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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