Tasom Temple
Tasom Temple
Date: Built in late twelfth century
Religion: Buddhism
King: Jayavarman VII (1181-1221)
Posthumous name: Mahasangatapada
King Jayavarman VII dedicated this temple to hisolder sister. As she was not as important as the parents, this temple is much smaller than Preah Khan and Taprom which were dedicated to the king’s parents. Ta Som was constructed with sandstone and laterite together because the king built it in a hurry.
Things to see:
Although Ta Som is a small temple in the grand circuit, it’s very interesting to see. The highlights to
see in Ta Som are huge smiling faces of Avalokitesvara sculptures on the entrance structures, Apsara carvings holding her long hairs and the rain forest surrounding the temple. The Apsara carvings of Ta Som hold their long hair and they don’t wear crowns like Apsara of other temples. They also carry parrots and lotus stems.
see in Ta Som are huge smiling faces of Avalokitesvara sculptures on the entrance structures, Apsara carvings holding her long hairs and the rain forest surrounding the temple. The Apsara carvings of Ta Som hold their long hair and they don’t wear crowns like Apsara of other temples. They also carry parrots and lotus stems.
The west entrance used to have a huge Spong Tree growing on top and it was removed after it had died in the 1950s. The east entrance of Ta Som is also interesting to see, because there still has a huge Banyan tree growing on the top of its structure.
Ta Som is one of three temples that are standing in the same line across the lake Jayatataka. Those three temples are Preah Khan, which locates to the west of the lake, Neak Pean, a baptism temple for all people, locates 
in the middle of the lake, and Ta Som locates to the east of the lake.
in the middle of the lake, and Ta Som locates to the east of the lake.
Ta Som temple has never been restored by French at all. However, today Ta Som is being preserved by theWMF (World Monuments Funds) base in New York.
Tiger”:
In 1963, a villager who lived in Preak Dak Village (3km to the south) found four baby tigers in the chamber of the east gate of Ta Som. The mother of those tigers 
was shot dead later when she went to the hunter’s house to take her babies back. Those baby tigers were sold to French who worked in Angkor conservation department.
was shot dead later when she went to the hunter’s house to take her babies back. Those baby tigers were sold to French who worked in Angkor conservation department.
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