Roluos (
Khmer: រលួស) is a
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
n archeological site about 13 km east of Siem Reap along
NH6. Once it was the seat of
Hariharalaya
Hariharalaya (, Hariharalaya) was an ancient city and capital of the Khmer Empire, Khmer empire located near Siem Reap, Cambodia in an area now called Roluos (temples), Roluos (Khmer language, Khmer: រលួស). Today, all that remains of the ...
,
first capital of
Khmer Empire
The Khmer Empire was an empire in Southeast Asia, centered on Hydraulic empire, hydraulic cities in what is now northern Cambodia. Known as Kambuja (; ) by its inhabitants, it grew out of the former civilization of Chenla and lasted from 802 t ...
north of
Tonlé Sap
Tonlé Sap (; , ; or commonly translated as 'Great Lake') is a lake in the northwest of Cambodia. Belonging to the Mekong, Mekong River system, Tonlé Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most diverse and prod ...
(as the first capital in the strict sense of the term could have been
Indrapura, identifiable with
Banteay Prey Nokor
Banteay Prei Nokor () is an ancient temple complex in the northwest of Kampong Cham (city), Kompong Cham, Cambodia.
Known locally as temple of "Wat Nokor in Khum of Kompong Siem", or "Wat Angkor", around 2 km from the provincial capital Kam ...
).
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[ Freeman, Jacques 2006, p.26])
At present it is composed by three major temples:
Bakong,
Lolei, and
Preah Ko, along with the smaller
Prasat Prei Monti. At both Bakong and Lolei there are contemporary
Theravada buddhist monasteries
''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' (anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or ''Dharma (Buddhi ...
.
There is a town named
Roluos also Phumi Roluos Chas, which is a
khum
Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Cambodia have several levels. Cambodia is divided into 24 provinces (''khaet''; ) and the special administrative unit and capital of Phnom Penh. Though a different administrative unit, Phnom Penh is a ...
(commune) of
Svay Chek District in
Banteay Meanchey Province
Banteay Meanchey (, , ) is a Provinces of Cambodia, province of Cambodia located in the far northwest. It borders the provinces of Oddar Meanchey province, Oddar Meanchey to the north, Siem Reap province, Siem Reap to the east, Battambang provi ...
in north-western Cambodia.
Notes
References
*
*
External links
Angkor Temple Guide: Roluos Groupby Canby Publications
Populated places in Siem Reap province
Angkorian sites in Siem Reap province
Towns in Cambodia
{{Hindu-temple-stub