Built in 961 by King Rajendravarman II, the three-spired Shiva temple of Pre Rup resembles Angkor Wat on a smaller scale. The name of the temple translates to “turning the body,” suggesting that it might have once served as a crematorium for Angkor’s royalty.
Built a few years after nearby Mebon but identical to it in architectural style, Pre Rup was made from gray sandstone, once coated in a layer of plaster that has largely worn away. The crumbling sandstone, especially on the eastern towers of the complex, paired with the jungle vines beginning to grow through portions of the stone, give Pre Rup a wild feel, and its vast scale is still impressive despite being smaller than the main temple at Angkor Wat.
Visitors who make the steep climb to the top of the temple will be rewarded with views of Angkor Wat’s spires to the west on clear days.
Practical Info
The light is best at Pre Rup at sunset, but this is also when it’s busiest. If you want a more peaceful experience, plan your visit for early in the day.
One of the earliest temples in the region, Bakong was built in tiers within a strict geometric matrix, a style recognizable in the later Angkor Wat. Though significantly smaller than that complex, Bakong has a charm all its own.
The central temple rises on 5 tiers and was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It dates to 881 AD, though the tower which forms its focal point was added much later.
Around two dozen graceful, free-standing “satellite” temples dot the grounds in various states of repair, some garnished with jungle growth. Stupas reflect the temple’s later embrace of Buddhism, while an adjacent monastery ensures the site retains its spiritual significance into the present day.
Practical Info
Bakong, along with Lolei and Preah Ko, is in the Roluos group of temples, off National Highway 6 which heads west out of Siem Reap.
Preah Khan was built around the same time as Angkor Thom, and like it was conceived as a whole city, though on a smaller scale. It was erected on the site of an important military victory and its outer perimeter is guarded by 72 stone garudas (winged mythological creatures depicted throughout Southeast Asia).
A stupa (a domed structure holding Buddhist relics) and numerous smaller Hindu temples indicate the spiritual mix that Preah Khan embodied. In later years it was renowned as a center of scholarly Buddhism.
The restoration program has left mighty silk-cotton tree roots undisturbed; they make an awe-inspiring sight, appearing to wrestle with the stonework. Elsewhere a two-story, round-columned pavilion of uncertain purpose is a charming, free-standing oddity.
Practical Info
Preah Khan is the northernmost of the regularly-visited sites in Angkor Archeological Park, being 8 miles (13 km) from the center of Siem Reap.
