Cambodia gets a new UNESCO World Heritage
Cambodia gets a new UNESCO World Heritage
One of Asian Trails’ leading cultural attractions in Cambodia has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.
Koh Ker, in Cambodia’s northern Preah Vihear province, was granted the prestigious honour at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Legendary ruler King Jayavarman IV built the temple complex in the 10th century. It was the capital of the Khmer Empire for 20 years until Angkor was reinstated as the seat of government in 944 AD.
It features a seven-tiered, 35-metre-tall, pyramid temple visitors can climb to get an amazing panorama of the dense jungle. Nearby are ancient prasats (towers) and a large baray (reservoir). The complex is situated 100 km north-east of Siem Reap, the gateway to the Angkor Archaeological Park.
In addition to Koh Ker, Cambodia has three other UNESCO-listed sites. These are Angkor Archaeological Park, inscribed on the heritage list in 1992; Preah Vihear temple, added in 2008; and the archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, awarded status in 2017.
Asian Trails arranges private tours to diverse Khmer sites, including Koh Ker. Click here for our recommended itinerary.
For more details and expert travel advice across the country, contact our Cambodia team.
