SIEM REAP: The restoration of Angkor Thom's Takav Gate is now fully complete, and the restoration team are currently working on clearing the site and fishing off a few remaining works, according to the Deputy Director General of the APSARA Authority, Kim Sothin.

He stated that team is now continuing to restore the five-meter long wall located on both sides of the gate, according to recommendations made by ICC-Angkor experts to restore the original shape of the gate structure.

He said the remaining works, includes finishing the carvings and filling in the gaps on the wall next to the gate, will be completed soon. Regarding the repair of the balustrade's Deva statues, the restoration team will continue to work on restore them as full figures, working on their arms, legs, and some heads, while the restoration of the Asura statues is a bit more complicated because of their foundation.

Kim Sothin continued that before completing the restoration of the whole gate, the APSARA Authority is conducting an excavation at the gate's entrance to map out the structure of the bottom of the gate. The APSARA Authority have found holes intended for pillars in the laterite and sandstone floors, which may have been wooden structures at that time.

The Takav Gate is one of the five gates of Angkor Thom, located to the west of the Bayon Temple. Due to age, weather, war, lack of maintenance and tree growth, many of the giant statues have collapsed and most of the gate was severely damaged, especially four elephant statues which needed to be repaired to preserved.