Travel notes

Ta Prohm. Restoration in Angkor

Ta ProhmRestoration in Angkor

After a tumultuous period marked by wars, plagues and natural disasters that led to the fall of the Khmer civilization, the great complex went into decline at the end of the 15th century and, for a period of nearly 400 years, gradually became overgrown and forgotten by history.Rediscovered for Western culture in 1860 by a team of French archaeologists led by Henri Mahout, the complex underwent a long process of restoration and conservation. Between 1907 and 1970, under the direction of the École française d'Extrême-Orient, operations were carried out to clear the vegetation, rebuild the foundations and the drainage systems. Now under the protection of UNESCO, the complex is being restored by a number of international teams: the Authority for the Protec-tion and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA), the German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP), Japan-APSARA Safeguarding Angkor, the World Monuments Fund, The Archaeological Survey of India, China, USA.

During my trip to Angkor, I spent three days with the Indian team (The Archaeological Survey of India) and had the chance to observe in detail some of the stages of restoration and conservation of one of the main temples of the complex - Ta Prohm. Although less well known than Angkor Wat or Bayon, Ta Prohm is known for the way in which nature has taken over human creation, creating some of the most surprising combinations of organic and mineral. In these temples, nature has overcome every obstacle and created a fusion that creates some unforgettable images.

The restorers have to disassemble the temple piece by piece in order to rebuild the foundations. Each part of the masonry is numbered and catalogued in order to achieve an anastylosis identical to the original layout. A particular difficulty encountered in the restoration of the Angkor temples is the role that vegetation plays in the strength structure of the buildings. While in most cases the vegetation has severely damaged the structure, in special cases it has become a binder that has allowed the original form to be preserved. This situation has led to the development of special conservation techniques which simultaneously have to inhibit the growth of vegetation, but also protect those plant elements beneficial to the structure.

Today, Angkor attracts millions of tourists every year and, through the efforts of the restoration teams, is beginning to regain its glory, becoming one of the main sources of income for a rebuilding country trying to recover from Pol Pot's atrocious regime.

It's hard to describe the beauty of this place of forgotten ruins in the middle of the lush Cambodian forest, where Buddhist monks perform their rituals in solitude and the feeling of total overwhelm in front of the great Angkor Wat at sunset, a temple glowing in the warm rays of the sun. A unique and absolutely magical experience.

Capital of the Khmer empire during the 9th and 15th centuries, the Angkor region hold not only the largest amount of Khmer artifacts but represents the largest religious complex in the world. After a tumultuous period marked by wars, plagues and natural disasters that led to the fall of the Khmer civilization, the great complex enters a period of decline at the end of the 15th century and for a period of almost 400 years is gradually covered by vegetation and forgotten by history.Rediscovered in 1860 by a team of French archaeologists led by Henri Mahout, the complex enters a long process of restoration and conservation. During 1907 and 1970, under the patronage of the École française d'Extrême-Orient, take place vegetation clearing operations and restoration of foundations and drainage systems. Currently under the protection of UNESCO, the Angkor complex is home to several international restoration teams: Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA), German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP), Japan-APSARA Safeguarding Angkor, World Monuments Fund, The Archaeological Survey of India, China, S.U.A.

During my trip I spent 3 days with the Indian archeological team The Archeological Survey of India ) and I had the opportunity to observe in detail a few of the restoration and conservation stages to one of the main temples of the complex - Ta Prohm. Less famous than Angkor Wat or Bayon, Ta Prohm is known for the manner in which nature conquered human creation generating one of the most surprising combinations of organic and mineral shapes. In this temple nature overcame all obstacles and created a fusion that offer remarkable images.

The restoration team has to dismantle the temple piece by piece in order to stabilize the foundations. Each part of the masonry is numbered and catalogued so that the ensuing anastylosis faithfully duplicates the original disposition. A special difficulty found in the restoration process of the Angkor temples is the role the vegetation plays in the overall structure of the buildings. If in most cases the vegetation has severely damaged the structure, in special situations it has become the very element that holds the original structure together. This situation has led to the elaboration of special conservation techniques that simultaneously inhibit the growth of vegetation while protecting those organic elements that help the structure.

Presently Angkor attracts millions of tourists annually and with the effort of the restoration teams begins to regain its former glory, becoming one of the main sources of income for a country in reconstruction that tries to recover after the atrocious regime of Pol Pot.

It's hard to describe the magic of this place, of the forgotten ruins in the middle of the Cambodian jungle where Buddhist monks carry out their rituals in solitude and the overwhelming feeling of awe facing Angkor Wat at sunset, temple that seems to light up under the suns warm rays. A unique and absolutely magical experience.