Over the course of this period the laterite
platform was refaced with sandstone, the existent sanctuary
reconstructed using 10th-century decorative elements (pink
sandstone lintels and columns). Two additional towers were
erected, one to the north and the other to the south of
what then became the central structure. The ensemble was
abundantly sculpted with Buddhist imagery.
Of particular note are the standing Buddhas still somewhat
visible on the collapsed facades of the northern tower.
Other sculpture, primarily on architectural elements from
the three towers, has been arranged by maintenance teams
around the perimeter of the temple. The sandstone platform
extending in front of the central tower, along with the
statue pedestal built at its western end and scattered rooftile
fragments, are all that remain of the Buddhist worship hall
(vihear) once standing here, its wooden superstructure having
long since perished.
As the fundamental ritual act in the appropriation of
this ancient site for Theravada Buddhism in the centuries
following the transfer of the capital from Angkor, the temple's
sacred terrain was delimited at each of the eight cardinal
and intercardinal points by double border stones (seima);
though partially buried today, some of these leaf-shaped
sculptures can still be seen in their original positions.
Western Prasat Top has a counterpart in Eastern Prasat
Top that is found near the road to the Victory Gate. This
monument, however, was not Buddhist but rather the last
Brahmanic temple constructed by Jayavarman VIII in honour
of a high-ranking priest and his mother.
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