A ruinous but fascinating site that was once three brick temples with a library building. The temples are raised higher than normal with ascending staircases and traces of ornate carvings can be seen to indicate this would have been a very special and ornate temple site. They are all collapsed, but the base structures are clearly seen and quite amazingly, one wall section is still standing. The site also featured an outer wall with entry gopura (the entry gopura made the five temples for which it was given the alternative name “pram temple” or five temples).
There are rock carvings to the northeast, and a statue of Vishnu was found there (or nearby) that now resides in the Guimet Museum in France which may be the second image in the B/W pics further below.
As mentioned, the site is also recorded as Pram Temple or Prasat Bram, most early French reports and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts record it as Rup Arak with the alternative name of Pram Prasat. There is also a site nearby to the east signposted as Rup Arak but early French records noted it as Rup Arak II and just to confuse you, I have added it as Kroes Prasat!
You can reach the site by following the short trail heading west from the Chop Temple site
Historical Photos
Historical records show the site featuring many beautiful lintels, colonettes, and Visnu statues. The below images are taken from 1936-1937 (property of EFEO)
Map
Site Info
- Site Name: Rup Arak Khmer Name: រូបអារក្ស
- Reference ID: HA12054 | Posted: January 20, 2021 | Last Update: November 29th, 2021
- Other Names: ប្រាសាទប្រាំ, Pram Temple, Prasat Bram
- Tags/Group: 9th Century, b, Kulen, Phnom Kulen, Temples
- Location: Siem Reap Province > Svay Leu District > Khnang Phnum Commune > Anlong Thom Village
- MoCFA ID: 773
- IK Number: 556.04
