Ta Keo

Temples of Angkor


Ta Keo is a stark, undecorated temple that undoubtedly would have been one of the finest of Angkor’s structures, had it been finished. Built by Jayavarman V, it was dedicated to Shiva and was the first Angkorian monument built entirely of sandstone. The summit of the central tower, which is surrounded by four lower towers, is almost 50m high. The four towers at the corners of a square and a fifth tower in the centre is typical of many Angkorian temple-mountains.

No one is certain why work was never completed, but a likely cause may have been the death of Jayavarman V. Others contend that the hard sandstone was impossible to carve and that explains the lack of decoration. According to inscriptions, Ta Keo was struck by lightning during construction, which may have been seen as a bad omen and led to its abandonment. Allow about 30 minutes to visit Ta Keo.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Temples of Angkor attractions

1. Spean Thmor

0.19 MILES

Spean Thmor, of which an arch and several piers remain, is 200m east of Thommanon. Jayavarman VII constructed many roads with these immense stone bridges…

2. Chau Say Tevoda

0.32 MILES

Just east of Angkor Thom’s Victory Gate is Chau Say Tevoda. It was probably built during the second quarter of the 12th century, under the reign of…

3. Thommanon

0.36 MILES

Just north of Chau Say Tevoda, Thommanon borrows many features from Angkor Wat and was dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The small temple is in good…

4. Ta Nei

0.56 MILES

Ta Nei, 800m north of Ta Keo, was built by Jayavarman VII (r 1181–1219). There is something of the spirit of Ta Prohm here, albeit on a lesser scale, with…

5. Angkor Thom East Gate

0.58 MILES

The east gate of Angkor Thom was used as a location in Tomb Raider, where the bad guys broke into the ‘tomb’ by pulling down a giant polystyrene apsara…

6. Angkor Thom Victory Gate

0.61 MILES

One of two gates in the eastern walls of Angkor Thom, the Victory Gate was used by the Khmer kings of old upon their successful return from battle.

7. Ta Prohm

0.82 MILES

The so-called 'Tomb Raider Temple', Ta Prohm is cloaked in dappled shadow, its crumbling towers and walls locked in the slow muscular embrace of vast root…

8. Preah Khan

1.38 MILES

The temple of Preah Khan is one of the largest complexes at Angkor, a maze of vaulted corridors, fine carvings and lichen-clad stonework. It is a good…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "cambodia/temples-of-angkor/attractions/ta-keo/a/poi-sig/500556/1002179",
      "destination": "Temples-of-Angkor",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "Cambodia",
      "region": "Temples-of-Angkor",
      "position": "superzone"
    }