The west side of the road running from the Baray of Lolei or the RN 6 to the Bakong is given to a compound, 500 m square and enclosed by a moat. At the East the Preah Ko temple interrupts this moat.

King Indravarman I, who has also built the Bakong, consecrated this ancestor temple in 879.
Six brick towers in two rows share a platform. The towers in the first row are bigger than those of the second row. In front of each descends a flight of stairs.
In front of the stairs are three Nandi sculptures. They give the temple's name: Preah Ko, which means 'sacred bulls'.
There are wonderful reliefs on lintels (over the doors) and on the walls, in sandstone and stucco. The colonnettes serve as the best in Khmer art.

By inscriptions on the door jambs we know, that the front towers were dedicated to Shiva as the protector of the king's father (central tower), and his mother's father, and the husband of his mother's sister respectively (lateral towers). The back towers were dedicated to Gauri, consort of Shiva, as the protector of his mother, his mother's mother, and his mother's sister respectively.
The compound behind the temple probably sheltered the royal palace - wooden constructions, from which nothing has remained. In front of the residential area, the king proudly presented and respectfully worshiped his royal ancestors.

Map - Photo album

• Maurice Glaize, The Monuments Of The Angkor Group , www.theangkorguide.com , p. 201-204.
• Michael Freeman, Claude Jacques, Ancient Angkor , Bangkok, 2003, p. 194-197.
• TrudyJacobsen, Lost Goddesses: the denial of female power in Cambodian history, Copenhagen, 2008, p. 31.
• Wikipedia