Temple added to World Heritage list
THE UN cultural organisation, Unesco, has added an ancient temple site in Cambodia to its World Heritage list, the government said at the weekend, bringing the number of heritage sites in the South-east Asian country to three.
Sambor Prei Kuk, or “temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language, located 200km north of the capital Phnom Penh, is home to numerous temples, 10 of which are octagonal.
“Some of these elements, including lintels, pediments and colonnades, are true masterpieces,” Unesco said on its website.
Unesco said the area had been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the ancient Chenla Empire, a Khmer civilisation that flourished in the late sixth and seventh centuries and preceded the Khmer Empire.
Its remains cover an area of 25km2. The site has become increasingly popular with foreign tourists.
“The decision of Unesco’s World Heritage Committee is another massive pride for the nation,” the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said in a statement on Sunday.
Tourist arrivals in Cambodia rose 5% to 5 million last year. About 5.5 million tourists are expected to visit the country this year.
Two other sites in Cambodia already have heritage status, including the popular Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province, where parts of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider film were shot.
Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear, an 11th century temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, were listed as World Heritage Sites in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
Sambor Prei Kuk was added to the list on Saturday, along with sites in China and India.
Tibetan rights groups criticised Unesco’s decision to extend World Heritage status to an extensive plateau area, in a heavily Tibetan area, saying it reinforced Chinese control of the region.