About 13 km (8 miles) from Siem Reap town some of the ruins pre-date Ankor Wat. You have seen here earlier the ruins of Bakong and Preah Ko, the island temple and the temple to the Hindu manifestation of the god, Shiva. Another part of the Ruluos group of temples is this temple. This temple is notable not just because it comes from the 8th century, but because of its contemporary history.

This temple, set on a hill, became an ideal lookout point for the 1970'sKhmer Rouge soldiers trying to defend against Vietnamese invaders. Note the white repairs done on the temple. Those are are plaster repairs done to bullet and shell pockmarks.

The Cambodian Mine Action Centre is still active today clearing farms, ruins and urban areas of landmines that have wreaked so much damage and loss of life and limb here. They have been working in this temple clearing out the mines placed among the ruins to defend this military position. Note the red post with the label CMAC. It's a warning that landmines have been found in the area. Should you ever go to Ankor Wat follow this basic rule at all times, "Never go off the beaten path." Phnom Penh is full of landmine survivors begging or eeking out a barely survivable living .

Here a temple hasn't fallen apart just by gravity. The stones here tumbled under the pressure of cannons placed here pointing out towards Vietnamese arm outposts. The cannons then also became targets for the invading army so both sides were to blame for the modern condition of the temples.