52
Presenting the past
Cebu Pacific flies to
SiemReap from Manila.
tour, set right in the middle of a field of
scattered sandstone blocks that require
the aforementioned mountain goat
skills to navigate successfully. Heavy
monsoon rains in 2009 might have
brought Tower 18 down with the rest of
the walls here were it not for the heroic
efforts of the GHF.
The foundation brought in high
tech to save Tower 18. Using a
unique, computer-assisted modeling
program pioneered by the University
of Heidelberg, GHF archaeologists
made 3D scans of each block in Tower
18. Then they reassembled the lot in
virtual space and used their computer
simulation to re-engineer the tower to
better cope with the elements.
It’s a pity sandstone can neither
see nor speak; I can only imagine the
stories that Tower 18’s four faces could
tell. A thriving religious community
numbering in the hundreds of
thousands lived within these walls for
hundreds of years. That is, until the
rising Ayutthaya kingdom in the north-
west invaded, eventually eclipsing the
Khmer for good. For all of Jayavarman
and Indravarman’s struggles against
the Cham, the actual finishing blow
to their empire would come from the
opposite direction.
We scramble over a mess of
sandstone blocks, some of them
perilously loose, and exit under an
intricately carved lintel set on the north
wall. Awooden gangplank suspended
over these last few yards helps us along
and offers a hint of what the complete
Banteay Chhmar experience might be
like in a few years: tourists may soon
traverse the entire temple complex on
such gangplanks, avoiding the need for
steady reflexes and footwear with grip.
Sadly, the temple may never be
completely restored. John Sanday, the
GHF’s Asia & Pacific regional director,
aims to rebuild just a few key highlights
of Banteay Chhmar as opposed to
carrying out an expensive and tedious
full reconstruction. The idea is not to
reverse history’s effects but to let them
play a central role in the presentation.
For visitors, it’s not about seeing
Banteay Chhmar temple as it used
to be; it’s about recognizing that this
ancient site, overtaken by the effects of
time and nature, possesses a desolate
beauty all its own.
With the arrival of a
growing number of
visitors, the ruins of
Banteay Chhmar now
provide various means
of livelihood for many
local residents
ON CHANEL: PURPLE SHIRT BY PROMOD; ACID WASH JEANS BY TOPSHOP; BACKPACK BY AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS; NECKLACE BY PROMOD
