Situated 13km east of Siem Reap town, Roluos was the last of four sites where the first Angkor god-king Jayavarman II held his capital. Remains include 3 well preserved early temples venerating the Hindu gods Bakong, Lolei and Preah Ko. they are among the earliest temples built of brick and stone, and the bas-reliefs are some of the earliest surviving examples of Khmer art. Modern-day villages co-exist around the temples.
Preah Ko Temple: built in 879 by Indravarman I for his ancestors. Known as the temple of the sacred ox and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Jayavarman II was incinarated in the brick temple. (Free entrance)
Bakong Temple: built by Indravarman I a year after Preah Ko. The central temple of his capital. Another example of sandstone mountain hill. The five superposed terraces represent Mount Meru. Discovered by Henri Marchal in 1936, the temple has been completely restored stone by stone. It\’s the nicest of the Roluos temples for its atmosphere, as it is lost in the jungle. About 7000 inhabitants lived in the Bakong area at the time of Indravarman I. (You need a pass. One day pass can be purchased at temple entrance.)
Lolei Temple: resembles Preah Ko and was built in 893 by King Yasovarman I in tribute to his predecessor Indravarman I. It was located in the middle of an artificial lake which has long since dried up. The four brick towers are in bad shape. (Free entrance)
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