A work of great dignity and impeccable proportions', wrote Mauize of
Prerup in his guidebook of 1963. Pre Rup is located at northeast of Srah
Srang and 500 meters (1,640 feet) south of the south end of the East Baray.
An entrance and exit the monument from the east entrance. To climb to
the upper terrace use the east stairway; it is slightly less steep than
the others.
 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.
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).
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 (bese 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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