Pre Rup is a large temple pyramid south of the Eastern Baray and axial on the eastern Mebon, we visited this impressive temple early in the morning with its warm coloured materials (laterite and brick).
Identical in style to Eastern Mebon, Pre Rup is the last realisation of ‘temple-mountain’ before the advent of the continuous galleries, predated by the long rooms built around its pyramid base.
Pre Rup |
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Pre Rup is composed of two enclosures, each with four axial gopuras, enclosing the three tiers pyramid that carries the five towers of the upper platform. This is the “Meru” in the form of a pyramid, crowned with a quincunx of towers. The central tower housed the royal lingam and the four subsidiary towers were dedicated to the king, its ancestors and relatives. In the two walled precincts the temple also houses subsidiary shrines, libraries, and entrance pavilions. The restoration work has been limited to some brickwork repairs and consolidation.
Approaching from the road, the access to the temple is by a ruined gopura. On both sides of the east of the enclosure there are two symmetrical groups of three towers set on a common plinth. The bricks are laid without mortar with only a vegetal adhesive.
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Pre Rup
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The courtyard of the following laterite enclosure contains the few remains of long gallery buildings and, on either side of the eastern entrance, two high rectangular towers.
The large tank at the base of the east stair of the pyramid is usually considered a funerary element, although it seems that it must have served as base for some statue, like of Nandin the sacred bull.
The elegant three tiered pyramid presents on three sides stairways adorned with sitting lions, on the first tier there are twelve small sanctuary towers. Raised on a double plinth the central quincunx of towers dominates the compound.
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