The Roluos Group — three temples 13 kilometres east of Siem Reap (Preah Ko, Bakong, and Lolei) — are the oldest major Angkorian temples, built in the 880s at the site of Hariharalaya, the first capital of the Khmer empire before it moved to the main Angkor area. These are the temples where Khmer classical architecture was invented — the stepped pyramid plan, the quincunx of towers, the decorative brick and stucco surfaces — and visiting them provides a chronological foundation for understanding the later, more famous monuments.
Bakong, the oldest pyramidal temple-mountain in Khmer architecture (completed in 881 by Indravarman I), is especially significant — its stepped design became the template for every later major temple including Angkor Wat. Preah Ko, a smaller brick temple with remarkable surviving stucco decoration, has some of the finest early Khmer sculpture. The Roluos group is typically much less crowded than the main Angkor sites.
Verified Facts
The Roluos Group is 13 kilometres east of Siem Reap
Bakong was completed in 881 AD by Indravarman I
These are the oldest major Angkorian temples
They are located at Hariharalaya, the first capital of the Khmer Empire
Get walking directions
Roluos, 13 km east of Siem Reap
