Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox
Factors affecting the property in 1998*
- Other Threats:
Fire in the centre of Mompox in 1998
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1998
Total amount approved : 100,000 USD
| 1998 | Santa Cruz de Mompox (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
| 1998 | Santa Cruz de Mompox (Approved) | 50,000 USD |
| 1995 | Tourism study for Mompox (Approved) | 30,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 1998**
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1998
The Minister of Culture of Colombia informed the Secretariat that on 5 March 1998 a fire occurred in the centre of Mompox which affected part of a building block north of the Plaza de la Concepcion. Three buildings were practically destroyed. The roofs of three other buildings were removed to avoid further spreading of the fire. All six buildings date from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
The lack of fire-fighting equipment and a fire-brigade aggravated the damage considerably: the fire-brigade from a nearby village arrived three hours after the alarm was given and the local population could only limit the damage by hand-carrying water from the river.
The Minister reported that the city is very vulnerable to fire, due to the fact that electrical wiring is old and, in most cases, incorporated in the structural elements of the buildings.
The Minister submitted requests for consideration by the Chairperson of the Committee for technical cooperation (for the purchase of fire-fighting equipment and the training of a voluntary fire-brigade) and emergency assistance (for the restoration of the six damaged buildings).
Action Required
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1998
22 BUR V.B.40
Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox (Colombia)
The Bureau took note of the information on the fire that occurred in Mompox and the damage caused to six of its historic buildings. The Bureau noted that the Chairperson had approved emergency assistance for the restoration of the six damaged buildings, as well as technical co-operation for the purchase of fire-fighting equipment and the training of a voluntary fire brigade. It urged the national and local authorities to take the necessary measures for fire-prevention and requested the Colombian authorities to keep the Committee informed on the measures taken in this respect as well as on the restoration works undertaken.
Colombia
* :
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.
