Cambodia: Restoration work on Angkor Wat's Bakan Tower makes significant progress

Phnom Penh, July 11 (IANS) The restoration work on the northeast corner of Angkor Wat's Bakan Tower in Cambodia's Angkor Archaeological Park is making remarkable progress, said an APSARA National Authority (ANA)'s news release on Friday.

Carried out by the ANA in collaboration with the Korean Heritage Agency, the project began in February 2025 and is expected to be completed at the end of 2026.

Khem Mony, an ANA technical officer for the project, said the platform and stairs of the northeast corner of the Bakan Tower were cracked and at high risk prior to the restoration work.

"Our restoration team is carefully moving stones and reinforcing them layer by layer, adhering to recommendations from the experts of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor and the Sambor Prei Kuk Archaeological Site (ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk)," he said.

During the restoration process, certain areas of the Bakan Tower were closed to visitors for safety reasons, but access to the entire site remained open, albeit with some restrictions in place, reported Xinhua news agency.

"To ensure visitor safety during the restoration process, barriers have been erected around the work areas, and signage has been provided to inform tourists about ongoing repairs and any changes to access routes," the ANA said.

Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, Angkor Wat is a major temple in the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Siem Reap province.

The 401-square-km Angkor Archaeological Park is home to 91 ancient temples, which were built from the ninth to the 13th centuries.

The ancient park, which is the kingdom's most popular tourist destination, attracted a total of 527,577 international tourists during the January-May period of 2025, generating a gross revenue of 24.5 million US dollars from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise.

The top five source markets for the ancient site were the United States, Britain, France, China, and South Korea.

--IANS

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