Isanborei Craft Hut

who we are

Reviving ancient traditional craft-making skills and customs

The monuments of Sambor Prei Kuk in Kompong Thom Province were once part of the ancient city of Isanapura, the capital of the 7th century Chenla Kingdom. These monuments, older than the famous temples within the Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, are among the most important in Southeast Asia. The area also boasts the centuries-old tradition of craft-making using traditional materials such as bamboo and rattan. However, much like the magnificent temples of Sambor Prei Kuk, villagers have abandoned their traditional practices and turned to more modern ways of craft making.

what we do

The Isanborei Craft Hut was established to overcome this great loss of an ancient art and also to help reduce poverty and encourage the conservation and development of the Sambor Prei Kuk area, a collaboration between the Sambor Prei Kuk Conservation Project and the German Development Corporation (GTZ). We are a community-run shop selling a variety of handicrafts and a centre for information about the temples and villages surrounding the monuments. We encourage the reintroduction of traditional crafts by using traditional tools which have been almost abandoned due to a lack of craftsmen. This way, villagers can revive their customs and produce crafts for sale, thereby increasing their livelihoods.

By visiting the magnificent temples, enjoying Sambor Prei Kuk’s natural history and environment and purchasing handicrafts at Isanborei Craft Hut, you will be supporting the conservation and protection of precious cultural heritage.