A group of technical workers from the Takeo provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts are repairing the 11th-century Chisor Mountain historical temple.

The job includes work on the stairs, paths to the mountain and two ponds in Dorkpor Village in Samrong commune.

Provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts director Chet Pisoth told The Post on Thursday that monks and residents around the mountain requested the repairs. He said the work is being funded by donors.

“Chisor Mountain is the historical site left by Cambodian ancestors in the Kouk Thlok period.

“Currently, a pagoda is also being built near the mountain. Monks and residents requested that the stairs and ponds be repaired. We already repaired the way to the mountain and are continuing to repair the stairs spanning nearly 400m,” he said.

Pisoth said the Chisor mountain site and temples in Chisor are being prepared to be listed as World Heritage sites. The Department of Culture and Fine Arts, through the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, has filed documents to the UNESCO evaluation committee.

He said currently, the stairs at the southern section are old and the handrails are broken, making it difficult to climb. The two ponds have also suffered damage.

The mountain includes ancient temples that the ministry has already planned to work on, Pisoth said. For now, only a small number of tourists have visited the mountain.

The work has been undertaken by a wealthy local donor known only as Namady and some other people. The renovation is to make the area a tourist destination.

The department’s deputy head of the Heritage Office Chhorn Bunhak said the stairs on the mountain were being fixed in three places. But only one staircase with 610 steps is historic and it is made from sandstone.