Workers are restoring several ponds at Bayon Temple.
The APSARA National Authority (ANA) is restoring several ponds at Bayon Temple to their former form, with the project scheduled to be completed later this year.
An ANA spokesperson issued a clarification about the work, following some poorly informed speculation by concerned members of the public about the work’s impact on the temple, which dates back to the 12th century.
Excavation to restore the ancient ponds only began following extensive study of the area around the temple, according to the ANA.
ANA spokesperson Long Kosal told The Post that restoration work was being carried out on the northern and southern ponds, located east of the temple.
He said that according to the authority’s plans, the work should be completed by the end of the year, although this could depend on various technical factors.
While the restorations are is going on, several members of the public who were unaware of the project visited the temple and questioned the purpose of the excavations, including Son Chhay, vice-president of the Candlelight Party.
Chhay visited the temple on May 4, and took to social media the following day to question the validity of the work.
He asked the ANA or UNESCO to explain what was happening, saying he had seen excavators digging up the ground and loading soil onto trucks during his visit.
“I am afraid that this activity may be carried out in a manner which may harm the structure of the temple. The head of Brahma at the top of the Bayon Temple has suffered a lot of cracks and is not yet repaired. Also, I believe the soil taken from the temple site may contain antiquities, or pieces of ancient sculptures,” he said.
“Whenever I have seen archaeologists conducting excavations, they were using hand-held tools and digging very gently, for fear of touching and breaking small objects that are difficult to see,” Chhay added.
Allaying such concerns, Kosal confirmed that the work was being carried out to exacting technical standards and that the temple would not be affected.
“It is being done by a team of the best specialists in the Kingdom,” he said.
“Before they began, they studied the soil and took samples for evaluation. This gave them a good understanding of the layers, the sediment and the condition of the soil. Every aspect of the work was carefully examined before the project could begin,” he added.
Khmer historian Vong Sotheara believed that the excavation plans must have gone through a consultation process with ICC-Angkor (the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the historic site of Angkor).
He also praised the capacity of the archaeologists who are carrying out the work.
Sotheara supported pumping water into the ponds, as this should support the foundations of the temple. Like Angkor Wat, Bayon was built on a base of sandy soil.
“If the construction of Bayon Temple is the same as Angkor Wat, water is necessary to keep the sand under the temple wet. This means keeping water in the ponds or moat is important. It will keep the foundations wet and stop the sand from drying out, which can affect the stability of the temple,” he explained.
Bayon Temple is located in the Angkor Thom Temple complex, the former capital of the Khmer Empire under King Jayavarman VII. The temple does not have a moat like the majority of the other temples in the Angkor Archaeological Park, but there are several ponds. Angkor Thom itself is surrounded by walls and moats.
The temple is a popular destination for both local and foreign tourists due to its distinctive four-faced smiling Brahma, as well as many other elaborate carvings and statues that showcase the glory of Khmer culture, traditions and civilisation from ancient times.
