PRASAT TA SOM

(The ancestor Som)

Date: the end of 12^th century

King: Jayavarman VII

Religion: Buddhism

Art-style: Bayon Temple

Clearance work by Mr. Henri Marchal 1930

This temple was aligned on the same axis as Neak Pean and Preah Khan Temple was constructed the same king named Jayavarman VII at the end of the 12^th century to honor to his elder sister. The temple had been with 2 gates the main gate is on the east now we are on the western gate of this temple that we could see the entry tower was decorated with 4 faces of Lokesvara. This entry tower was formerly covered by the roots of a fig tree hanging down to earth that would obstruct the passage, it looked attractive then the royal government took it as an identification of Cambodian currency. In the year 1970-1975 when the war was happen this temple was used as their camp in order to keep their medical equipment and also the store house of the military supplies. Ta Som was a single monument which stood on a ground level and surrounded by 3 laterite walls, and all the entry gates are in the shape of across you could see the entry gate of the first wall was decorated by 4 faces of Lokesvara that could symbolize of the charity compassion sympathy and the equanimity. Well the materials of Ta Som Temple were used in combination of sandstone and laterite it was probably king run out of sandstone and it hurry to finished. The first wall is 200m wide by 240 long with 2 gates in the courtyard of this wall you could see a moat but now was dried up. The second wall is 60m wide by 85m long with 2 gates are in the shape of across too. In the courtyard of this gallery you could see 2 libraries which opened to the west, this temple was in poor conditioned state, now this temple has been maintained by the world monument fund that the head quarter is in New York.