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Pre Rup is a Hindu temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built as the state temple of Khmer king Rajendravarman and dedicated in 961 or early 962. It is a temple mountain of combined brick, laterite and sandstone construction. The temple’s name is a comparatively modern one meaning “turn the body”.
Climb Pre Rup’s steep steps to see the sunrise or sunset from it’s top tier, which is 40 feet (12 meters) high and offers views of Angkor Wat’s distant spires on clear days. Most tours visit Pre Rup in the evening, for sunset. Some tours use Pre Rup to round off a day at the Angkor “big three” (Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm), or stop here on the way back from Banteay Srei. You can enter the area with a 1-day, 3-day, or 7-day Angkor Pass.
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.
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. The outer enclosing wall is 127 by 116 meters (417 by 380 feet).
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.
Watching the sun rise over the ancient towers of Angkor Wat and photographing their reflections in the moat is a classic Siem Reap experience. You can also see spectacular sunrise and sunset views from a number of other local spots: In addition to enjoying the morning light at Pre Rup, you can see sweeping views of the entire complex from a hot air balloon, catch colorful reflections in the waters of Srah Srang reservoir; or enjoy the sunset at the Phnom Bakheng temple or the south gate of Angkor Thom.
Pre Rup opens very early in the morning, in plenty of time for sunrise, and closes after sunset. Photographers who’d like to beat the sunset crowds might want to visit at sunrise or a little later, when the brickwork glows in the morning light.
Pre Rup sits within the main Angkor Archaeological Park area, east of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm, and is about a 9-mile (14-kilometer) drive from downtown Siem Reap. There’s no public transportation, so most travelers join a tour or book a private driver or guide.
The tiny 12th-century Buddhist temple of Neak Pean (sometimes written Neak Poan or Neak Poun sits on a circular stone island in a square pool, framed by four more pools, all built on an island in the middle of a lake. The temple’s name means “entwined serpents.”
The sprawling temple complex of Angkor Thom, an ancient Khmer capital formerly ringed by a crocodile-infested moat, surpasses the world-famous Angkor Wat in both size and scale. Each of the site’s five gates are heralded by avenues lined with 108 deities that represent good and evil, which provide spectacular photo opportunities before you even step inside.
The Siem Reap Art Center Night Market is open from morning until late in the evening, but it is more of a night market than an art center. Close to the Old Market (Phsar Chaa or Phsar Chas), the site boasts a wealth of stalls selling crafts, souvenirs, the obligatory elephant pants, and snacks.
With everything from handicrafts to fresh produce, Siem Reap’s Old Market (Phsar Chas draws a mixed crowd of locals and tourists. While there’s plenty of souvenir shopping to do here—look for hand-woven, colorful silks—the market is also a fascinating snapshot of daily life in Siem Reap, complete with vendors hawking deep-fried bugs.
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Pre Rup Temple
