Surrounded by the border of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and the Gulf of Thailand is Cambodia where the Mekong River runs through most of its relief. In the country lies the city of Angkor, the stronghold of the Khmer Empire until the thirteenth century. It is world famous for its ancient temples that are massive in size.
Among the ruins of Angkor, between the south of the eastern reservoir, known widely as East Baray and northeast of Srah Srang, a famous ancient temple known as Pre Rup can be found that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The temple looms; a vast structure constructed on an artificial mountain. It is built from rusty-red laterite and brick and therefore bears a rich colour that resembles a mass of fiery red earth. Many visitors prefer to visit the temple during sunset or sunrise, as the faint sunrays accentuates the color of the temple walls.
Pre Rup is essentially a square monument bearing multiple brick towers irrigated on its various enclosures. In fact the temple has two wall perimeters. The towers act as entry points deepening into the interior of the temple. An intriguing sculpture of a man-lion can be found on the tower on the south side. Pre Rup also has long galleries on either side of the courtyard. The courtyards possess long rest halls which may have been used by devotees that frequented the temple. Ancient sandstone pillars can be found on the east side.
The central area is also in line with the square concept and is complemented by a staircase on every face. These stairways emanate ancient grandeur as the pedestals that connect each stairway are adorned by a lion. As you ascend each terrace, noticeable is the manner in which the figure of the lion is larger than the one on the previous tier. The third tier of the central area is build of sandstone. Around the first tier, on the east side, visitors will find twelve miniature shrines. The seated lion is a common sight in this area of the temple. Five towers soar from the top platform. Each one has three faux doors that are painted utilizing plant, animal and human motifs.
Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, music and arts stands on the southwest corner tower with four faces and four arms. Moving towards the west side of the tower you will encounter the wife of Vishnu as a wild boar with also four arms and heads. These two goddesses are surrounded by many more goddess like creatures known as Apsaras. The west tower is dominated by feminine divinity while the east and central towers are devoted to the masculine figures. Further, libraries can be found in the temple of Pre Rup and even a stone cistern on the foreground of the premises.
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