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Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam

Afghanistan
Factors affecting the property in 2003*
  • Civil unrest
  • Financial resources
  • Flooding
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Human resources
  • Illegal activities
  • Legal framework
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Other Threats:

    Need for consolidation and restoration of the monument

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2003
Requests approved: 1 (from 2002-2002)
Total amount approved : 20,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2003**
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2003

WHC:

Following the inscription of the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam on the World Heritage List in 2002, the World Heritage Centre prepared a project for the elaboration of a management plan for the site amounting to US$ 50,000 to be financed by the Government of Italy under the Funds-in-Trust Agreement. The implementation of this project, which aims to elaborate a management plan, strengthen the legal regulations for the protection of the site and to enhance the awareness of the local community of the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage, is expected to start in 2003. However, due to the security instability in spring 2003, the international expert mission to assist the authorities in establishing a management mechanism and plan mid- to long-term conservation of the entire property, scheduled to take place in May 2003, had to be postponed until autumn 2003.

 

Other UNESCO Sector or Field Office:

CLT/CH, in co-operation with the World Heritage Centre, organised an Expert Working Group for the Rehabilitation of Jam and Herat in January 2003. The working group urged the Afghan Government to prevent illicit traffic and to seek financial and technical assistance from the international community for the conservation of Jam and Herat. Concerning the property of Jam in particular, the working group stressed the need for adequate documentation, a metric survey of the minaret and effective monitoring. Furthermore, it was recommended that investigation for the stabilization of the Minaret should be undertaken, as well as the monitoring of the leaning, structural analysis and research concerning seismic hazards in the region. The possible impact of a road construction project was also discussed and it was decided that UNESCO should alert the national authorities in this regard and forward to them the recommendations of the Working Group.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2003
27 COM 7A.21
Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined the state of conservation report of the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam,;

2. Notes with concern the instability of the leaning Minaret, continued illicit on-site excavation and lack of management mechanism; 

3. Expresses appreciation to the Governments of Greece, Italy and Switzerland for their generous contributions for the protection of the property;

4. Requests the State Party and UNESCO to continue to co-operate closely to enhance the protection, conservation and management of the property to prevent looting on-site and to examine the environmental impact that the proposed thoroughfare in the immediate vicinity of the Minaret may cause, and to this end; 

5. Requests the World Heritage Centre to organize with ICOMOS, a reactive monitoring mission to assist the authorities in examining this latter issue, and to submit a report for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 28th session in 2004;

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

27 COM 8B.2
Properties maintained on the 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-03/27.COM/7A),;

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

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (27 COM 7A.21)
  • Butrint, Albania (27 COM 7A.26 )
  • Tipasa, Algeria (27 COM 7A.17)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (27 COM 7A.15)
  • Angkor, Cambodia (27 COM 7A.22)
  • Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, Central African Republic (27 COM 7A.12 )
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (27 COM 7A.4)
  • Virunga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Garamba National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2) 
  • Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo (27 COM 7A.2)
  • Sangay National Park, Ecuador (27 COM 7A.13)
  • Abu Mena, Egypt (27 COM 7A.18)
  • Simien National Park, Ethiopia (27 COM 7A.3)
  • Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (27 COM 7A.14)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (27 COM 7A.9)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (27 COM 7A.23)
  • Old City of Jerusalem & its Walls (27COM7A.29)
  • Timbuktu, Mali (27 COM 7A.16)
  • Air & Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (27 COM 7A.5)
  • Bahla Fort, Oman (27 COM 7A.19)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (27 COM 7A.242)
  • Chan Chan Archaeological Zone, Peru (27 COM 7A.28)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (27 COM 7A.25)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (27 COM 7A.6)
  • Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (27 COM 7A.8)
  • Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda (27 COM 7A.7) 
  • Everglades National Park, United States of America (27 COM 7A.11)
  • Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (27 COM 7A.20)

Draft Decision: 27 COM 7 (a) 21

 

The World Heritage Committee,

 

1.   Having examined the state of conservation report of the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam,

 

2.   Notes with concern the instability of the leaning Minaret, continued illicit excavation on-site, and lack of management mechanism; 

 

3.   Expresses appreciation to the Secretariat for its efforts to mobilise international co-operation for the conservation of the property; 

 

4.   Requests the Secretariat to continue to co-operate closely with the national authorities to enhance the protection, conservation and management of the property;

 

5.   Requests the State Party to examine closely the impact the road construction in the immediate vicinity of the Minaret could have both on the Minaret as well as the archaeological remains, before finalizing plans for the completion of this thoroughfare;

 

6.   Requests the World Heritage Centre to organize with ICOMOS a Reactive Monitoring Mission to assist the authorities in examining this issue;

 

7.   Decides to examine the state of conservation of the property at its 28th session in 2004; and

 

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

Report year: 2003
Afghanistan
Date of Inscription: 2002
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (ii)(iii)(iv)
Danger List (dates): 2002-present
Exports

* : 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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