Tip:
Because the temple is built entirely of brick and laterite, the warm tones of
these materials are best are seen early in the morning or when the sun is
setting. There are two views from the top terrace: the first looking east
towards Phnom Bok and the mountain chain of Phnom Kulen; and the second looking
west where the towers of Angkor Wat can be distinguished on the far horizon.
It was built in second half of the tenth century (961) by the
King Rajendraman II dedicated to the god Siva (Hindi), replica to
Pre Rup
style of art.
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BACKGROUND
The boldness of the
architectural design of Pre Rup is superb and give the temple fine balance,
scale and proportion. The temple is almost identical in style to the
East Mebon,
although it was built several yeas later. It is the last real 'temple-mountain '
Pre Rup was called the 'City of the
East ' by Philippe Stern, a Frenchman who worked on the site.
The Cambodians have always regarded this temple as having funerary associations
but reason is unknown. The name Prerup recalls one of the rituals of cremation
in which the silhouette of the body of the deceased, outlined with its ashes, is
successively represented according to different orientations, Some
archaeologists believe that the large vat located at the base of the east
stairway to the central area was used at cremations.
LAYOUT
Pre Rup dominates
the vast plain, which the East Baray irrigated. Contracted on an artificial
mountain in laterite with brick towers, the plan is square and comprises two
enclosures (1 and 2) with four entry towers each and a base with three narrow
tiers (3) serving as a pedestal for five towers on the top platform one in each
corner and one central (4). The outer enclosing wall is 127 by 116 meters (417
by 380 feet).
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Inside the outer laterite-enclosing wall there are two groups of three towers, one on each side
of the entrance (5); the towers of each group share a common base. The middle
tower in each of the two groups dominates and is more developed than the others.
It appears that the first tower on the right was never built or, if it was, its
bricks were reused somewhere else. The most complete lintel is on the tower at
the far left (south )on the east face showing in his avataras a man-lion.
The next enclosure, also made of laterite, has four small entry towers, one on
each side (2) Long galleries surround the courtyard on the enterior. The walls
of these galleries, which have sandstone porches, are built of laterite.
In the courtyard there are vestiges of long rest halls (6) probably used by
pilgrims. They have sandstone pillars in the east and laterite walls and windows
with balusters in the west. In the northeast corner there is a curious small
square building (7) built of large blocks of laterite and open on all four
sides. The inscription of the temple was found in gallery near this building.
LIBRARIES
On the left and
right sides of the east entry tower of the second enclosure there are libraries
(8) with high towers. They sheltered carved stones with motifs of the nine
planets and the seven ascetics. In the center there is a vat (9) between two
rows of sandstone pillars. Glaize suggested that this might have been, rather
than a sarcophagus, a base for a wooden building or for a statue of Nandi, the
sacred bull, the mount of Siva to whom the temple was dedicated.
CENTRAL AREA (BASE AND TOWERS)
the square base has
a stairway on each side . Pedestals flanking the stairways are adorned with
seated lion of which those on the lower terraces are larger than those on the
higher levels. The first two tiers are built of laterite and have simple
supporting walls with a molded base and cornice. The third tier is built of
sandstone. Two supplementary stairways are framed with lions on the east side.
Twelve small temples opening to the east and containing linga are evenly spaced
around the first tier. The upper platform is raised on a double base of molded
sandstone with stairway flanked with lions.
The five central towers
on the top platform are open to the east. They all have three false doors made
of sandstone and are sculpted with figures and plant motifs. Traces of plaster
are visible on the tower in the southwest corner. At the same tower there is a
depiction of Saravati , wife of Brahma , with four faces and arms. On the west
side of this tower there is another divinity with four arms and heads in the
form of a wild boar; it is the wife of Visnu
in his avataras as a boar. Figures in the niches are surrounded by flying
Apsaras at the corners of the towers. the figures at the two west towers are
feminine while those at the east and central towers are masculine.
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