ANGKOR: The restoration team of the Department of Conservation of Monuments and Preventive Archaeology of the APSARA National Authority has nearly completed the restoration of Bayon Temple’s southwest platform.

Architect and site manager Meng Sovanlylin said that the restoration work focused on preparing the ridge stones to restore them to their original place in addition to compacting the soil foundations of the ancient drainage system, and restoring a 12-meter-long Naga balustrade.

Some work required the addition of new stones. The restoration started at the beginning of 2023 and only a few details remain, such as cleaning new stones and grouting the stone connections.

Meng Sovanlylin said that the south part of Bayon Temple's third terrace, which was badly damaged due to roots growing into the structure, caused some stones to move from the original location and allowed water to seep into the crevasses, causing some parts to collapse. She said that previous restoration attempts by the French used poor quality cement to fill in the gaps between the floor tiles, which put the temple at risk.

The Bayon Temple is one of Angkor’s most famous and is known for the many stone faces carved into its towers in addition to the well-preserved relief carvings on its walls.