Angkor : Significances and Impacts on the Living Heritage Site

Ref.: 97
Key theme: 02 Functional integrity of historic urban landscapes
Date of reception: 14/11/2008

AUTHORS (*Main author)

IM, Sokrithy * (Cambodia) - Apsara Authority

ABSTRACT

Angkor was nominated cultural properties on the World Heritage List, in 1992, on the basis of criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv), i.e. it represents a unique artistic realisation, a chef d'oeuvre of the human mind; exerted strong influence on the development of architecture, monumental arts and the organisation of space, during a given period, in a particular cultural region; unique testimony on a past civilisation; a remarkable example of a type of construction or architectural group, illustrating an important historical period.

But values of the Angkor are not solely lying in these criteria. Additional significances are identified by the ongoing joint research project, entitled Living with Heritage: historic, aesthetic, scientific, symbolic and social values. The World Heritage Committee has in recent years paid much more attention to the living and local values of World Heritage Places. For Angkor, the continuity of many aspects of Khmer culture and the concept of this World Heritage as a living heritage site has emerged about 10 years. We acknowledge a major value of Angkor as its continuing symbolization of Khmer culture. Recent national and international researchers recognize that Angkor is the continuing home to hundreds of thousands of autochthon who not only have an invaluable contribution to the area's sustainable management and preservation, but through cultural and religious practices actually enhance the heritage significance of the Angkor cultural landscape.

The paper will demonstrate in two main folds which firstly the richness of the cultural heritage values of Angkor: urbanization, historic, aesthetic, scientific and social values of the villagers includes daily and traditional practices, and encompasses aspects such as festivals and rituals to the way in which the villagers continue to live in the broader landscape. It is the layer of meaning, and the memories, stories and histories of these communities that must be considered to fully identify and understand the heritage values that make Angkor important.
Secondly, it will reveal issues that threaten Angkor's heritage values. During the course of recent studies, including academic studies, work undertaken by APSARA, work undertaken by a range of researchers and associated with specific conservation projects and extensive GIS mapping of tangible and intangible heritage values, nine broad categories of issues have been identified.

REFERENCES