Naga Balustrade Restoration Project of Angkor Wat to be Completed Late This Month

Phnom Penh, November 21, 2023 --

The restoration project of Naga Balustrades of Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap province is expected to be completed at the end of November, according to the APSARA National Authority.

Archaeologist of the Department of Temple Preservation and Archeology, Mr. Say Sophearin, said that in the past three months, his team has worked to repair more than 90 percent of the Naga balustrades and stairs on the south side of Angkor Wat.

Mr. Sophearin said that the team repaired and strengthened the foundation of the staircase and the Naga balustrades, divided into three stages. The first one is to repair and strengthen the staircase that collapsed by arranging the torn stone to follow the default and restore the ancient drainage system. The second step is to repair the unbalanced Naga's head to make it stronger by adding new stones to replace the lost ones. The third step is to repair the 15-metre-long Naga balustrade, including the structure of the Naga assembly so that the Naga's body can run straight back to its original position.

Mr. Say Sophearin confirmed that the work of repairing the Naga balustrades and the southern staircase of the Angkor Wat Temple began in mid-July. Some of the remaining work, such as cutting the stone of the new Naga body, compacting the ground to prevent water leakage, and avoiding further damage, is scheduled to be completed by the end of November 2023.