Press. voanews.com
The U.N. cultural organization added an ancient temple site in Cambodia
to its world heritage list, the government said on Sunday, bringing the number
of heritage sites in the Southeast Asian country to three. Sambor Prei Kuk, or
"temple in the richness of the forest" in the Khmer language, located
206 km (128 miles) north of the capital Phnom Penh, is home to numerous
temples, ten of which are octagonal.
"Some of these elements, including lintels, pediments and
colonnades, are true masterpieces," UNESCO said on its website. UNESCO
said the area had been identified as Ishanapura, the capital of the ancient
Chenla Empire, a Khmer civilization that flourished in the late 6th and 7th
centuries and preceded the Khmer Empire.
Its remains cover an area of 25 square kilometers. The site has become
increasingly popular with foreign tourists. "The decision of the UNESCO's
World Heritage Committee is another massive pride for the nation," the
Ministry of Culture of Fine Arts said in a statement on Sunday. Tourist
arrivals in Cambodia rose 5 percent to five million last year. About 5.5
million tourists are expected to visit the country this year.
Two other sites in Cambodia already have heritage status, including the
popular Angkor Wat in Siem Reap province where parts of the "Lara Croft:
Tomb Raider" film were shot. Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear, an 11th century
temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia, were listed as World
Heritage Sites in 2004 and 2008, respectively.
Sambor Prei Kuk was added to the list on Saturday along with other sites
in China and India. Tibetan rights groups criticized UNESCO's decision to
extend world heritage status to an extensive plateau area in a heavily Tibetan
area, saying it reinforces Chinese control of the region.