This undated aerial drone photo shows the restoration site of the Phnom Bakheng temple in Siem Reap province, Cambodia. Experts are currently engaged in the restoration of the southwest wall of the second platform of Phnom Bakheng temple in the famed Angkor Archaeological Park, said an APSARA National Authority (ANA) news release on Thursday (Sept 5). - Photo: ANA/Handout via Xinhua
PHNOM PENH: Experts are currently engaged in the restoration of the southwest wall of the second platform of Phnom Bakheng temple in the famed Angkor Archaeological Park, said an APSARA National Authority (ANA) news release on Thursday (Sept 5).
Chiv Phearum, an architect involved in the project, said that nearly 90 per cent of the wall has been damaged, particularly at the corners where stones have been almost entirely eroded.
"The deterioration is attributed to natural aging and environmental factors, such as tree roots infiltrating the walls and rainwater runoff causing further erosion," he said.
"The restoration work aims to address these issues, with plans to be completed by the end of 2024," Phearum added.
The restoration work at the Phnom Bakheng temple began in August 2019 and has already seen significant progress, he said.
The restoration on four shrines had been completed, and work on five staircases is about 90 per cent finished, he added.
Built in the late ninth century during the reign of King Yasovarman I, Phnom Bakheng temple is one of key temples in the 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province.
The ancient park, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1992, is home to 91 ancient temples, which were built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.
The park attracted 651,857 international tourists during the January-August period of 2024, earning a gross revenue of US$30.3 million from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise. - Xinhua
