Background
The World Monuments Fund is cooperating with the APSARA National Authority on repairs to the west wall of Phnum Bakheng temple. The collaboration reflects a project-level conservation arrangement between an international heritage NGO and Cambodia’s national site manager.
Restoration work on the west wall began in March 2026 and includes consolidation, selective sandstone replacement, and repair work focused at levels denoted C6 and C7. Project planning incorporated studies of drainage, surrounding site conditions, local sandstone types, and whole-structure damage mapping before physical interventions.
Key Developments
Field teams began dismantling and stabilising affected wall sections and floors; two small temple units (identified as C6 and C7, where the letter C indicates the fourth level counted from the base) were included in the scope. A ten-person conservation team carried out foundation reinforcement, wall re-raising, stone replacement, and stair repairs as part of the on-site programme.
Institutional Role
The APSARA National Authority led coordination with national and international technical specialists while the World Monuments Fund provided conservation project support and expertise. Project plans and technical drawings were reviewed by national experts and submitted for additional commentary to an international Angkor advisory committee and heritage specialists associated with Sambor Prei Kuk.
Operational Implications
Technical measures described by project engineers include strengthening weathered sandstone in interior areas, reconstructing damaged foundations where necessary, and re-aligning walls for structural regularity. Interventions on upper floors include installing glass lighting on levels five and seven, creating additional upper-level drainage holes, inserting dry-laid sandstone between bedrock and walls at some locations, and establishing a 2–3% floor gradient combined with a rubberised waterproof layer for improved runoff control.
Context on Causes of Damage
Project specialists attributed the site’s deterioration to combined factors: natural weathering, historic lack of regular maintenance that allowed vegetation root intrusion, heavy rainwater flow, and localised foundation rot. These identified drivers guided both the diagnostic surveys and the choice of repair techniques.
Official Source
Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts press post (source): https://www.facebook.com/KhmerCultureMinistry/posts/pfbid0TBNKJjtFL1mr2FMkmKY8W5b8ERu8mPmJPnHBVZDkoGgRK6FqQeFeRKxrWzijzRKpl
