Henri Mouhot

Henri Mouhot was a 19th-century French explorer known for his travels in Southeast Asia. He is best remembered for popularizing Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex in the West. Mouhot’s meticulous descriptions and sketches helped reveal the grandeur of Angkor to Europeans, inspiring interest and preservation efforts. His expeditions contributed significantly to Western knowledge of the region’s history and archaeology. Mouhot's work combined adventure with scholarly research, and though he died young at age 35 during his explorations, his legacy endures as a pioneer who bridged European curiosity and Southeast Asian heritage.