Our itinerary today was designed to include many of the lesser known and visited temples of the Angkor archaeological park since we were due to visit the more major ones over the following days. All these sites would be major attractions in their own right anywhere else, but in Angkor there is simply too much for the regular visitor to take in, but since we're not regular visitors we aimed to try our best regardless!
Our second stop was Pre Rup, one of the earlier temples of Angkor dating back to the 10th century when the state religion was still Hinduism, thus the shrine was originally dedicated to the god Shiva.
The temple forms a 'temple-mountain', a type of structure found at several sites in Angkor where the shrine is formed by a succession of raised terraces (accessed by very steep and narrow stairs) with the main focus being on a group of gopura towers at the summit of what otherwise appears to be a truncated pyramid, Here the main materials were brick and rough red laterite stone for the bulk of the structure with the sandstone best suited to fine carving used only for doorways and lintels. Much more ornamentations was originally added in stucco over the brickwork of the towers, but most of this has been lost over time, leaving a few sections and figures at the upper level to indicate how much richer the original effect would have been.
Pre Rup is an impressive site and well worth exploring and ascending its upper levels, if one can cope with the climb (ascending many of the taller Angkor temples is not for the faint hearted!). It hasn't the riot of decoration found in the later temples but the select areas where it is used are fine quality and reward seeking out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre_Rup
Tags: Angkor Cambodia Preah Rup ruins temple ancient Khmer
© All Rights Reserved
Our itinerary today was designed to include many of the lesser known and visited temples of the Angkor archaeological park since we were due to visit the more major ones over the following days. All these sites would be major attractions in their own right anywhere else, but in Angkor there is simply too much for the regular visitor to take in, but since we're not regular visitors we aimed to try our best regardless!
Our second stop was Pre Rup, one of the earlier temples of Angkor dating back to the 10th century when the state religion was still Hinduism, thus the shrine was originally dedicated to the god Shiva.
The temple forms a 'temple-mountain', a type of structure found at several sites in Angkor where the shrine is formed by a succession of raised terraces (accessed by very steep and narrow stairs) with the main focus being on a group of gopura towers at the summit of what otherwise appears to be a truncated pyramid, Here the main materials were brick and rough red laterite stone for the bulk of the structure with the sandstone best suited to fine carving used only for doorways and lintels. Much more ornamentations was originally added in stucco over the brickwork of the towers, but most of this has been lost over time, leaving a few sections and figures at the upper level to indicate how much richer the original effect would have been.
Pre Rup is an impressive site and well worth exploring and ascending its upper levels, if one can cope with the climb (ascending many of the taller Angkor temples is not for the faint hearted!). It hasn't the riot of decoration found in the later temples but the select areas where it is used are fine quality and reward seeking out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre_Rup
Tags: Angkor Cambodia Preah Rup ruins temple ancient Khmer
© All Rights Reserved
Our itinerary today was designed to include many of the lesser known and visited temples of the Angkor archaeological park since we were due to visit the more major ones over the following days. All these sites would be major attractions in their own right anywhere else, but in Angkor there is simply too much for the regular visitor to take in, but since we're not regular visitors we aimed to try our best regardless!
Our second stop was Pre Rup, one of the earlier temples of Angkor dating back to the 10th century when the state religion was still Hinduism, thus the shrine was originally dedicated to the god Shiva.
The temple forms a 'temple-mountain', a type of structure found at several sites in Angkor where the shrine is formed by a succession of raised terraces (accessed by very steep and narrow stairs) with the main focus being on a group of gopura towers at the summit of what otherwise appears to be a truncated pyramid, Here the main materials were brick and rough red laterite stone for the bulk of the structure with the sandstone best suited to fine carving used only for doorways and lintels. Much more ornamentations was originally added in stucco over the brickwork of the towers, but most of this has been lost over time, leaving a few sections and figures at the upper level to indicate how much richer the original effect would have been.
Pre Rup is an impressive site and well worth exploring and ascending its upper levels, if one can cope with the climb (ascending many of the taller Angkor temples is not for the faint hearted!). It hasn't the riot of decoration found in the later temples but the select areas where it is used are fine quality and reward seeking out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre_Rup
Tags: Angkor Cambodia Preah Rup ruins temple ancient Khmer
© All Rights Reserved
Our itinerary today was designed to include many of the lesser known and visited temples of the Angkor archaeological park since we were due to visit the more major ones over the following days. All these sites would be major attractions in their own right anywhere else, but in Angkor there is simply too much for the regular visitor to take in, but since we're not regular visitors we aimed to try our best regardless!
Our second stop was Pre Rup, one of the earlier temples of Angkor dating back to the 10th century when the state religion was still Hinduism, thus the shrine was originally dedicated to the god Shiva.
The temple forms a 'temple-mountain', a type of structure found at several sites in Angkor where the shrine is formed by a succession of raised terraces (accessed by very steep and narrow stairs) with the main focus being on a group of gopura towers at the summit of what otherwise appears to be a truncated pyramid, Here the main materials were brick and rough red laterite stone for the bulk of the structure with the sandstone best suited to fine carving used only for doorways and lintels. Much more ornamentations was originally added in stucco over the brickwork of the towers, but most of this has been lost over time, leaving a few sections and figures at the upper level to indicate how much richer the original effect would have been.
Pre Rup is an impressive site and well worth exploring and ascending its upper levels, if one can cope with the climb (ascending many of the taller Angkor temples is not for the faint hearted!). It hasn't the riot of decoration found in the later temples but the select areas where it is used are fine quality and reward seeking out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre_Rup
Tags: Angkor Cambodia Pre Rup temple ancient Khmer ruins architecture Hindu
© All Rights Reserved
Our itinerary today was designed to include many of the lesser known and visited temples of the Angkor archaeological park since we were due to visit the more major ones over the following days. All these sites would be major attractions in their own right anywhere else, but in Angkor there is simply too much for the regular visitor to take in, but since we're not regular visitors we aimed to try our best regardless!
Our second stop was Pre Rup, one of the earlier temples of Angkor dating back to the 10th century when the state religion was still Hinduism, thus the shrine was originally dedicated to the god Shiva.
The temple forms a 'temple-mountain', a type of structure found at several sites in Angkor where the shrine is formed by a succession of raised terraces (accessed by very steep and narrow stairs) with the main focus being on a group of gopura towers at the summit of what otherwise appears to be a truncated pyramid, Here the main materials were brick and rough red laterite stone for the bulk of the structure with the sandstone best suited to fine carving used only for doorways and lintels. Much more ornamentations was originally added in stucco over the brickwork of the towers, but most of this has been lost over time, leaving a few sections and figures at the upper level to indicate how much richer the original effect would have been.
Pre Rup is an impressive site and well worth exploring and ascending its upper levels, if one can cope with the climb (ascending many of the taller Angkor temples is not for the faint hearted!). It hasn't the riot of decoration found in the later temples but the select areas where it is used are fine quality and reward seeking out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre_Rup
Tags: Angkor Cambodia Pre Rup temple ancient Khmer ruins architecture Hindu
© All Rights Reserved