An administrative capital established in 802 by Jayavarman II, the founder of the Angkor kingdom. It was a rather unsuitable place for a capital, but it was a mountain, and the peoples of Southeast Asia have always believed that gods and spirits dwell on mountaintops. The site may have been chosen so he could claim the title of 'King of the Mountain' (i.e. Universal Ruler), which seems to have been that of the kings of Funan before him. There are the ruins of several monuments on this hill, and it also served as a quarry for the sandstone which was used in a number of monuments at Angkor, notably Angkor Wat.