With the notable exception of the ruined Buddhist vihara of Đồng Dương, the surviving Chăm towers are temples dedicated to Hindu deities, but in a number of cases, such as Pô Nagar, Pô Klông Garai, Pô Đam and Pô Rô Mê, they also serve as centres of devotion to local kings and princes.

Most Chăm towers are built on mounds and face eastwards, orientated in the direction of the rising sun, source of life. At their centre is the kalan or holy sanctuary, a square building with a pyramidal-shaped roof which represents a sacred microcosm of the world below the summit of Mount Meru, home of the gods. Additional kalan may sometimes be found on a north-south axis, either side of the main sanctuary. At some sites, such as Bánh Ít and Pô Klông Garai, there is also a long house located immediately to the right of the main sanctuary, in which worshippers can cleanse themselves, pray and gather their ritual objects together before proceeding to the main sanctuary.

Each Chăm temple building is built up in several tiers and elaborately decorated with decorative pilasters, bas-reliefs and sculptures. Hindu gods such as Shiva, Vishnu or Ganesh feature prominently, as do great Chăm kings and deified local figures. Friezes of female court dancers are also found widely; like the apsara dancers of the contemporaneous Khmer court, the harem of royal Chăm wife-dancers are believed to have celebrated through their performance the union of the ruler and divine power, thereby linking the king to the chthonic forces of earth and fertility.

Regrettably many of the Chăm towers have been lost or destroyed over the centuries, though strenuous efforts are now being made to restore what is left of this important national heritage.