Prang Temple’s future hinges on NAPV, ITC specialist assessment

THE National Authority for Preah Vihear (NAPV) is working with specialists from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC) to assess the geology and soil characteristics of the stairway approaching the Prang Temple in the Koh Ker Temple resort area.

The experts are assessing the risk of structural damage to the temple and its approaches, said a social media post by the NAPV last week.

The authority added that they are also examining an ancient dam north of Koh Ker village, as part of preparations to restore it and integrate it into current tour routes.

NAPV director-general Kong Puthika said on February 19 that geological work formed part of a preliminary study on the Prang Temple stairs.

Experts from the ITC are studying the soil under the temple to check how many layers are present and how compacted they are, and what effect this may have on the temple’s structural integrity.

“Initial studies suggest that the foundations of the temple are not very strong. However, the experts are collecting additional data for technological analysis at the ITC. Therefore, it may be some time before the final results of the study are presented,” he said.

“They are continuing to take samples, so it will depend on the results. We will follow the recommendations of the experts.” He added.

The Koh Ker temple resort in Preah Vihear province was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on September 17 last year. The resort covers an area of 8,000 hectares with more than 70 temples, including the Prang Temple, one of the largest pyramid temples in Southeast Asia.

Koh Ker was a former capital of Cambodia in the 10th century, and was built by King Jayavarman IV when he moved the capital from Angkor.