Ta Keo was once the main temple of Jayavarman V (968-1000) who began its construction in the late 10C. His successors pursued work on the temple for a while before the project was finally abandoned and the temple left unfinished, which explains the general lack of ornamentation. At the top of the pyramid stands a sanctuary dedicated to Shiva. A perfect example of a mountain-temple representing the 5 peaks of Mount Meru, it lies at the heart of a quincunx, with four towers at the corners of the terrace.