Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower
Factors affecting the property in 2016*
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Changing urban fabric due to the demolition of buildings and uncontrolled construction within the Walled City (issue resolved)
- Overall lack of any management system and in particular insufficient coordination between the national and municipal authorities (issue resolved)
- Absence of a comprehensive management plan that addresses conservation problems, urban development control and tourism activities (issue resolved)
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2016
Total amount provided to the property: USD 30,000 (American Funds Special Account, 2005/06); USD 22,000 (Netherlands Funds-in-Trust, 2005/06)
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2016
Total amount approved : 15,000 USD
| 1998 | Preparation of nomination file for the Walled City of ... (Approved) | 15,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2016**
February 2002: UNESCO mission; October 2002: UNESCO/ICOMOS mission; January 2003 and April 2003: UNESCO missions; November 2003: ICCROM mission; October 2004: UNESCO mission to participate in the Round Table; September 2005: UNESCO mission (with the University of Minnesota, USA); March 2007 and January 2009: joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring missions
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2016
The State Party submitted a state of conservation report on 10 December 2015, a summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/958/documents/. The report provides information on measures implemented by the Administration of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Icherisheher” (SHAHAR) in response to the decisions of the World Heritage Committee as follows:
- Formulating and adopting guidance for a consistent conservation and maintenance approach to the buildings within the property through development and adoption of relevant rules and guidelines;
- Improvement of the management model and development of the Integrated Area Management Action Plan (IAMAP) and General Detailed Conservation Master Plan of the Historical Centre of Baku (CMP), thereby maintaining the adequate state of conservation of historical-architectural monuments. SHAHAR is collaborating with other state agencies on the “Greater Baku Regional Development Plan” project, which is informed by the Historic-Urban Landscape approach;
- Strengthening of the effective implementation of the moratorium on further construction, elevation and inappropriate transformation of historical buildings within the property by undertaking regular inspections and monitoring, as well as by upgrading 24/7 CCTV control and security service on the territory. SHAHAR is also working closely with local residents to facilitate voluntarily removal of illegal constructions;
- The “Living City” approach has successfully been applied to improve and maintain better living conditions within the Walled City of Baku, and necessary actions to initiate and support rehabilitation of decayed historic buildings are being taken.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2016
The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies are of the view that the state of conservation of the property is being adequately addressed by the State Party. The State Party is encouraged to continue with the implementation of all relevant measures and plans, defining appropriate degrees of intervention for each element of the property, and giving consideration to defining a larger protection zone, in order to prevent any threats to its Outstanding Universal Value.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2016
40 COM 7B.105
Omnibus Decision
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
- Takes note with satisfaction of the measures taken by the States Parties concerned to address its previous requests to mitigate the threats on the Outstanding Universal Value of the following World Heritage properties:
- Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower (Azerbaijan),
- Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex (Russian Federation),
- New Lanark (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),
- Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (United States of America);
- Encourages the States Parties concerned to pursue their efforts to ensure the conservation of World Heritage properties;
- Recalling the benefits to States Parties of systematically utilizing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in the review of development projects, also encourages States Parties to integrate the EIA/HIA processes into legislation, planning mechanisms and management plans, and reiterates its recommendation to States Parties to use these tools in assessing projects, including assessment of cumulative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of properties, as early as possible and before any final decision is taken;
- Reminds the States Parties concerned to inform the World Heritage Centre in due course about any major development project that may negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value of a property, before any irreversible decisions are made, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.
Draft Decision: 40 COM 7B.105
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/16/40.COM/7B,
- Takes note with satisfaction of the measures taken by the States Parties concerned to address its previous requests to mitigate the threats on the Outstanding Universal Value of the following World Heritage properties:
- Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower (Azerbaijan),
- Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex (Russian Federation),
- New Lanark (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland),
- Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point (United States of America);
- Encourages the States Parties concerned to pursue their efforts to ensure the conservation of World Heritage properties;
- Recalling the benefits to States Parties of systematically utilizing Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in the review of development projects, encourages States Parties to integrate the EIA/HIA processes into legislation, planning mechanisms and management plans, and reiterates its recommendation to States Parties to use these tools in assessing projects, including assessment of cumulative impacts on the Outstanding Universal Value of properties, as early as possible and before any final decision is taken;
- Reminds the States Parties concerned to inform the World Heritage Centre in due course about any major development project that may negatively impact the Outstanding Universal Value of a property, before any irreversible decisions are made, in line with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.
Azerbaijan
Documents examined by the Committee
40COM (2016)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.
