Consecrated in 952, this temple was once surrounded by the water of the East Baray, which has since dried up. In its time the temple was accessed by boats. There are jetties in the cardinal directions.  
Five brick towers in quincunx, on top of a flat pyramid, make a pretty ensemble.  
By inscriptions we know that in the towers were statues of Shiva and Uma in the likeness of King Rajendravarman's father and mother: East Mebon was an ancestor temple. Other idols depicted Vishnu and Brahma.  
The towers of the quincunx are surrounded and enclosed by eight small towers, fire shrines, halls, and two walls with axial door pavilions. Each tower sheltered a lingam.  
At the East Mebon lintel reliefs make a wonderful appearance: Indra, Vishnu as Narasimha, Garuda, Shiva, Kala, Yama, Ganesha and Skanda. Elephants are pouring lustral water from amphorae on Lakshmi.
On the walls are brick reliefs of guardians.  
All brick walls were covered with a sculpted lime-base mortar; only a lot of small holes, aimed to aid adhesion, have remained.  
Eight elephants take care of the far corners of the pyramid; the most notable is in the southwest.

Other temples of this period: Bat Chum, Pre Rup.

References and external Links 

• Maurice Glaize, The Monuments Of The Angkor Group, 2003, p. 161-164.
• Henri Stierlin, Architektur der Welt Angkor, Lausanne, 1976, p. 34-36.
• Michael Freeman, Claude Jacques, Ancient Angkor, Bangkok, 2003, p. 161-163.
• Wikipedia