Pre Rup, Angkor

• The Hindu Temple, Pre Rup is located east of Angkor Thom, south of East Baray and is in the north south axis aligned with East Mebon. It also was constructed under the reign of King Rajendravarman and was dedicated about 961.
• It is a temple replica of the mount Meru and is made of laterite, sand stone and brick.
• Pre Rup faces East and so is best visited in the morning for photography to catch the morning sun of its east face.
• Pre Rup temple is square with two perimeter walls, then upwards is the outer enclosure with a laterite causeway and a further laterite wall of some 117 meters wide on the north south sides and 127 meters long on the two east west sides. All entries are on the east side.
• As one climbs up inside from the east there are four cross shaped Gopuras and to both sides are groups of towers aligned north to south. Again higher up through another gate are former libraries on both sides. Here also is a cistern as shown in the picture below. There is some debate about the purpose of this cistern, some scholars suggesting it was a cremation site while others believe it was the position for the statue image of Nandi the Bull.

• To reach the summit there are three steep stairs each of approximately 12 meters high. Upon the top is a platform of some 35 square meters on which are constructed five towers in the traditional Khmer ''quincunx'' formation of one on each of four corners and one ion the center. On the eastern door of this central tower are bas reliefs standing guard of the entrance. The other doors on the other three sides are false doors. [ A ''quincunx'' is a geometric pattern consisting of five points where four of them form a square or rectangle and the fifth is located in the center. ] 
• Historians tell us that statues of the Hindu God Deities once were housed in the outer four towers, Lakshmi in the southeast, Shiva in the northeast tower, Uma in the northwest tower and Vishnu in the southwest tower.