Also known as Chrey Temple, Prasat Chrey and even Prasat Chrek. A sandstone temple with two libraries, outer wall with entry gopura, terrace (listed here), and basin. It is a feature of the ancient Royal Road network and one of the several “Temple d’étape” (waypoint or stopping place) constructed on the Beng Mealea <> Preah Khan section by Suryavarman II in the early 12th Century.
It is a must-see site on an excursion to Beng Mealea and won’t take up too much time but offers a unique and picturesque ruinous site.
On its northern entrance, it featured a terrace structure (which is mostly buried and covered by the road) facing the Beng Mealea baray that connected to a bollarded causeway leading to the temple. There is also a causeway leading out to the east and a connection to a large terrace known as Batang.
The temple itself featured a high outer wall of laterite, with main entrances on its north and east with gopura, and a lesser entrance on the western side while the southern side has an unusual building that is open on the inside and closed on the outside instead of an entrance gopura.
Inside the wall, it’s difficult to see much more than ruinous rubble, but still, it has a load of charm about it. Originally, it was a central sandstone temple with a mandapa leading east and flanked by two library buildings.
Map
Site Info
- Site Name: Chrei (Pr.) Khmer Name: បា្រសាទជ្រៃ
- Reference ID: HA11598 | Posted: January 20, 2021 | Last Update: November 19th, 2021
- Other Names: ប្រាសាទ ជ្រៃ, Kon Pluk, Trapeang Chrei, Prasat Chrek, Chrey Temple
- Tags/Group: Ancient Royal Road, b, Beng Mealea, pr, Royal Road Angkor-Beng Mealea, Royal Road Beng Mealea-Preah Khan of Kampong Svay, Temples, Temples detape
- Location: Siem Reap Province > Svay Leu District > Boeng Mealea Commune > Boeng Mealea Village
- MoCFA ID: 311
- IK Number: 218
- Credits: Etsuo Uchida et al, 2013
