@cambodianess: Preah Vihear Temple Wounded by Conflict, Waiting for Healing The Preah Vihear Temple suffered deterioration due to the military attacks in both rounds of fighting in July and December 2025. Bomb craters scarred the grounds, cordoned off with red and white danger signs. Unexploded ordnance lay scattered across the site, from 155-millimeter artillery shells to cluster munitions, among the most dangerous remnants of war. Perched along the Dangrek Mountains, about 100 kilometers from the provincial center of Preah Vihear, the temple dates from the 9th to the early 11th centuries. Built as a Hindu sanctuary dedicated to Shiva, it stands as one of Cambodia’s most revered ancient monuments and a symbol of national pride. For many Cambodians, the damage feels deeply personal, like wounds requiring urgent healing. Scars are visible on the walls, staircases, and walkways of every gopura. In some areas, the destruction is so extensive that repair seems impossible. Sandstone blocks have crumbled into fragments, nearly reduced to grains of sand. What was once solid and sacred now remains broken. Ordinary visitors can feel the loss. For those who have walked these ancient corridors before, the sight is devastating. Some question how a World Heritage site, a shared treasure of humanity, could become a target in military conflict. Conservation and restoration work has been suspended. Unexploded ordnance and weakened structures have made access hazardous and repairs nearly impossible. For now, restoration is not the top priority. The immediate task is safety. The Cambodian Mine Action Center is surveying the site to identify and map munitions. Clearing unexploded bombs is the first and most urgent step to make the temple grounds safe to walk through. In early February, Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts appealed for international assistance, requesting emergency protection and conservation measures to prevent further deterioration. Officials at the Preah Vihear National Authority acknowledge that restoration will be slow. Many structures were already fragile before suffering further damage during the recent attacks. The presence of unexploded ordnance adds risk and delay. Kong Puthikar, head of the authority, recognized the severe consequences of conflict on the heritage site, saying it is too dangerous to resume restoration and repair work at this stage. The current situation remains unsafe, and that makes any intervention time consuming. The impact extends beyond conservation. Tourism, the lifeline of the local community, has been suffocated. He stressed that a collective effort is required from all stakeholders, from the Preah Vihear National Authority to security agencies and the private sector, to complete demining and ensure safety. Only then can restoration proceed and tourists return to one of Cambodia’s most sacred monuments.

Cambodianess

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Thursday 12 March 2026 06:28:35 GMT