East Mebon : The lovely temple of Mebon, a pyramid of receding
terraces on which are placed many detached edifices, the most effective
being the five towers which crown the top Could any conception be
lovelier, a vast expanse of sky-tinted water as wetting for a perfectly
ordered temple.
 The
East Mebon is 500metre (1,640feet) north of Pre Rup.
A enter and leave the temple from the east entrance. It was built
in the second half of the tenth century (952)
by king Rajendravarman II, dedicated to Siva (Hindu), an ancestor
temple in memory of the parents of the king with following the Pre
Rup style art.
Background : The Mebon stands on a small island in the middle
of the Eastern Baray, which was a large body of water (2 by 7 kilometres,
1.2by4.3miles) fed by the Siem Reap River. The temple was accessible
only by boat. Today the baray, once a source of water for irrigation,
is a plain of rice fields and the visitor is left to imagine the
original majesty of this temple in the middle of a large lake.
Layout : The East Mebon is a temple with five towers arranged
like the numbers on a die atop a base with three tiers. The whole
is surrounded by three enclosures. The towers represent the five
peaks of the mythical Mount Meru.
 The
outer enclosing wall (1) is identified by a terraced landing built
of laterite with two seated lions on each of the four sides (2).
The interior of this wall is marked by a footpath. The neat enclosing
wall (3) is intercepted in the middle of each of its four sides
by an entry tower in the shape. Of a cross (4) The towers are constructed
of laterite and sandstone and have three doors with porches. An
inscription was found to the right of the east tower. A series of
galleries surrounds the interior of this enclosing wall (5) . The
walls are of laterite and have porches, sandstone pillars and rectangular
windows with short balusters. The galleries were originally covered
with wood and tiles but today only vestiges remain. They probably
served as halls of meditation.
The stairways of the tiered base are flanked by lions (6). Beautiful
monolithic elephants stand majestically at the corners of the first
and second tiers (7). They are depicted naturalistically with fine
detail such as harnessing. Tip: The elephant in the best condition,
and the most complete, is in the southwest corner.
Entry Towers : The lintels on the west entry tower (4) depict
Visnu in his avataras of man-lion tearing the king of the demons
with his claws (east). At the northeast corner Laksmi stands between
two elephants with raised trunks sprinkling lustral water on her.
 Inner
Courtyard : The large inner courtyard contains eight small brick
towers (8)-two on each side opening to the East. Each one has octagonal
columns and finely worked lintels with figures amongst leaf decorations.
On the East Side of the courtyard there are three rectangular laterite
buildings (9) without windows opening to the west. The two on the
left of the entrance are decorated with either scenes of the stories
of the nine planets or the seven ascetics. Vestiges of bricks above
the cornices suggest they were vaulted. There are two more buildings
(without windows) of similar form at the northwest and southwest
(9) comers of the courtyard.
Upper Terace : The terrace with the five towers was enclosed
by a sandstone wall moulding and decorated bases (10). Lions guard
the four stairways to the top platform.
Central Sanctuaries : The five towers on the upper terrace
were built of brick and open to the east; they have three false
doors made of sandstone (11 and 12). Male figures on the comers
are finely modeled. Circular holes pierced in the brick for the
attachment of stucco are visible. The false doors of the towers
have fine decoration with an overall background pattern of interlacing
small figures on a plant motif.
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