Roluos (temples)
Roluos Group is the collective name for three major temples in the vicinity of the village Roluos ( province of Siem Reap, Cambodia - about 12 km east of the provincial capital of Siem Reap, about 14 km north of Lake Tonle Sap ). The dated as from the late 9th century temple called Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei. The ruins of two even older temple can be found here: Prei Monti and Trapeang Phong.
Historical Overview
Already king Jayavarman II (reigned 790-835 ) made Hariharalaya (named after the deity Harihara ), a settlement in what is now Roluos area, the capital of his just -created Khmer Empire. Although he had in the meantime to the Phnom Kulen withdraw, but towards the end of his life he resided again in Hariharalaya. Construction of the temple Prei Monti could go back to Jayavarman II; but perhaps responsible for his successor Jayavarman III. ( 835-877 ) three temples: Prei Monti, Trapeang Phong and the Lateritkern of Bakong. His successor Indravarman I ( 877 to about 886 ) was Preah Ko and Bakong sandstone structure of the building; He also ordered the construction of the Baray Indratataka, the so-called Baray of Lolei: the oldest large water reservoirs of the empire. The completion of this impoundment and the island temple Lolei fell, after bloody conflicts over the succession to the throne, in the reign of his son Yasovarman I ( 889 to about 915 ). Around the year 900 I. Yasovarman moved his residence to Angkor, Phnom Bakheng namely the; thus ending the history of the capital Hariharalaya.
Prei Monti and Trapeang Phong
The Shiva consecrated Hindu temple Prei Monti was perhaps already in the early 9th century. At a joint lower terrace are south north side by side the ruins of three Prasat (temple towers) of brick masonry; Each tower has a square floor plan ( about 4 to 4 m ), a sandsteingerahmten entrance on the east side and false doors in the other three walls. In the interiors were probably Linga sculptures. A Erdumwallung ( about 900 to 700 m) surrounding the plant.
Trapeang Phong is located about 1 km further south: an irregularly arranged ensemble of four Prasat, three of which are now almost to the ground and possibly older than Prei Monti. The fourth, well-preserved brick tower with four-stage pyramid roof is younger than Prei Monti, but also antedate the middle of the 9th century. The colonettes ( decorated stone columns left and right of the entrance and the false doors ) are partly round, partly octagonal; the lintels ( provided with reliefs lintels ) "are among the most beautiful works of Khmer art ."
The three major temples
The temples Lolei, Preah Ko and Bakong and the older temple ruins Prei Monti and Trapeang Phong are approximately on a north -south axis, each about 1 km apart.
Preah Ko was inaugurated in 879, 881 Bakong, Preah Ko Lolei 893 measures a total of 500 to 400 m (perhaps was also the wooden Royal Palace ), Bakong 900 to 700 m, Lolei 90 ( in the outer region, the wooden buildings of the capital were located) to 80 m ( 3800 to 800 m including the local Baray ). Preah Ko has six towers, arranged in two rows; Bakong a pyramid with a central tower, surrounded at the base by eight towers; Lolei four of probably six planned towers. The Prasat the Roluos group are usually made of brick inlaid sandstone elements and partly well-preserved stucco reliefs. Only the somewhat younger central tower of Bakong consists entirely of sandstone. Especially important is the Bakong: the first large state temple of Khmer, as hitherto largest building of mainland Southeast Asia and as a model later, even larger temples.
See also: Preah Ko, Bakong and Lolei.