Hariharalaya

Hariharalaya was the early Khmer royal center in the Angkor region, established in the late 9th century and giving its name to the nearby Roluos temple group.

The site contains compact temple complexes that are relatively close together; the main monuments are Bakong, Preah Ko and Lolei. Bakong is the largest and earliest temple mountain in the group, while Preah Ko is known for its brick towers and Lolei stands on an island in a former baray. Visitors typically see all three sites in a short circuit and appreciate the close-up carved lintels and masonry.

Hariharalaya was developed as the royal and religious heart of the Khmer polity in the late 9th century; monuments here were commissioned by early Angkor rulers including Indravarman I and his successors and served as state and funerary temples. Over time the capital shifted elsewhere in the Angkor area but these early stone and brick temples remained as ancestral shrines.

The complex sits beside the modern village of Roluos in Siem Reap province, east of the main Angkor Archaeological Park and within easy driving distance of Siem Reap town.

• Visitor tip: Less crowded than central Angkor - the Roluos/Hariharalaya group is often visited on half-day trips from Siem Reap and offers close-up access to the monuments.
• Best time to visit: Bakong is best viewed in soft morning light when its stepped profile and sandstone carvings show better contrast against the sky.

What to See #

• Roluos group (Hariharalaya): A compact group of temple sites forming the remains of the early Khmer capital near the modern village of Roluos, with three principal temple complexes that survive as separate monuments.
• Bakong: A stepped sandstone temple mountain dating to the late 9th century and built under King Indravarman I; it is the largest surviving monument in the group and served as a state temple.
• Preah Ko: A brick sanctuary complex consecrated at the end of the 9th century, noted for its towers built of fired brick and carved lintels; it was dedicated as an ancestor temple.
• Lolei: A small island temple originally sited within a former reservoir, constructed in the late 9th century and preserved as an example of an island-shrine layout in the Angkor region.