It is located north east of Angkor Thom and just east of Neak Pean. The King dedicated the temple to his father Dharanindravarman II (Paramanishkalapada) who was King of the Khmer Empire from 1150 to 1160. The temple consists of a single shrine located on one level and surrounded by enclosure laterite walls. Like the nearby Preah Khan and Ta Prohm the temple was left largely unrestored, with numerous trees and other vegetation growing among the ruins. In 1998, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) added the temple to their restoration program and began work to stabilise the structure to make it safer for visitors.Ta Som has not been restored. It is a small quiet temple and affords a delightful visit.
Ta Som has the distinctive features of most of the "Bayon Style" temples: the four faces watching over the 4 cardinal directions. King Jayavarman VII dedicated the temple to his father, King Dharanindravarman II, , and a group of Khmer conservators, architects and arqueologists have been working on the stabilisation and presentation of the complex, making the four entrances to the temple accesible for the public.

Small, classic Bayon-style monastic complex consisting of a relatively flat enclosure, face tower gopuras and cruciform interior sanctuaries much like a miniature version of Ta Prohm. Many of the carvings are in good condition and display particularly fine execution for late 12th century works. Take note of the devata carvings which show an uncommon individuality. A huge tree grows from the top of the eastern gopura. It is destroying the gate but it is a photo classic. Best photographed in the afternoon. Ta Som is the most distant temple on the Grand Circuit.
Ta Som is located 16.7 km from Siem Reap (26 minutes by car and over and hour and a half by bike). To travel from the city center ake Sivatha Road and continue until you reach the Angkor Wat Moat. Turn right, and continue past Srah Srang, turning right along the north edge of the reservoir, until you reach Pre Rup as the road turns North. Ta Som is 4 km North along this road. You can visit Ta Som Temple at any time of day although an early morning visit will reduce the number of visitors to the temple. An expert local tour guide from Siem Reap will ensure you get the very best from your visit and the journey between Siem Reap and the site.
Ta Som Temple located in the east of Nean Pean. The entry and exit to Ta Som can only be access from east entrance. It was built in the end of the 12th century, dedicated to the father of the king (Buddhist), replica to Bayon style of art.

Designed to be entered from the east, Ta Som is surrounded by a moat and enclosed by three laterite walls which are broken by two sets of gopura (entrance ways). The gopuras are cross-shaped and contain a small room on each side along with windows containing balusters. The main structure of the gopura are carved with four faces in the Bayon style. The eastern outer gopura has been overgrown by a sacred fig (Ficus religiosa) which has grown down through the blocks that make up the gopura and into the ground. The inner section of the temple consists of a central cruciform sanctuary with porches at each arm surrounded by four corner pavilions. Two small libraries sit on either side of the eastern entrance path.
In the past one of the significant features of Ta Som was the growth of fig trees the faces at the entrance towers. These have been cut from the east tower but they are still visible at the west one.
Ta Som is a single tower monument on one level surrounded by three enclosing walls with entry on the east and west carved with four faces, the face on the right of the east tower (facing the temple) has a beautiful smile. The entry towers are in the shape of a cross with a small room on each side connecting to a laterite wall.

Walk through the first entry tower over a causeway, which crosses a moat and is bordered with serpents and large Garudas. The wall of the second enclosure is in laterite with a sandstone entry tower in the shape of a cross on the east and west sides. The entry towers have windows with balusters on the exterior and proceeded by a porch with pillars.
The next enclosure comprises a laterite and sandstone gallery with corner pavilions, which have molded false doors. Amongst the crumbled heaps of stones in the courtyard are two libraries opening to the  west.

According to the APSARA Authority who manage the temples in the Angkor Park, little restoration work had been done at Ta Som until the 1950s. At this time some propping of structures that were near collapse was carried out. After the WMF added Ta Som to their project, the WMF team began to document and interpret the site and carry out emergency stabilization of fragile structures and improvement to visitor flow around the monument. In 2007, WMF and the APSARA Authority conducted clearing and documentation works that allowed the temple to be accessed from all four sides. Many sandstone blocks were repaired and this allowed the reconstruction of the North Central Fronton of the North Gopura.