Temple of Preah Vihear in Cambodia on the World Heritage List of UNESCO

2008-08-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

This time we travel to Cambodia, a country in South East Asia. Recently 27 new beautiful and amazing sites have been put on the UNESCO World Heritage List. One of the new WHL sites is the wonderful Temple of Preah Vihear in Cambodia.

A new site on the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is the temple which is situated on the edge of a plateau that dominates the plain of Cambodia and gives its name to Cambodia’s Preah Vihear province, in which it is located.

The Temple of Preah Vihear dates back to the first half of the 11th century AD, but nevertheless, its complex history can be traced to the 9th century, when the hermitage was founded.

The construction of the first temple on the site began in the early 9th century and it was dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva in his manifestations as the mountain gods Sikharesvara and Bhadresvara.

This site is particularly well-preserved, mainly due to its remote location near the border with Thailand.

The site is exceptional for three reasons. First there is its natural situation on a promontory, with sheer cliffs overlooking a vast plain and mountain range.

Second because of the quality of its architecture adapted to the natural environment and religious function of the temple, and, finally, the exceptional quality of the carved stone ornamentation of the temple.

Dispute
In 1962, following a significant dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over ownership of the temple, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled that the temple belonged to Cambodia.

On July 8, 2008, the World Heritage Committee decided to add Prasat Preah Vihear, along with 26 other sites, to the World Heritage Site list, despite several protests from Thailand.

Temple of Preah Vihear in Cambodia on the World Heritage Tour:
http://www.WHTour.org/1224