Angkor Wat : a transcultural history of heritage

Summary: This book unravels the formation of the modern concept of cultural heritage by charting its colonial, postcolonial-nationalist and global trajectories. By bringing to light many unresearched dimensions of the 12th Cambodian temple of Angkor Wat during its modern history, the study argues for a conceptual, connected history that unfolded within the transcultural interstices of European and Asian projects. It discusses the multiple lives of Angkor Wat from its discovery in the 19th century, and its physical representations in museums and universal/colonial exhibitions in France, to on-site restoration efforts inside the Archaeological Park of Angkor, the temples canonisation as a symbol of national identity during Cambodia's decolonisation, and as a global icon of UNESCO World Heritage.