About UNESCO World Heritage Preah Vihear Temple: Why this ancient Shiva temple has triggered war between Thailand and Cambodia
Let's take a closer look at this historic temple:
Location
Preah Vihear in Preah Vihear province, is a historic temple dedicated to Shiva temple, set on top of a 1,722 ft cliff in the Dangrek Mountains in Cambodia (it is a natural border between Cambodia and Thailand). To give you a fair idea, the temple is about 140 km from Angkor Wat (the famous temple in Cambodia) and some 418 km from Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.
Architecture
The temple dates back to the 9th century, and is well preserved mainly because of its remote location. This ancient Hindu temple was built during the reign of the Khmer Empire, and is one of the prime edifices of the empire's spiritual world
The temple is counted among the most unusual among Khmer temples.
It is because of its construction along a long north–south axis. So, in simple words, the temple is not built in the conventional rectangular format which generally faces toward the east. The place has exceptional architecture. The naturally blessed surroundings just add to its spiritual aura. Explorers are generally left surprised with the exceptional quality of its carved stone ornamentation.
The Temple of Preah Vihear holds a universal value as it is a living example of Khmer architecture.
The series of connected buildings, paths, and staircases along an 800-metre stretch are simply breathtaking. From design to decorations and the temple's location, everything is truly unique and valuable to the world.
History of dispute over the ownership of the temple
The temple has been the centre of dispute between Thailand and Cambodia for a long time now. If we go back in time, in 1962, Cambodia and Thailand fought for the over ownership of the temple. But the
International Court of Justice
(ICJ) in the Hague said that the temple belongs to Cambodia.
It was on 7 July 2008 that Preah Vihear joined the prestigious list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. Soon after this, the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the temple, once again started but this time too ICJ passed the judgement in favour of Cambodia in 2013.
Thailand issues travel advisory
In view of the current unrest along the Thai–Cambodian border, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has advised against visiting attractions in seven provinces — Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat.
India issues travel advisory
The Indian Embassy in Thailand has also written on X, 'In view of the situation near Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travelers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including TAT Newsroom. As per Tourism Authority of Thailand places mentioned in the following link are not recommended for travelling.'
So before you make any travel for Cambodia or Thailand plan, check the updates.
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