Roluos (temples)

Roluos

រលួស
Lolei temple in Roluos
Roluos Location in Cambodia
Alternate name	Hariharalaya
Location	Siem Reap, Cambodia
Region	Southeast Asia
Coordinates	13°20′N 103°58′E / 13.333°N 103.967°E / 13.333; 103.967
Type	Archaeological site
History
Builder	Jayavarman II
Material	sandstone, laterite, brick
Founded	9th century AD
Periods	Middle periods
Site notes
Condition	ruined
Public access	Yes
Architecture
Architectural styles	Preah Ko

Roluos (Khmer: រលួស) is a Cambodian modern small town and an archeological site about 13 km east of Siem Reap along NH6. Once it was the seat of Hariharalaya, first capital of Khmer Empire north of Tonlé Sap (as the first capital in the strict sense of the term could have been Indrapura, identifiable with Banteay Prey Nokor).

Among the "Roluos Group" of temples there are some of the earliest permanent structures built by Khmer. They mark the beginning of classical period of Khmer civilization, dating from the late 9th century. Some were totally built with bricks, others partially with laterite or sandstone (the first large angkorian temple built with sandstone was possibly Ta Keo)

At present it is composed by three major temples: Bakong, Lolei, and Preah Ko, along with tiny Prasat Prei Monti. At both Bakong and Lolei there are contemporary Theravada buddhist monasteries.