 The orientation of the Rahal is not from east to west like the huge water-reservoirs in Angkor; it follows an orientation of North 15° West.Because the most important monuments at Koh Ker have the same orientation it is thought that the Baray was constructed first and the rest of the structures were laid out around it.The Rahal was carved out partly of the stone ground but it's not clear if a natural hollow was the reason for its orientation.