Specialists from India are working closely with the Apsara National Authority (ANA) to engineer new supports for the west gate of Ta Prohm temple.
The supporting beams of the gate are cracked, and could pose the risk of collapsing the structure. To guarantee the safety of the public, the gate has been closed for more than two weeks.
Sing Sood, head of the India-Cambodia Cooperation Project for the Conservation and Restoration of Ta Prohm, said that at the most recent session of the International Coordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC-Angkor) – in late 2022 – it had been recommended that the gate be supported to prevent further damage. His team will use three steel rods to stabilise the beams.
Sood added that the damage to the structure was due to its age. The beam has cracked, the gate foundation has collapsed and the four Brahma faces at the top have been torn off. Cables will also be installed to prevent pieces of stone from falling from the structure.
After the work is completed, the team will assess the condition of the gate before making a decision on reopening it to the public.
