PRE ROUP

PRE RUP
Pre Rup, built by Rajendravarman II, is about 1km south of the Eastern Mebon.
Like its nearby predecessor, the temple consists of a pyramid-shaped temple-
mountain with the uppermost of the three tiers carrying five lotus towers. The
brick sanctuaries were also once decorated with a plaster coating, fragments
of which still remain on the southwestern tower, there are some amazingly
detailed lintel carving here. several of the outermost eastern towers are perilously close to collapse and are propped up by an army of wooden supports.
Pre Rup means ``Turning the Body’’ and refers to a traditional method of
cremation in which a corpse’s outline is traced in the ciders, first in one
direction and then in the other; this suggests that the temple may have served
as an early royal crematorium.

BANTEAY SAMRE’

Banteay Same dates from the same period as Angkor Wat and was built by
Suryavarman II (r 1112-52). The temple is in a fairly healthy state of preservation due to some extensive renovation work, although its isolation has
resulted in some looting during the past two decades. The area consists of
a central temple with four wing, preceded by a hall and also accompanied
by two libraries, the southern one remarkably well preserved. The whole
ensemble is enclosed by two large concentric walls around what would have
been the unique feature of an inner moat, sadly now dry.
Banteay samre is 400m east of the Eastern Baray, which in practical terms
means following the road to Banteay Srei to the village of Preah Dak and
continuing straight ahead rather than following the tarmac to the left. A visit
here can be combined with a trip to Banteay Sreiy or Phnom bok.