Preah Vihear Temple

UNESCO World Heritage Site: Temple Of Preah Vihear (2008). A Shiva Temple Spread Over A Cliff Top Ridge At 525 M, A Long Axis Of Stairways And Gateways Ending At A Sheer Drop To The Plain. Long Disputed With Thailand; The International Court Of Justice Awarded The Temple To Cambodia, And Border Tension Has Closed Access More Than Once · Preah Vihear, Preah Vihear

Preah Vihear is a Shiva temple of the 11th and 12th centuries, built along a ridge of the Dangrek escarpment at about 525 m, with a sheer drop to the plain below. Its design is unusual: instead of a single tower, a long axis of stairways, causeways and gateways climbs about 800 m up the ridge to a sanctuary at the edge of the cliff. UNESCO listed it in 2008. The temple sits on the Thai border and has been disputed for decades. The International Court of Justice awarded the temple to Cambodia in 1962 and, after renewed fighting, confirmed that ruling in 2013. Access has been closed by clashes in the past. Confirm the current access and security situation, and check your government's travel advice, before you go. Landmines and unexploded ordnance remain off the paths. From the Cambodian side the approach is by a steep track or shuttle from the base, and the town of Sra Em is the usual base. It is remote and a long journey.

Preah Vihear temple, on the Dangrek escarpment on the Thai border, in northern Cambodia, Preah Vihear, Preah Vihear, Cambodia

When open, the temple is visited from early morning to late afternoon, and staff enforce closing times. Confirm current times and, above all, whether the temple is open at all. Access has been CLOSED by fighting or border tension in the past, and may be CLOSED again at short notice, including for the shuttle and the base ticket office. A ticket is needed, bought at the base or gate. The Angkor Pass is not valid. The road to the base and the views of the escarpment from the plain are FREE to see. Parts of the site near the border line may be CLOSED to visitors or guarded by soldiers, and military checkpoints can stop you. Ask local staff in Sra Em before you set off, and keep a flexible plan.

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