Top UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cambodia

Cambodia is a Kingdom that’s home to over 14.8 million Southeast Asians. Its dominant religion is Buddhism, practiced by 95% of the population. It is also a country with one of the best performing economies not only in Asia but internationally as well. Cambodia is also rich in culture and history.

There are also currently two Cambodian UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both of which are classified as cultural properties, and are popular remnants of the Khmer empire, a rule which lasted for over 600 years, gathering power and influence all over Southeast Asia.

Angkor

With an area of 400 square kilometers including a huge forested area, Angkor is deemed to be among the most important archaeological spots in all of Asia. The Angkor Archaeological Park is home to many significant remains of the Khmer Empire’s various capitals which used to exist between the 9th and 15th centuries. These include the Angkor Wat Temple found in Angkor Thom, as well as the Bayon Temple and all its sculptural beauties.

Filled with complex hydraulic structures, well-built monuments, communication routes, and other indicators of good urban planning, Angkor was a testimony to the existence of a very sophisticated civilization. It was enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 for many reasons. First, it is home to a legacy of artistic masterpieces unique to the Angkor region. Second, Khmer art became a very valuable influence on the evolution of Southeast Asian art. Thirdly, the former empire was also key to how to politics in Southeast Asia evolved. All these reasons, among many others, made it imperative for UNESCO to preserve the area.

Preah Vihear Temple

In the plains of Cambodia there is a plateau at the edge of which is a magnificent structure dedicated to Shiva. It is known as the Preah Vihear Temple, the complex history of which dates back to the 9th century.

A unique architectural creation made of multiple sanctuaries that are all connected through a series of staircases and pavements that stretch about an axis that is 800 meters long, the Temple of Preah Vihear is an beautiful masterpiece from the time of Khmer. Thanks to good architectural planning and decoration, the complex blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, the Temple remains preserved, thanks to its architectural design and remote location. It is also interesting to note that the cultural properties remained intact despite the conflicts between the Cambodian and Thai troops which took place around those borders. The Temple is a site which demonstrates amazing architectural skill that blends in well with the environment. The site is also recognized for its unique stone ornamentation around the complex.

Much of the other sites in Cambodia are still in the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but both the Angkor Archaeological Park as well as the Temple of Preah Vihear are exceptional symbols of the cultural and historical legacies that exist in the country that deserve to be protected and preserved.