Promoting training for restorers in Angkor

Context

The Angkor World Heritage Site is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia. It is Cambodia's main tourist attraction and a symbol of the country’s national identity. However, tropical climate conditions, tourism and insufficient maintenance during years marked by political unrest have taken their toll on the temples.

Since 1993, UNESCO has been coordinating the activities of national and international teams in the Angkor Archaeological Park with the Angkor International Coordination Committee. Despite the high demand for specialists, there is currently no state-recognised training for stone conservation specialists.

Objective

The stone conservation unit within the heritage authority APSARA offers needs-based training and further education for its staff.

Approach

Since 2011, the project has been supporting APSARA in establishing its own stone conservation unit, professionalising the unit and developing the technical expertise of its staff. Continuous training allows local experts to keep their knowledge of new materials and techniques, especially digitalisation, up to international standards and apply it in a targeted manner.

The project trained 20 young Cambodians to become conservator-restorers in its first successful training programme. In addition, it developed a bilingual handbook for stone conservation.

An in-service training programme in stone conservation lasting two and a half years began in June 2022, offering 20 APSARA staff members the opportunity to gain qualifications and strengthen the stone conservation unit in the future. In 13 systematically structured training modules, the students learn the theoretical and practical basics of conserving and restoring the stones of Angkor at a specially equipped training site. The project thus makes an important contribution to ensuring that specialists receive training in preserving this cultural heritage in the future.

Last update: August 2024