Pre Rup

Pre Rup is a late 10th-century Hindu temple-mountain in the south of the Angkor complex, built by King Rajendravarman II in 961 AD. It is a three-tiered pyramid of laterite and brick with five sandstone towers at the summit, and it offers one of the better sunset views at Angkor — the western face of the upper terrace looks directly toward the setting sun, and the warm light on the red brick is beautiful. Because it is on the "large circuit" east of the main group, it sees somewhat fewer visitors than Angkor Wat or the Bayon, though it has become increasingly popular as a sunset spot.

The construction materials — a mix of laterite blocks and red brick — give Pre Rup a warmer colour than the grey-green sandstone of most Angkor temples. The brick carving on the tower surfaces, though damaged, shows the same quality as other 10th-century Angkor work. The views from the upper terrace extend across the flat surrounding countryside in all directions: in the wet season the waterlogged fields to the south reflect the sky.

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Pre Rup's name translates roughly as "Turn the Body" — a reference to the funerary rite of rotating a corpse multiple times during cremation. The large stone cistern found near the temple's east tower was once thought to have been used for cremation rituals, but archaeological analysis suggests it was more likely a water basin or ablution tank. Pre Rup was built as the state temple and likely intended mausoleum of King Rajendravarman II, who died in 968 AD.

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