Building the temple-mountain of Koh Ker in Preah Vihear province was the crowning achievement of King Jayavarman IV, who made the area the country’s capital in the 10th century.
But for hundreds of years the important historical site remained abandoned, and in recent history, Koh Ker was the site of numerous battles between the Khmer Rouge and Cambodian government forces.
Nowadays the poor condition of the road that cuts through the forest to Koh Ker has kept visitors away. But Kham Someth Construction Ltd is working to change that, and has embarked on a $16 million project to turn the temple complex into an accessible tourist destination.
The government’s Council for Development of Cambodia and Angkor Conservation will work with the company on the project, said company owner Kham Someth.
The CDC’s inter-ministerial committee is also working on a master plan to make Koh Ker a tourist destination, said Sieng Nam, the parliamentarian for Siem Reap province at the National Assembly. It should soon be ready to be sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen for approval, he said.
The committee plans to take government officials, embassy and NGO representatives to the site next week to make them aware of Koh Ker’s tourism potential, said Ung Vorn, director of Angkor Conservation.
Kham Someth Construction’s first step will be road improvements to link Koh Ker and Siem Reap, an undertaking estimated at $6 million. The second step will be a 100-to-200 room hotel or a few motels in Koulen district in Preah Vihear province or Svay Leu district in Siem Reap province, said Kham Someth.
Koh Ker, which is about 80 km north of Siem Reap’s Angkor Wat, is one of the four most important historical sites in Cambodia—along with Angkor, Banteay Chmar in Banteay Meanchey province, and Sambor Prei Kuk in Kompong Thom province, said Teruo Jinnai, culture program specialist for UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
King Jayavarman IV claimed the throne in dubious circumstances in 928 and made Koh Ker the second highest temple in Cambodia, behind Angkor Wat. After his death in 942, one of his sons reigned for a short period in Koh Ker. But in 944, his nephew Rajendravarman II acceded to the throne and moved the capital back to Angkor.
Today, one massive pyramid that springs from the jungle shows the huge scale of monuments erected in Koh Ker. Ung Vorn describes Koh Ker as “Jayavarman IV’s fantastic achievement,” with beautiful artwork comparable to Angkor Wat.
Ung Oeun, first governor of Siem Reap, said the development of the Koh Ker area will also include improving living conditions for the 50 or so families near Koh Ker.
“The road is very important,” he said. “It could help villagers trade their products in town.”
Land mines in the area also need to be cleared, Ung Vorn said. But once the region is demined, monuments may become more vulnerable to looting, said Teruo Jinnai. Villagers have been enrolled through a Unesco project to clean up monuments of vegetation and to help guard them, he said.
Kham Someth said he believes Koh Ker will attract about 10 percent of the tourists who come to Cambodia.
Ung Vorn agreed. “Tourists who have already seen Angkor will be interested in a site that is more than 1,000 years old,” he said.
(Additional reporting by Michelle Vachon)