Pre Rup Temple

Temple in Siem Reap

Angkor Pre Rup
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Christophe95

Pre Rup is a grand brick temple complex featuring a quincunx of towers that rise from a pyramid-like base, embodying the “temple mountain” design—a concept rooted in ancient Khmer architecture to symbolize Mount Meru, the sacred mountain in Hindu cosmology. Situated approximately 5 km northeast of Angkor Wat, Pre Rup predates Angkor and was constructed in the mid-10th century as the state temple of King Rajendravarman (reigned 944–968 AD).

Visiting Pre Rup

Conveniently located near the main road, Pre Rup provides visitors with a chance to see one of the most majestic brick temples of the Khmer Empire. You can enter from either the south or the east; the latter is the traditional entrance and has a nearby parking area.

The temple is currently open from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm. Following ongoing restoration work (as of 2022), extended hours may allow for sunrise and sunset visits. Plan to spend about 40 minutes here, or longer if you wish, with highlights including the scale and grandeur of the site, the intricate lintels above each tower’s doorways, and the devata carvings flanking those doors on the upper towers. The views from the top are also noteworthy. Pre Rup is a key stop along the Grand Circuit route.

To the north of Pre Rup is a laterite-lined basin, and about 120 meters northeast lies Prasat Leak Neang, a smaller structure. Further north, just over 1 km, is the East Mebon temple.

Layout of Pre Rup Temple

The outer enclosure wall, approximately 130 meters on each side, has entrances (gopura) at each cardinal direction, with the complex oriented to the east. Remnants of an eastern causeway leading to the gopura can still be seen from the parking area. Inside the eastern gopura, six brick towers (likely added later) stand, though one remains incomplete. Along the north, south, and west sides of the enclosure are the remains of eight long halls.

Steps lead up to the next tier, where the inner enclosure contains a series of long halls around its perimeter, similar in style to structures known as “palais” and ashrama. In the northeast corner stands a pergola-like stele shelter, a structure found in several temples of the empire. On either side of the central causeway are two libraries, each opening to the west. Along this causeway is a large sandstone tank that might have been used for cremation ceremonies (from which the site may derive its name), though some scholars suggest it may have served as an altar for a Nandin (sacred bull) statue. Ascending further, the next tier hosts 12 small shrines, each a miniature version of the larger shrines above, complete with detailed carvings and door columns supporting decorative lintels.

At the top level, five grand towers form a quincunx pattern, with one central tower surrounded by four corner towers. The central tower, slightly taller than the others, rests on a double-tiered sandstone base adorned with faded decorations. Lions flank its staircase, and it originally held a linga. Devata (sacred beings) are carved into the brick of each tower, remnants of which are still visible, particularly on the southwest and northwest towers. Notable among these are carvings of male devata on the northeast and southeast towers and female devata on the western towers. On the west wall of the southwest tower, look for rare carvings of Saraswati Brahmani, the wife of Brahma, with four heads and arms, and Varahi, the boar-headed feminine representation of Vishnu’s energy.

The decorative false doors and the inscribed doorjambs on the northern towers are also worth a closer look. According to inscriptions, each tower enshrined images of Uma, Shiva, and Vishnu, dedicated to the king’s aunt, half-brother, and an ancestor, respectively.

History of Pre Rup Temple

A large inscribed stele (K. 806) found in one of the long halls provides a precise date for the temple’s consecration, 961 AD, and reveals its original name, Rajendrabhadresvara. The current name, Pre Rup, comes from a stone tank on the causeway, linked to a local funerary tradition where ashes are laid out and turned in various directions—hence “Pre Rup,” meaning “Body Turning.”

The six towers on the eastern side were added later and remain incomplete, as seen in the unfinished lintels, with one of the towers never fully realized.

One of the most notable aspects of Pre Rup is the foundation stele, which contains one of the longest Sanskrit inscriptions found in the Khmer Empire, with 66 lines and 298 verses. Details on this inscription are available in the “Inscription” section below if you’d like to learn more.

Between 1995 and 2003, an APSARA-led project, with international funding and local staff, successfully restored and reinforced the main towers. In 2001, APSARA National Authority also began restoration of the walls and outer eastern gopura, with most of this work completed by late 2022.

The Pre Rup Temple appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Siem Reap!

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Visiting Pre Rup Temple

Address: Pre Rup temple, Angkor Archaeological Park, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia

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