APSARA National Authority is consolidating the central tower of Angkor Wat

Thong Sotha On January 10, 2022 - 1:33 pm In Cambodia Insider

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APSARA National Authority is consolidating the central tower of Angkor Wat, also known as “Bakan tower”.

Mr. Hourn Sokcheat, technical officer of the Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology of the APSARA National Authority, said that some stones at the Bakan tower have been eroded and slid off their original location at the edges due to water infiltration as well as the roots of the plants, weaken the laterite in the interior of the tower to erode, so the whole weight pressed on the sandstones, the outer layer broke and slid out.

Mr. Kheam Mony, head of the project of the Bakan tower restoration site, said that the restoration team has consolidated the southwest corner since November 2021 and was scheduled to finish in March or April 2022. This restoration work is done following the Angkor Charter and technical inspection is conducted carefully.

It should be noted that the Bakan tower had been restored once during the 1930s.