This study aims to investigate the anisotropic properties of Pr:YAP on (100), (010), and (001) crystal planes. Raman spectroscopy shows anisotropy in vibrational modes, but absorption spectra display no significant anisotropy. X-ray excited luminescence (XEL) and photoluminescence (PL) spectra reveal anisotropy in Pr3+ and F+ luminescence intensities. Photoluminescence decay times (~7 ns) indicate similar luminescence mechanisms. The anisotropic defect distribution observed in thermoluminescence analysis can be explained using areal ion density and the offset parameter of Al atoms. Ultimately, it is inferred that shallow-level defects compete with Pr3+ ions, leading to variations in anisotropic luminescence intensity.