The Angkor Archaeological Park – a popular mousetrap
The Angkor Archaeological Park is a fake
Looking for Angkor on the Internet, you will end up at the Archaeological Park, also known as “Angkor Wat”, and get lost in the stereotypical routine of sightseeing.
The original Angkor is an ensemble of temples, built from the 9th to 13th centuries and testimonies of the unique Angkor civilization. That is where we want to go!
The original Angkor is an ensemble of temples, built from the 9th to 13th centuries and testimonies of the unique Angkor civilization. That is where we want to go!
Rediscovery and restoration
(Head photo: Detail of the CanBy Map of the Angkor Archaeological Park)
For centuries, Angkor was secluded but never forgotten.
Henri Mouhot’s report of Angkor published 1863, made Angkor worldwide known.
In 1904, Cambodia, then a French protectorate, regained sovereignty over its north-western provinces including Angkor.
In 1907, French conservators started the restoration of the monuments of Angkor.
For centuries, Angkor was secluded but never forgotten.
Henri Mouhot’s report of Angkor published 1863, made Angkor worldwide known.
In 1904, Cambodia, then a French protectorate, regained sovereignty over its north-western provinces including Angkor.
In 1907, French conservators started the restoration of the monuments of Angkor.
The Making of the Archaeological Park
The conservators published guidebooks.
The temples were torn from their original space-time context, isolated and reduced to exhibits in the style of a colonial exhibition; their vivid distinction was lost. Each selected piece received a ranking, as well as time frame and route for the visit. E.g. “Pre Rup ** … 30 mins to 1 hour”.
Stylized maps and itineraries were created to lead the tourists on a tight rein. This process was completed in 1992 with the enlisting of Angkor as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Source: Michael Falser, From Colonial Map to Visitor’s Parcours: Tourist Guides and the Spatiotemporal Making of the Archaeological Park of Angkor, 2013.
The temples were torn from their original space-time context, isolated and reduced to exhibits in the style of a colonial exhibition; their vivid distinction was lost. Each selected piece received a ranking, as well as time frame and route for the visit. E.g. “Pre Rup ** … 30 mins to 1 hour”.
Stylized maps and itineraries were created to lead the tourists on a tight rein. This process was completed in 1992 with the enlisting of Angkor as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Source: Michael Falser, From Colonial Map to Visitor’s Parcours: Tourist Guides and the Spatiotemporal Making of the Archaeological Park of Angkor, 2013.
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