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Restoring Angkor Wat


The ancient city of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia, is undergoing a massive, but gradual, facelift. 

Built between the 9th and 12th centuries, Angkor Wat was a major city until 1431 when it was invaded by Ayutthayans and subsequently abandoned. Forgotten for centuries, it was rediscovered in the 1860s by French explorer Henri Mouhot. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and attracts more than two million visitors a year.

A French organization, Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient, commenced renovations at the site from 1907 until 1970, clearing forests, repairing foundations, and installing drains to protect it from water damage. The major cause of decomposition is due to water absorption and weathering. The conservation team also coated at-risk areas in water-resistant acrylic resin to minimise water damage. Work was halted during the 1967-1975 Cambodian Civil War.


In 1993 UNESCO and a team of conservationists from Japan, Germany, and India resumed renovations of the city’s temples with 1,850 celestial figures. There are more than 11,000 carved figures spread across 1.2 kilometres of wall at the Bayon site. The site may have supported up to a million people at its peak. The project photographed the site, prepared detailed maps, and trained up to 70 Cambodians in restoration techniques. Planning the conversation work can take up to a year for each stage and project.



The site of the Bayon Temple (which is next to Angkor Wat) has been excavated to locate lost stones. The complex’s northern and southern libraries, central tower, and Prasat Sour Tower have been restored and the team is currently restoring Tower 57 and the Naga balustrades (named after the cobra-like god of the underworld) and lion images around the temple. The team is now using the ancient techniques of construction to rebuild the monuments, replacing the original methods of using concrete. Concrete was effective, but the team found that it would only be sustained for 40-50 years before deteriorating again. But using the ancient techniques, the team expects the site to keep for about 300 years. The team hopes to complete the restoration at Bayon within the next 10-15 years.

Other renovation projects are in progress at the Angkor Wat site, and visitors’ fees contribute to its continuous restoration.








The Essence of Cambodia: Discover 2013
Fahthai, July-August, 2013, www.bangkokair.com

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
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