US Ambassador to Cambodia, W. Patrick Murphy, and Dr. Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, presided over the $450,000 signing ceremony of the US State Department Ambassador for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) for the preservation of the 10th-century Phnom Bakheng Temple, located in the Angkor Park area. This is according to a press release from the US Embassy in Cambodia.
Since 2004, the AFCP has provided eight grants to the World Monument Fund (WMF) for ongoing conservation work at Phnom Bakheng, totalling $4 million.
Ambassador Murphy said: “We are excited to announce this financial assistance, the largest AFCP assistance to the Asia-Pacific region this year. The United States is proud of its long-standing cultural cooperation with the Kingdom of Cambodia. “Phnom Bakheng is one of the biggest destinations in Cambodia where you can watch the sunset in the great Angkor area.”
The statement said that over the past 20 years, the United States has supported many of the temple’s projects, including the restoration of the temple’s foundations, the preservation of the temple stone, the protection of the waterproofing network, and the reconstruction of the temple walls and grounds. This ongoing funding also helps WMF provide employment to local people so that they can contribute to the preservation of the temple.
The Ambassador Fund for Cultural Preservation was established to assist in the conservation of important cultural heritage sites around the world. Under this grant, the US Department of State has provided $6 million since 2001 to help preserve other important cultural heritage sites, including the Temple of Preah Vihear, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, among many other important areas in Cambodia. AKP