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UNESCO celebrates 30 years of the “Safeguarding the Bayon Temple of Angkor Thom” Project
Since 1994, the Bayon Temple of Angkor Thom has been the focus of a unique conservation project, realized with the support of the Japanese Funds-in-Trust, under the technical guidance of Waseda University, and in close collaboration with the APSARA National Authority. This ambitious initiative has contributed to restore, consolidate, and develop the Bayon Temple, one of the most prominent temple structures of the Angkor World Heritage property.
The partnership between the Japanese and Cambodian teams, which entailed the creation of the Japan-APSARA team for the Safeguard of Angkor (JASA), has been instrumental in building the capacities of Cambodian workers and experts in the field of conservation, supporting the efforts to safeguard the outstanding cultural, historical, and religious significance of the Angkor Archaeological Park, and World Heritage Sites all around the country.
For the past thirty years, the environment of international cooperation, multidisciplinary efforts, and free flow of ideas which characterize this project, have placed Bayon at the forefront of the field of heritage conservation, research, and management. These aspirations were consistently accompanied by the organisation of fruitful forums of scientific interchange, which involved national and international experts.
The restoration and conservation work carried out at the site was enriched with insightful theories and studies on the architectural history of the Bayon temple, analysing its sacred nature and enigmatic symbolism, and attempting to unravel the mysteries of the site, whose challenging interpretation has fascinated and puzzled academics for decades.
In order to commemorate the important milestone of the 30th anniversary of the “Safeguarding the Bayon Temple of Angkor Thom” project, a scientific divulgation symposium was held on the 10th December 2024 in Siem Reap, with the objective of recounting the long history of the project, celebrating the outstanding value of the site of Angkor Thom, and discussing the innovative approaches to conservation which were developed through the years, while debating future priorities and new challenges.
The event, entitled “30 Years of Challenges: the Mysteries and Hopes of Bayon”, saw the participation of 163 representatives from Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Apsara National Authority, Waseda University, the École française d'Extrême-Orient, and numerous other international experts in heritage conservation.
A second international symposium will be organised in 2025 in Tokyo, to further celebrate this significant anniversary, as well as launching a new chapter of the JASA project, which has been extended for a seventh phase.
Thanks to the cooperation and constant dialogue between Cambodian and Japanese partners, the Bayon Temple has become a globally recognized model of cultural heritage management. As was expressed by Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia, while delivering his opening remarks:
“The Bayon Temple, with its serene monumental faces and intricate carvings, stands not only as a testament to the ingenuity of the Khmer Empire but also as a symbol of resilience and global solidarity.
As an outstanding expression of the heritage of humanity, a site of extraordinary cultural and religious significance, and the centrepiece of thirty years of international cooperation, the Bayon Temple is exemplary of the unique prerogative of cultural heritage to foster intercultural dialogue, peace, and development.
The collective efforts of this project remind us of the values enshrined in the 1972 World Heritage Convention: the belief that the preservation of heritage is a shared responsibility of humanity.”
About the Bayon Temple:
Constructed between the 12th and 13th century, the Bayon Temple constituted the culmination of the monumental development plans and religious designs of King Jayavarman VII, the ruler who established Mahayana Buddhism as the state religion of the Khmer Empire.
The temple lays at the heart of the royal city of Angkor Thom, whose planimetry represents a sacred mandala: due to its location, and its mountain-like aspect, the Bayon Temple was envisioned as an earthly representation of Mount Meru, the centre of the universe in Hindu and Buddhist tradition.
The present-day labyrinthic structure of the site, with its complex set of galleries, towers, terraces, and pavilions, is a testament to its long and often troubled history. Born as a Buddhist site, the Bayon was then transformed into a Hindu temple, under the rule of King Jayavarman VIII, and stripped of great part of its religious imagery, only to be later reconverted into a Buddhist place of worship, a role which it still holds today.
The alterations and additions carried out through the decades gave shape to the unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist elements that characterizes the structure: its eclectic nature, intricate composition and extraordinary wealth of architectural and decorative features, most notably the “forest” of monumental face-towers and the rich apparatus of stone carvings, make Bayon a unicum in the landscape of Khmer monuments.
Following the abandonment of Angkor Thom as capital of the Khmer Empire, around the 16th century, the complex suffered through years of neglect, looting, and illicit excavations, severe threats which were incremented by periods of political instability.
As the urgent conservation needs of the Angkor Archaeological Park prompted the intervention of the international community, the inscription of Angkor to the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1992, marked the beginning of concerted multinational efforts aimed at protecting and developing the ancient site, in a shared commitment to preserve the outstanding heritage of humanity for future generations.
The “Safeguarding the Bayon Temple of Angkor Thom” Project
In 1994 a specific project for the restoration and safeguard of the Bayon Temple was launched, with the financial and technical support of Japan, entailing the creation of the Japan-APSARA team for the Safeguard of Angkor (JASA), with the aim of protecting the extraordinary architectural, artistic and historical value of the cultural property, while respecting and enhancing its religious significance, and its role as a living heritage site.
Thus, was born the long-lasting international cooperation between UNESCO, the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the government of Japan, characterized by a constant exchange of ideas, information, and resources.
Thanks to the Japanese Funds-in-Trust initiative, over 29,000,000 USD were contributed to the conservation efforts, carried out with the technical guidance of Waseda University, under the leadership of Professor Takeshi Nakagawa.
Having begun with the restoration of the Northern Library of the Bayon Temple, which had been deemed at risk of collapse in 1994, the project, which now spans across three decades, has involved intense restoration and conservation activities across the site of Bayon and its surrounding area, including the two towers of Prasat Suor Prat, the Southern Library and the East façade of the temple. The current conservation and restoration efforts are focalised on the iconic central tower, together with the intricate bas-reliefs of the inner galleries.
Each phase was supported by meticulous research and analysis, which have consistently led to a deeper understanding of the structure and its materials, and prompted the development of innovative approaches and techniques to meet international conservation standards, while addressing the specific needs of the site.
These efforts were supported with, and enriched by, extensive research and analysis of the complex symbolism of the temple, including the mystery of identifying the subject of the enigmatic face-towers, which has represented a particular point of contention amongst scholars.
These monumental depictions have been attributed, in different periods, to Brahma, Siva, Buddha, Bodhisattva Lokesvara, to whom the temple is in fact partially dedicated. Some even believed them to be portraits of king Jayavarman VII himself, watching over his creation through the centuries.
The JASA team has carried out systematic cataloguing and classification activities of the 173 faces which remain today, determining that they can be divided into three groups, each representing a different type of deity: Deva, Devata, and Asura, summoned to invoke the protection of the gods over the temple.
A model for collaborative heritage conservation and management
Over 1,500 Japanese experts were dispatched throughout the years, in order to collaborate with Cambodian workers and professionals in the field of conservation, prompting the constant transfer of knowledge and skills between the teams, through regular trainings and peer-to-peer exchanges.
Empowering the Cambodian people to fulfil their role as active custodians of the site represents a crucial priority for the JASA Team, which strives to consistently engage with local communities, through the institution of the Bayon Information Centre in Siem Reap, as well as through multiple outreach programmes, aimed especially at younger generations, with the objective of fostering a sense of pride, belonging, and appreciation towards Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage from an early age.
Since 1994, the “Safeguarding the Bayon Temple of Angkor Thom” project has continued to be demonstrative of the transformative power of cultural heritage, as a catalysis for cooperation between international actors and local communities, and a driver for sustainable development.
