World Heritage Cities Programme
The World Heritage Cities Programme is one of six thematic programmes formally approved and monitored by the World Heritage Committee. The programme concerns the development of a theoretical framework for urban ...
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World Heritage Marine Programme
50 flagship marine protected areas of Outstanding Universal Value: Beacons of Hope In a Changing Ocean
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Dive into Heritage is creating an innovative online platform that leverages digital technologies to safeguard and promote World Heritage sites and its related intangible heritage, and transmit it to future ...
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There exist a great variety of Landscapes that are representative of the different regions of the world. Combined works of nature and humankind, they express a long and intimate relationship between peoples and ...
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Post-Conflict and Post-Disaster Reconstruction and Recovery
Post-conflict and post-disaster reconstruction became an increasingly important issue after the destruction of cultural heritage sites in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Nepal, Syria, and Yemen. ...
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Rapid Response Facility (RRF) © Oreades The Rapid Response Facility (RRF) is a fund that provides grants to protected areas in the event of a sudden crisis. We mainly finance initiatives aimed at ...
Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to preserve an urban fabric that ...
The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was signed on 16 November 1972. The 30th Anniversary celebrations included the organization of the international conference “World ...
Analytical summary of the state of conservation of World Heritage properties (2008)
At its 32nd session (Quebec City, 2008), the World Heritage Committee discussed at length the issues related to the state of conservation of World Heritage properties. With Decision 32 COM 7B.129 (see Annex 1), it ...
Cash for work: promoting local employment through heritage conservation in historic cities (Yemen)
In the context of long-standing conflict, a cash-for-work scheme provides young people with employment opportunities while contributing to the conservation of urban heritage in four historic cities.
Challenges and opportunities of historic urban centres: case study of the Medina of Tunis (Tunisia)
To protect this historic site at the centre of a bustling metropolis and promote its sustainable development, several actions are addressing the preservation and promotion of its cultural heritage.
Community-centred revitalisation of Souq al-Silah in Cairo (Egypt)
A long-standing project has been working to revitalise a commercial street in the historic district of Darb al-Ahmar and reconnect the local community with their cultural heritage. The project, developed with help ...
Conservation and enhancement of the historic city of Bejaïa, Algeria
Carried out under the aegis of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, this project aimed to strengthen local capacity and sustain actions undertaken at the local level.Surrounded by the huge Djurdjura, the Bibans ...
Conservation and preservation of the city of Constantine, Algeria
The project in Constantine is part of the cross-sector project “Poverty Reduction through Sustainable World Heritage Management”, launched in 2002, on the theme of eliminating poverty and extreme poverty through the ...
Creating a digital archive of historic documents and photographs of World Heritage sites in Iraq
In order to preserve historical documents related to World Heritage sites, the Iraqi State Board of Heritage and Antiquities has proposed to digitise historical documents from different archives and archive in a ...
Culture|2030 Indicators City of Essaouira Urban Report
Urban Culture Profile of Essaouira Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador) (Morocco)|© OUR PLACE The World Heritage ...
Culture|2030 Indicators Morocco and the city of Essaouira Project Page
UNESCO Morocco and the City of Essaouira Project Page Partners Implementation of the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators in Morocco and the city of Essaouira is with the support and ...
Culture|2030 Indicators National Report of Morocco
National Culture Profile of Morocco Historic City of Meknes (Morocco)|© UNESCO Sommaire Introduction Initiative Implementation Results snapshot Key ...
Development of a World Heritage Information Management capacity in the Arab States
A capacity-building project to enrich World Heritage information management tools and techniques in the Arab States Region, from adequate documentation of sites, to use of recording tools, management planning, and ...
Emergency Safeguarding of the Portico of the Temple of Bel in Palmyra
In summer 2016, the Temple of Bel, among other important archaeological monuments of the World Heritage Site of Palmyra, was intentionally destroyed. An element of the structure of the Temple, the Portico, remained ...
Five years of Conflict - The State of Cultural Heritage in the Ancient City of Aleppo
The first comprehensive account of the devastation wrought on the World Heritage site of the Ancient City of Aleppo during years of armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic has just been published by UNESCO and ...
Global Strategy: Support to agro-pastoral cultural landscapes
Pastoralism is defined as a system of livestock farming which depends, for the most part, on the generally non-intensive use of naturally-occurring plant materials for grazing, either on a farm or as part of a ...
Guide 2 – Case Study: Ichkeul National Park (Tunisia)
Ichkeul National Park is characterized by a very specific hydrological functioning system, based on seasonal alternation of water levels and salinity. The lake and surrounding marshes constitute a stopover for ...
Guide 8 – Case Study: Wadi Al-Hitan (Egypt)
Wadi Al-Hitan – also known as Whale Valley – is located in the Western Desert of Egypt. It is an ‘open-air museum’ of invaluable fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct, suborder of whales (Archaeoceti), as ...
Guide 9 – Case study: Land of Frankincense (Oman)
The Land of Frankincense (LoF) World Heritage site is composed of four archaeological sites related to the antique trade of Frankincense and other luxury items across the Dhofar province of Oman: Shisr (sometimes ...
An ongoing programme in a remote Algerian town aims to connect the local community with the archaeological site through workshops and activities for young residents.
Funded by the Government of Japan through the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust, implementation from 2022 to 2024. Four World Heritage sites from Asia, Africa, the Arab region and Latin America and the Caribbean work ...
Meroe, Republic of the Sudan – Preparatory Assistance for the nomination of ‘The Island of Meroe’
The sites of Meroe, Naqa and Musawwarat es-Sufra, located in the Nile province of Sudan were the heartland of the Kush Kingdom from the 8th Century B.C to the 4th Century AD. Otherwise known as ‘The Island of Meroe’ ...
At its 19th session (UNESCO, 2013), the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention decided (Resolution 19 GA 4) to fully apply Article 8, paragraph 2, of the World Heritage Convention which ...
Periodic Reporting 1st Cycle: Arab States
Final report of the synthesis of the periodic reports for the Arab Region submitted in accordance with the strategy approved by the 23rd session of the World Heritage Committee in December 1999 in Marrakesh ...
Periodic Reporting 2nd Cycle: Arab States (2010)
At its 32nd session, the World Heritage Committee decided on the preparation of the Second Cycle of Periodic Reporting (Decision 32 COM 11E) and on the launching of the exercise with the Arab States (document ...
The Ancient Villages of Northern Syria constitute one of the most extraordinary archeological ensembles in the world. There are more than 700 sites from the Roman and Byzantine eras located in a vast region. They ...
Preparatory assistance for the inscription of the Southern Oasis of Morocco
At the initiative of the Permanent Delegation of Morocco and the “Agence pour la promotion et le développement économique culturel et social des provinces du Sud du Royaume du Maroc” (agency for the economic, ...
Le Corbusier is one of the greatest architects of the 20th century, and his work both built and written have had a huge impact on the world, and demonstrate major technical and conceptual changes of the Modern ...
Promoting traditional environmental knowledge in the M’Zab Valley (Algeria)
The traditional settlements of the M’Zab valley were adapted to their environment and climate. Floodable areas were occupied only by temporary structures and not by dwellings. Water infrastructure was a core ...
Reflection on the election system of the members of the World Heritage Committee (2007-2009)
At its 13th session (UNESCO, 2001), the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention adopted Resolution 13 GA 9 for an equitable representation within the World Heritage Committee. This ...
Le but de ce projet est de financer des ateliers de formation au profit des gestionnaires du patrimoine mondial en Egypte en vue de leur permettre de maîtriser les techniques de réalisation des études d’impacts de ...
This project’s objective was to provide technical assistance to set up management and conservation plans on several sites distributed across a vast territory.600 km south of Algiers, Algeria, the small M'Zab ...
Safeguarding project of Hassan Fathy’s New Gourna Village
New Gourna Village is located in Luxor on the West Bank of the Nile River, within the World Heritage property of Ancient Thebes in Egypt. The Village was designed and built between 1946 and 1952 by the famous ...
Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between UNITAR-UNOSAT and UNESCO in June 2015, cultural heritage around the world has continued to suffer on an unprecedented scale from intentional attacks, ...
Seminar at the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans (France) on Tourism and World Heritage Sites
An international expert meeting focusing on “Tourism and World Heritage Sites” was held from 6 to 8 March 2008 at the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, France. (The Saltwork is part of a property inscribed on the ...
Seminar in Cinque Terre (Italy) on cultural landscapes
In 1992, the World Heritage Committee changed the Operational Guidelines for the inscription of cultural landscapes on the World Heritage List. It was defined as the “combined works of nature and man” as set out in ...
Seminar on the cultural heritage inventories of Maghreb
Within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement support was provided for the preparation of cultural heritage inventories for several African countries. A similar request was made to UNESCO by ...
Stratégie pour le tourisme durable dans le Parc National du Banc d’Arguin
Le projet vise à aider le Parc National du Banc d’Arguin (PNBA) à développer une stratégie pour le tourisme durable dans ce bien du patrimoine mondial, en donnant un rôle effectif aux communautés locales des ...
Support research into ancient mosaics of the Ma’arat an-Noman Museum, Syrian Arab Republic
In 2014, given the impossibility since 2011 of implementing activities in Syria and continuing support activities for the management of the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria, inscribed on the World Heritage List, ...
Technical Assistance for the protection and development of Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, Morocco
Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou, in Morocco, is a fortified village of adobe buildings and is an interesting example of earthen architecture in North Africa. It contains barns and dwellings within its defensive walls, which ...
The Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata (Mauritania) were founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became rich and ...
The formulation of a Manual for the Rehabilitation of the Old City of Jerusalem
Further to the appeal made by the Director-General of UNESCO for the safeguard of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls in the present challenging context, the World Heritage Centre is in the process of the ...
The Inventory of the historic city of Sana'a: a tool for urban conservation
This publication documents the main outcomes of the studies undertaken in 2003 - 2006, by UNESCO's World Heritage Centre and the General Organisation for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen (GOPHCY), in ...
UNESCO World Heritage Forests © David Geldhof / Yosemite National Park Forests are some of the most biodiversity-rich habitats on Earth. They play a crucial role in climate regulation by ...
Urban Regeneration for Historic Cairo
Cairo hosts a variety of historically significant districts and monuments, ranging from the ruins of al-Fustat, the Fatimid nucleus of Medieval Cairo, the citadel and surrounding Mamluk palaces, to its urban ...
The two Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae are the most illustrious of the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae (Egypt), listed as World Heritage since 1979. The Great ...
Workshop for heritage in Tlemcen, Algeria
This project aimed to ensure the training of local skilled staff in restoration and rehabilitation, through organization of education programmes in partnership with the “Friends of Tlemcen” NGO.Tlemcen, Algeria, was ...
In 2001, the Syrian Arab Republic’s General Directorate of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM) requested technical assistance. Within the framework of the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement, a seminar was organised in ...
World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme (WHEAP)
Earthen architecture is one of the most original and powerful expressions of our ability to create a built environment with readily available resources. It includes a great variety of structures, ranging from ...
Development of a World Heritage Information Management capacity in the Arab State
The project consists of four core activities The creation and the development of an Arabic language web site on the World Heritage in the Arab Region, in cooperation with the a regional partner (possibly the Al ...
Dans le cadre de la Convention du patrimoine mondial, la clarté et la précision des informations mises à la disposition des Etats parties sont deux conditions indispensables à la mise en œuvre adéquate des principes ...
A model conservation and management plan for the cultural heritage site of Abila in Northern Jordan is being developed jointly by a working group of teachers and students from BTU and Yarmouk University. This model ...
Conference "World Heritage and Contemporary Architecture - Managing the Historic Urban Landscape"
During its 27th session in 2003 in Paris and following the debate on Vienna's proposed high-rise project, the WH Committee called for the organization of an international conference to discuss how to properly ...
The KIT: World Heritage in Young Hands
The KIT: World Heritage in Young Hands Developed in 1998, the World Heritage in Young Hands Educational Resource Kit for secondary school teachers is one of the main tools of the World Heritage Education Programme. ...
The World Heritage Young Professionals Fora are among the flagship activities of the World Heritage Education Programme, designed to foster learning and exchange by bringing together young people and heritage ...
World Heritage Skills-Development Course for Young People in the Arab Region
Petra, Jordan Event The 1st sub-Regional World Heritage Skills Development Course in the Arab Region held in Petra, Jordan (2002) scientifically supervised by ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the ...
Arab World Heritage Young Professionals Forum in Tunisia (2-6 December 2019)
"Youth for Peace, Youth for Heritage!" say the young heritage professionals in the Arab States region Thirty-two young professionals from 17 countries of the Arab States region gathered in Tunis, Tunisia from 2 ...
World Heritage Youth Forum (1999) First Arab Edition
Ifrane, Morocco 22-28 November 1999 Objectives The Forum aims to stimulate young people's interest in preserving the world's cultural and natural heritage. The Forum will give participants the opportunity to ...
Young Professionals Forum 2023
Continuing the 50th anniversary celebrations of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, the 2023 edition of the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum was implemented in Riyadh in September 2023, reiterating the ...
Application of Information Technology in the Protection of World Heritage Sites
This training workshop was organized from February 17 to March 4, 2004 in Cairo, Egypt and environs. It was aimed at identifying and developing human resources in the Arab Region in documenting World Heritage ...
The present staff needs to have more knowledge in order to manage this complex situation. This knowledge should be given through a training, which aim should be to move one step closer to effective ...
National Teacher-training Workshop on WHE
Damascus, Syria 8-10 January 2002 A World Heritage Education Kit and ASPnet Workshop was organized by the Syrian National Commission. Topics of the workshop included an overview of UNESCO's goals and programs; ...
Tunis, Tunisia, 11-13 February 2005 Event A Regional Workshop on the Practical Manual: Introducing Young People to Heritage Site Management and Protection was held in Tunis involving teachers, from 7 countries in ...
International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq
The Executive Board of UNESCO approved at its 167th session (decision 9.2) the establishment of the International Coordination Committee for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of Iraq. The Committee, which ...
Tunisia - Development of an emergency plan for the safeguard of the Ichkeul National Park
The program consists first in organizing a study preparatory workshop in order to elaborate the strategy that should lead to a sustainable use of the water resources of the Ichkeul National Park, then in monitoring ...
The Rescue of Nubian Monuments and Sites
The most famous of the monuments affected by the Aswan High Dam Project was the temple complex on the island of Philae. Sacred to the goddess Isis, the sanctuary dates mostly to the Graeco-Roman period and was later ...
Report on Damage Assessments in Babylon
Further to the request made to UNESCO in February 2005 by the Minister of Culture of Iraq, it was agreed to devote a working session to the archaeological site of Babylon where a military base was installed (150 ...
Case Studies on Climate Change and World Heritage
Originally published in 2007 in English, this publication has now been reprinted for the third time in English and translated into French, Spanish and Arabic. It presents twenty-six case studies from selected ...
International Conference on “World Heritage in Young Hands - a Dialogue among Civilizations”
Some 80 high-level participants, representing a wide range of fields, gathered at the International Conference on World Heritage in Young Hands - A Dialogue among Civilizations, held in Aswan/Cairo (Egypt) from 6-12 ...
Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and wealthiest cities in the Islamic world. Some 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, ...
Monuments of Nubia-International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia
In 1954 the decision to build the Aswan High Dam was made. This dam would lead to the creation of a huge artificial lake covering the Upper Nile Valley from Aswan in Egypt to the Dal Cataract in Sudan - a culturally ...