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State of Conservation Historic Town of Zabid 2004

Historic Town of Zabid

Yemen
Factors affecting the property in 2004*
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Housing
  • Illegal activities
  • Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Solid waste
  • Other Threats:

    Deteriorated state of some of the monuments

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports

Urban Pressure; Lack of capacity in conservation techniques; Lack of management mechanism (including legislation); Lack of monitoring system; Lack of human or financial resources; Lack of institution co-ordination.

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2004
Requests approved: 8 (from 1994-2004)
Total amount approved : 159,167 USD
2004 Assistance for the publication of a book (Approved)   5,000 USD
2003 Safeguarding the Historic Town of Zabid (Approved)   40,000 USD
2001 Historic City of Zabid (APPROVAL OF THE SECOND HALF-NOT ... (Approved)   25,000 USD
2001 Historic City of Zabid (APPROVAL OF THE FIRST HALF) (Approved)   25,000 USD
1999 Exposition of the photographs of the architectures in ... (Approved)   167 USD
1998 Construction of the furnace for making mud bricks, a ... (Approved)   19,000 USD
1994 Preparation of a publication on Zabid (Approved)   15,000 USD
1994 Urgent protection works in the Historical Town of Zabid (Approved)   30,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2004**
2002 Report on the Expert Mission to Zabid (Yemen), 25 January - 14 February 2002
2001 Zabid au Yemen, ville inscrite sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial en peril. Rapport de la mission de suivi reactif ...
1999 UNESCO Monitoring Mission Report, Historic Town of Zabid, November 1999
1997 Report on the WHC Mission to Yemen, November 1997
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2004

Within the framework of the International Assistance Request submitted by the Yemeni authorities and approved by the World Heritage Committee at its 27th session, in September-October 2003 a World Heritage expert architect carried out a mission to the World Heritage property of Zabid in order to improve, in close co-operation with the staff of the General Organization for the Preservation of Historic Cities (GOPHCY), the legal and technical aspects of the Preliminary Urban Conservation Plan prepared by the Secretariat in December 2002. The mission also provided an opportunity to start planning the organization of a meeting to coordinate the actions of all the stakeholders, tentatively scheduled for November 2004, and to discuss with the local authorities the possibility of establishing a "Heritage House of Zabid" as a special local Unit of GOPHCY.

 

With respect to the recommendations made by the Committee at its last session, the mission found that the illegal constructions referred to in previous reports, namely the hotel in front of the East gate and the foundations of the Public Works office building, are still in place, while the solid waste issue is not yet solved and new construction works in the historic city have not been halted. The state of conservation of some of the monuments, such as the Mosque Al-Ashaer, has also deteriorated. Outside the walls of the Old City, the Ministry of Public Works is enlarging the inter-regional road. The enlarging of this road could lead to the development of a spontaneous market outside the Old City, which would have a negative impact on the visual integrity of the property. The mission confirmed that the implementation of the Urban Conservation Plan developed in co-operation with the Centre over the past two years, including its regulations, would be the most appropriate means to improve the state of conservation of the property, starting by strengthening the local branch of GOPHCY.

 

At the time of drafting this report (April 2004), the Centre had not yet received the requested progress report from the State Party. However, the Secretariat has been recently informed that the Preliminary Urban Conservation Plan for the Old City may be finalized by June 2004 and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for consideration. The protocols for the financing of the running costs of the Heritage House are still under discussion between the GOPHCY and the Social Fund for Development (SFD).

Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2004
28 COM 15A.20
Historic Town of Zabid (Yemen)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Notes the information provided by the World Heritage Centre on the current state of conservation of the property and the lack of progress in implementation of the recommendations made by the Committee in 2003 (Decision 27 COM 7A.20), notably in the completion and adoption of the Urban Conservation Plan, the halting and removal of illegal constructions, and the strengthening of the local Unit of the General Organisation for the Preservation of the Historic Cities of Yemen (GOPCHY);

2. Strongly urges the State Party to make every effort towards the rapid implementation of these actions, in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre;

3. Also urges the State Party, in particular, to finalise and adopt the Preliminary Urban Conservation Plan, together with its regulations, as soon as possible, and submit a report, by 1 February 2005, on the progress made to the World Heritage Centre for examination by the Committee at its 29th session in 2005;

4. Decides to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Read more
28 COM 15C.2
List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Following examination of state of conservation reports of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-04/28.COM/15A Rev),

2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.21)
  • Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.22)
  • Butrint, Albania (Decision 28 COM 15A.28)
  • Tipasa, Algeria (Decision 28 COM 15A.16)
  • Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan (Decision 28 COM 15A.29)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (Decision 28 COM 15A.14)
  • Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park, Central African Republic (Decision 28 COM 15A.1)
  • Comoé National Park, Côte d'Ivoire (Decision 28 COM 15A.2 )
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (Decision 28 COM 15A.5)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Virunga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Garamba National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Salonga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Sangay National Park, Ecuador (Decision 28 COM 15A.12)
  • Abu Mena, Egypt (Decision 28 COM 15A.17)
  • Simien National Park, Ethiopia
  • (Decision 28 COM 15A.4)
  • Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (Decision 28 COM 15A.13)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.24)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.10)
  • Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat), Iraq (Decision 28 COM 15A.18)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, Jerusalem (Decision 28 COM 15A.31)
  • Timbuktu, Mali (Decision 28 COM 15A. 15)
  • Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Decision 28 COM 15A.25)
  • Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (Decision 28 COM 15A.6)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.26)
  • Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone, Peru (Decision 28 COM 15A.30)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (Decision 28 COM 15A.27)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (Decision 28 COM 15A.7 )
  • Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (Decision 28 COM 15A.9)
  • Everglades National Park, United States of America (Decision 28 COM 15A.11)
  • Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (Decision 28 COM 15A.20)
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Draft Decision: 28 COM 15A.20

The World Heritage Committee,

 1.  Notes the information provided by the Secretariat on the current state of conservation of the property and the lack of progress in implementation of the recommendations made by the Committee in 2003, notably in the completion and adoption of the Urban Conservation Plan, the halting and removal of illegal constructions, and the strengthening of the local Unit of the GOPCHY;

 2.  Strongly urges the State Party to make every effort towards the rapid implementation of these actions, in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre;

 3.  Urges the State Party, in particular, to finalise and adopt the Preliminary Urban Conservation Plan, together with its regulations, as soon as possible, and submit a report, by 1 February 2005, on the progress made to the Centre for examination by the Committee at its 29th session in 2005;

 4.  Decides to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Previous 2003 Next 2005
Report year: 2004
Yemen
Date of Inscription: 1993
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (ii)(iv)(vi)
Danger List (dates): 2000-present
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC-04/28.COM/15A.Rev
arrow_circle_right 28COM (2004)
Exports
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* : The threats indicated are listed in alphabetical order; their order does not constitute a classification according to the importance of their impact on the property.
Furthermore, they are presented irrespective of the type of threat faced by the property, i.e. with specific and proven imminent danger (“ascertained danger”) or with threats which could have deleterious effects on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value (“potential danger”).

** : All mission reports are not always available electronically.


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