PHNOM PENH, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The restoration of the South Gate of the centuries-old Ta Prohm temple in the Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, said an APSARA National Authority (ANA) news release on Monday.
Commenced in early 2023, the project is made possible under the cooperation between the ANA and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
ANA's archaeologist Neth Simon said that to date, about 75 percent of the project has been completed.
"The team has reinforced the gate's foundation and carefully repositioned stones to their original locations," she said.
Simon said the restoration employed the anastylosis technique, which involves dismantling a structure and reassembling it using its original materials.
Simon said the restoration team has also undertaken extensive research to identify and relocate scattered stones to their original positions.
"Prior to the project, the South Gate had completely collapsed, with many stones displaced and mixed together," she said.
Simon added that approximately 15 percent of the original stones were either damaged, broken, or missing due to the collapse.
New stones are therefore being used only where necessary to replace lost structural elements, support original stones, and prevent water infiltration into the foundation, she said.
Built in the late 12th century under the reign of King Jayavarman VII, Ta Prohm is among the major temples in the 401-square km Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap province, which is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country.
The UNESCO-listed Angkor park attracted a total of 359,471 international tourists during the January-May period this year, earning a gross revenue of 17.2 million U.S. dollars from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise. ■
