Angkor: Notas Prévias

"It is frequently said that Angkor was 'discovered by the Europeans' but this is patently nonsense and simply reflects a Eurocentric view. The Khmers never forgot the existence of their monuments, and even if they neglected the majority of their temples, Angkor Wat always remained occupied and a place of worship.
It is nevertheless true that it was the posthumous notes made by the French naturalist Henri Mouhot, published simultaneously in Paris and London in 1863, that aroused Western interest in the wonders of Angkor There had already been Western visitors such as Mouhot immediate predecessor, Father Bouillevaux, or Portugese adventurers much earlier at the end of the 16th century. However, little attention was paid to their reports. After Mouhot, everyone wanted to see what he had described. John Thomson, working in Singapore, was the first to photograph the monuments. There was also the Mekong expedition led by Doudart de Lagree, with Francis Gamier, who made a detour to visit Angkor. "

in Book Guides: ANCIENT ANGKOR, ISBN 974 8225 27 5, (River Books)

PS:

1. não foram os franceses que descobriram Angkor,
2. foram os tugas os primeiros a contar ao mundo sobre Angkor,
3. ninguém descobriu nada porque eles, os khmers, sabiam o que tinham...