The temple doctor of Angkor

The older a temple is, the more care and protection it needs. Most of the temples in the 400 square kilometre archaeological park in the Cambodian region of Angkor are more than 1,000 years old. Structures and stones have to be maintained and restored so as to ensure this UNESCO cultural heritage site is preserved for future generations. Long Nary has been passionately dedicated to this task for more than 40 years. He is employed by the Angkor monument authority as Chief Conservator of the Stone Conservation Unit. 

Long Nary has been involved in the German Apsara Conservation Project run by the Federal Foreign Office since the 1990s. In collaboration with a German team of experts made up of development workers and researchers, he trains several students each year. The aim is to preserve the reliefs of Angkor Wat – a world-famous temple and the best-known in the park. “Thousands of tourists flock here every day to marvel at our cultural heritage. I hope many more generations will be able to admire this legacy in the future,” says Nary, who is known here in Siem Reap province as the “stone doctor”. “Stones are susceptible to disease just like us humans. Our job is to detect these vulnerabilities and then treat the stones accordingly.” By the time he retires he aims to train as many students as possible with the support of the German team so as to pass on his years of experience as a temple doctor.