Pre Rup

Pre Rup was dedicated in 961 under Rajendravarman, a temple-mountain of three tiers carrying five brick towers, built largely of brick and laterite rather than the sandstone of the later monuments, which gives it a warm reddish colour that deepens in low sun. That colour is why it became the standard sunset temple: the western steps fill in the late afternoon with people waiting for the light, looking out over rice fields and forest toward the Angkor Wat towers. The name means turning the body, from a cremation ritual said to have been performed here, and a stone cistern at the eastern base is traditionally connected with it. The stairways are steep and original in places.

History

Pre Rup was built as the state temple of King Rajendravarman and dedicated to Shiva in 961 or early 962, probably on the site of an earlier Shaivite ashram founded by Yasovarman I. The archaeologist Philippe Stern suggested that it stood at the centre of a new capital bounded to the north by the southern dike of the East Baray, but no dwellings have survived and the idea has never been confirmed by excavation. Its modern name, meaning turn the body, reflects a common Cambodian belief that funerals were held here, with the ashes of the dead turned in different directions during the rite (Wikipedia, Pre Rup).

The main sights

• Warm brick towers - five shrines on a three-tier pyramid.
• The sunset terrace - the upper level filling in late afternoon.
• The plain below - rice fields and forest toward Angkor Wat.
• The cremation cistern - the stone trough at the eastern foot.

When to go

November to March. Late afternoon for the colour and the sunset, though that is also the most crowded hour; mid-morning is nearly empty and the brick still looks good. The temple closes at dusk.

Good to know

Sunset here is crowded, with the upper terrace packed and numbers now limited at some Angkor sunset spots. The stairs are steep, worn and without handrails in places. There is no shade on the upper levels.

Nearby

East Mebon lies north; Banteay Kdei is west.

Key facts