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State of Conservation Old Walled City of Shibam 2023

Old Walled City of Shibam

Yemen
Factors affecting the property in 2023*
  • Civil unrest
  • Financial resources
  • Flooding
  • Human resources
  • War
  • Water (rain/water table)
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Financial resources
  • Human resources
  • Floods (issue previously reported as being resolved)
  • Poor maintenance (issue previously reported as being resolved)
  • Damage to historic buildings
  • Reduction in support and resources arising from political and socio-economic disturbances
  • Armed conflict situation since 2015
  • Threats from rain and floods
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
  • Threats from natural elements
  • Lack of organizational support and material resources for conservation
  • Threats related to the armed conflict
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger

Not yet drafted

Corrective Measures for the property

Not yet identified

UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2023

Total amount granted to Yemeni cultural properties: USD 194,836 from the European Union for damage assessments, capacity development and emergency stabilization of damaged buildings and protection of archaeological sites.

2018-2021: 9,780,000 EUR from the European Union for the project: Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen (Sana’a, Shibam, Zabid and Aden)

2022-2026: USD 22,552,000 from the European Union for the project: Youth Employment through Culture and Heritage in Yemen

2023: USD 925,925 from Japan for Building Climate-resilient Communities in Historic Cities in Yemen through Strengthened Disaster Risk Management and Awareness (Old City of Sana’a and Old Walled City of Shibam)

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2023
Requests approved: 6 (from 1982-1999)
Total amount approved : 121,966 USD
1999 Exposition of the photographs of the architectures in ... (Approved)   166 USD
1998 Supplement for the handcraft centre in Shibam (Approved)   20,000 USD
1993 Emergency measures regarding the drainage system Shibam ... (Approved)   40,500 USD
1993 Financial contribution to organize an evaluation ... (Approved)   9,500 USD
1988 4 fellowships for specialists working on the World ... (Approved)   31,800 USD
1982 Elaboration of a plan for the installation of a waste ... (Approved)   20,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2023**

N/A

2009 Report on the WHC Mission to Yemen, 21-31 January 2009
1997 Report on the WHC Mission to Yemen, November 1997
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2023

On 31 January 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/192/documents/, presenting the following information:

  • The property remains exposed to threats from floods, rain, and resulting damage to mud buildings, as well as ongoing conflict and lack of government financial support;
  • The implementation of conservation projects, supported by the UNESCO Office for the Gulf States and Yemen, has continued, in the framework of the European Union funded project ‘Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen’, in partnership with the Social Fund for Development (SFD) and Public Works Project (PWP). These projects included restoration of public infrastructure, the city wall and buildings, and street paving, and removal of Seasbana trees. In the future, this project will provide training and awareness programs targeting craftsmen, youth, workers in the field of cultural heritage and students, schools and universities;
  • Other significant projects have occurred, including an emergency project to restore buildings supported by the Arab Yemen Cement Company. This project includes restoration of 35 mud buildings, creation of job opportunities and promotion of traditional building skills in mud and woodwork for young people, deployment of corporate support, and environmental improvements. A project to document historical monuments at risk was funded by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), and a project documenting Islamic landmarks in danger was funded by ALIPH and Monumenta Orientalia 2021 through SFD. Works also occurred at the Governmental Complex and Seiyun Palace (the latter being outside the property);
  • There have been limited training activities owing to the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some online and offsite workshops have occurred including workshops on preparing the national registry, (Manama, Bahrain), and on Policy for the Integration of a Sustainable Development Perspective into the Processes of the World Heritage Convention, implemented by the Arab Regional Center for World Heritage (ARC-WH, Bahrain);
  • Some background was provided on the unsuccessful last stage of the Oasis project previously reported to the Committee, and the hope is expressed that it may be completed in a way that ensures better coordination and supervision to achieve the desired goals.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2023

As has been the case since the inscription of the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2015, the security situation in Yemen, in combination with flood damage and threats, plus a general lack of resources, continues to challenge effective heritage management and physical conservation works within the property. The efforts undertaken to conserve the site and the completed conservation projects should be acknowledged. However, many of the significant buildings and features are constructed of mud, as well as being located in a flood-prone area, and therefore remain at severe risk of major damage from natural elements and the effects of armed conflict, unless further preventive measures are undertaken.

The European Union funded project ‘Cash for Work: Promoting Livelihood Opportunities for Urban Youth in Yemen,’ which was implemented between 2018 and 2022 by UNESCO, has promoted livelihood opportunities for youth through urban regeneration, including the maintenance and rehabilitation of buildings. The project has provided job opportunities to 6,263 young Yemenis in the four targeted cities (Old City of Sana’a, Old walled City of Shibam, Old Town of Zabid and historic areas of Aden) and has contributed to damage assessment and conservation. Documentation and conservation works have been undertaken, and a range of training and community awareness programmes have been implemented. In the framework of this project, 76 residential houses have been rehabilitated at this property, various public spaces with associated infrastructure (water, sanitation, electricity, paving) have been upgraded, and urban furniture has been installed. In addition, the City Wall has been stabilized and restored, and Seasbana trees that used to block the flow of rainwater have been removed. In terms of capacity building, 93 beneficiaries were engaged in training activities focusing on traditional construction techniques and the standards required in the preservation of historical sites. A new phase of the project, entitled ‘Youth Employment through Culture and Heritage in Yemen’ has been launched with funding by the European Union. In addition, ARC-WH completed two projects at the property in 2022, through the generous funding from ALIPH and in cooperation with local partners.

While welcoming the repair and restoration projects which have occurred, and noting the further advice about the ‘Shibam Oasis Development Project’, it is recommended that the Committee remind the State Party of its previous request that detailed information on the works undertaken at the Governmental Complex, as well as the report ‘Conservation Status of Shibam Hadramout 2018-2019, Strategy for the Management of the Historic City of Shibam’, should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines. The definition of boundaries remains an important step towards ensuring the protection of the property. It is therefore crucial that efforts are pursued towards the eventual submission of a minor boundary modification proposal for the property, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines.

Further support from the international community remains essential for building capacity in preventive and conservation measures. The previously requested Reactive Monitoring mission should visit the property as soon as the situation allows.

The Old Walled City of Shibam remains subject to ascertained and potential danger, and it would be appropriate for the property to remain on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2023
45 COM 7A.50
Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) (C 192)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.27 adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/online, 2021),
  3. Commends the ongoing local and international efforts to protect and conserve the property, despite the very difficult conditions, and takes note of the conservation projects which have been completed;
  4. Expresses its continuing concern about the damage caused to the property as a result of natural elements and the ongoing armed conflict, and that the property continues to be vulnerable, owing to the residual impact of previous flooding as well as the current security situation, ongoing social change and continuing lack of resources for both heritage management and physical conservation;
  5. Reiterates its previous requests to the State Party to:
    1. Submit information on all major projects, to the World Heritage Centre, in compliance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, for review by of the Advisory Bodies,
    2. Submit the report ‘Conservation Status of Shibam Hadramout 2018-2019, Strategy for the Management of the Historic City of Shibam’, as well as full details regarding the works undertaken at the Governmental Complex buildings, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
    3. Elaborate proposals for a boundary clarification and a minor boundary modification in close coordination with UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies, to be submitted in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines,
    4. Consider ratifying the Second Protocol (1999) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict;
  6. Commends the outcomes of the first phase of the UNESCO-EU Cash for Work project in Yemen, the launch of the new EU-funded UNESCO Project ‘Youth Employment through Culture and Heritage in Yemen’, as well as in the implementation of the Japan-funded project ‘Building Climate-resilient Communities in Historic Cities in Yemen through Strengthened Disaster Risk Management and Awareness’;
  7. Reiterates the need for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to advise on repair and conservation works, and to contribute to the processes required to enable the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, including the implementation of corrective measures, as soon as the situation in Yemen allows;
  8. Continues to urge all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from any further action that would cause damage to the cultural heritage of Yemen and the OUV of the property, and to fulfil their obligations under international law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, especially sites on the World Heritage List and those included in the Tentative List of Yemen, and appeals to all States Parties to cooperate in the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347;
  9. Reiterates its previous calls to the international community to provide technical and financial support, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, for the implementation of the Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage, including funding for capacity building and first-aid restoration and protection measures;
  10. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session;
  11. Decides to retain Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Read more
45 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Retained Properties)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/23/45.COM/7A, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.3, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.4),
  2. Having examined the recommendations of the Advisory Bodies, decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
  • Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 45 COM 7A.51)
  • Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 45 COM 7A.52)
  • Austria, Historic Centre of Vienna (Decision 45 COM 7A.55)
  • Bolivia (Plurinational State of), City of Potosí (Decision 45 COM 7A.18)
  • Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.3)
  • Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.4)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.5)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.6)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.7)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.8)
  • Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 45 COM 7A.26)
  • Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.1)
  • Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 45 COM 7A.15)
  • Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 45 COM 7A.27)
  • Iraq, Hatra (Decision 45 COM 7A.28)
  • Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 45 COM 7A.29)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan) (Decision 45 COM 7A.31)
  • Kenya, Lake Turkana National Parks (Decision 45 COM 7A.10)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Decision 45 COM 7A.33)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (Decision 45 COM 7A.34)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Sabratha (Decision 45 COM 7A.35)
  • Libya, Old Town of Ghadamès (Decision 45 COM 7A.36)
  • Libya, Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Decision 45 COM 7A.37)
  • Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 45 COM 7A.11)
  • Mali, Old Towns of Djenné (Decision 45 COM 7A.22)
  • Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 45 COM 7A.23)
  • Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 45 COM 7A.24)
  • Mexico, Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Decision 45 COM 7A.2)
  • Micronesia (Federated States of), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (Decision 45 COM 7A.53)
  • Niger, Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 45 COM 7A.12)
  • Palestine, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Decision 45 COM 7A.39)
  • Palestine, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Decision 45 COM 7A.38)
  • Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 45 COM 7A.19)
  • Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 45 COM 7A.20)
  • Romania, Roșia Montană Mining Landscape (Decision 45 COM 7A.56)
  • Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.13)
  • Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 45 COM 7A.57)
  • Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 45 COM 7A.16)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 45 COM 7A.40)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 45 COM 7A.41)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 45 COM 7A.42)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 45 COM 7A.43)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 45COM 7A.44)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 45 COM 7A.45)
  • United Republic of Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.14)
  • United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.17)
  • Uzbekistan, Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Decision 45 COM 7A.54)
  • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Coro and its Port (Decision 45 COM 7A.21)
  • Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 45 COM 7A.47)
  • Yemen, Old City of Sana’a (Decision 45 COM 7A.49)
  • Yemen, Old Walled City of Shibam (Decision 45 COM 7A.50)
3.    Recalls that the following properties were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger at its 18th extraordinary session (UNESCO, 2023):
  • Lebanon, Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.1)
  • Ukraine, The Historic Centre of Odesa (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2)
  • Yemen, Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.3)
Read more
Draft Decision: 45 COM 7A.50

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add,
  2. Recalling Decision 44 COM 7A.27, adopted at its extended 44th session (Fuzhou/Online, 2021),
  3. Commends the ongoing local and international efforts to protect and conserve the property, despite the very difficult conditions, and takes note of the conservation projects which have been completed;
  4. Expresses its continuing concern about the damage caused to the property as a result of natural elements and the ongoing armed conflict, and that the property continues to be vulnerable, owing to the residual impact of previous flooding as well as the current security situation, ongoing social change and continuing lack of resources for both heritage management and physical conservation;
  5. Reiterates its previous requests to the State Party to:
    1. Submit information on all major projects, to the World Heritage Centre, in compliance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, for review by of the Advisory Bodies,
    2. Submit the report ‘Conservation Status of Shibam Hadramout 2018-2019, Strategy for the Management of the Historic City of Shibam’, as well as full details regarding the works undertaken at the Governmental Complex buildings, to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines,
    3. Elaborate proposals for a boundary clarification and a minor boundary modification in close coordination with UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies, to be submitted in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines,
    4. Consider ratifying the Second Protocol (1999) of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict;
  6. Commends the outcomes of the first phase of the UNESCO-EU Cash for Work project in Yemen, the launch of the new EU-funded UNESCO Project ‘Youth Employment through Culture and Heritage in Yemen’, as well as in the implementation of the Japan-funded project ‘Building Climate-resilient Communities in Historic Cities in Yemen through Strengthened Disaster Risk Management and Awareness’;
  7. Reiterates the need for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to advise on repair and conservation works, and to contribute to the processes required to enable the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger, including the implementation of corrective measures, as soon as the situation in Yemen allows;
  8. Continues to urge all parties involved in the conflict to refrain from any further action that would cause damage to the cultural heritage of Yemen and the OUV of the property, and to fulfil their obligations under international law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, by taking all possible measures to protect such heritage, especially sites on the World Heritage List and those included in the Tentative List of Yemen, and appeals to all States Parties to cooperate in the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict as per the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2347;
  9. Reiterates its previous calls to the international community to provide technical and financial support, including through the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund, for the implementation of the Emergency Action Plan for the Safeguarding of Yemen’s Cultural Heritage, including funding for capacity building and first-aid restoration and protection measures;
  10. Requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session;
  11. Decides to retain Old Walled City of Shibam (Yemen) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Previous 2021
Report year: 2023
Yemen
Date of Inscription: 1982
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)(iv)(v)
Danger List (dates): 2015-present
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2022) .pdf
Initialy proposed for examination in 2022
arrow_circle_right 45COM (2023)
Exports
Previous 2021

* : 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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