Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)

• Important tourism development project with new constructions (issue resolved)
• Lack of comprehensive conservation plan, public use plan and archaeological research plan integrated with management plan
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure (issue resolved)
• Management systems/ management plan: complex management systems / structure
• Unstable structures and lack of security and planned conservation action

Total amount granted: USD 6,000 from the Italian Funds-in-Trust

On 30 November 2022, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, an executive summary of which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1093/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• Work has commenced to update the 2017 Management Plan. A workshop was held and work is progressing to incorporate the necessary information (including a conservation plan, action plan, public use plan, and archaeological research policy) into one document. Priorities are being refined and related actions elaborated. The revised Management Plan will be translated into Arabic for effective implementation and will be provided to the World Heritage Centre before official endorsement;

• In February 2022, a detailed evaluation report of work undertaken to date, current condition issues, and challenges, was prepared. This established the current six priorities: 1) The Stylite Tower; 2) The Castrum fortification; 3) Restoration and maintenance of mosaics and archaeological features; 4) Interpretation of the site; 5) Public safety; and 6) Protection against illegal excavations;

• While the state of conservation of the Stylite Tower is continuously monitored, work is continuing in cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Amman on drafting Terms of Reference for the Stylite Tower stabilization study to guide its structural consolidation, based on a range of analyses carried out in 2014;
• Conservation works at the Castrum have been constrained due to limited financial and human resources. Its documentation was completed in 2021, and planning for maintenance and restoration will be part of the current review of the 2017 Management Plan;
• Priorities 3 to 6 have already been progressed to a large extent, with conservation and protective work for the mosaics at four church complexes, the repair, replacement and augmentation of interpretative signage, and gridding of many wells that presented hazards to visitors and locals;
• Plans are being developed to instal wooden shelters over six church and mosaic sites to provide elevated visitor viewing platforms and therefore avoiding the need to walk on the mosaics;
• A training programme related to risk assessment and the mitigation of illegal excavations led to proposals for lighting and CCTV cameras to be set up along with a generator for electricity, as a deterrent to illegal excavation. A related programme was also established for community information and awareness, which stressed not only the heritage values but the importance of the site for tourism;
• The boundaries of the property and buffer zone have been further considered and found to be adequate to protect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. Parcels of land both within and outside the buffer zone are being acquired to ensure protection and effective management of the property;
• The Department of Antiquities will invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission once the drafts of the projects are finalised with relevant stakeholders and partners, but prior their implementation, depending on the financial resources available.

Progress in updating the 2017 Management Plan is welcomed, as is the refinement of priorities in a list that can guide action, and the translation into Arabic for local use. The State Party should be encouraged to maintain this momentum and submit the draft updated Plan to the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies when completed. The Plan is identified by the State Party as the basis for prioritising the urgent conservation work at the Castrum, which is not addressed in the report.

While the detailed documentation of the Stylite Tower and the Castrum, and the cooperation with the UNESCO Office in Amman are welcomed, and the resourcing issues are recognised, the apparent absence of any stabilization/conservation work based on the 2014 baseline studies, despite continued requests for information on the issue remains a major concern. It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its request that the planning for the urgent stabilization works be completed as quickly as possible and works implemented to ensure the ongoing protection of the Stylite Tower.

The proposed works related to the ‘rehabilitation’ of six churches (The Peacock Chapel, Church of the Lions, Church of Priest Wa’il, Church of the River, Church of the Palm Tree and Church of Saint Paul) and the construction of wooden shelters and platforms is not sufficiently described. The extent of the work and any potential impact on the property’s OUV cannot be assessed. Therefore, it is also recommended that the Committee request the State Party to provide detailed plans for the construction of the shelters and viewing platforms before works commence.

The State Party is to be commended on the repair and augmentation of the visitor signage and the protective measures at wells to ensure public safety.

The efforts to address illegal excavation are to be commended as well, while it is recommended that the Committee request further information on the extent of illegal excavation taking place, and on the effectiveness of the camera and lighting system once installed and operating.

The further consideration and confirmation of the adequacy of the property and buffer zone boundaries was reported in the previous state of conservation report, and the continued process of land acquisition is noted.

The proposal to invite a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Advisory mission is welcomed, though the suggested timing to be ‘once the drafts of the projects are finalised’ is not very clear. It would be most useful to have a mission when the draft updated Management Plan is available, but before it is finalised. The mission should address the number of recurrent conservation issues identified in former state of conservation reports, such as the Management plan, the prioritisation of site work, the urgency of works at the Stylite Tower and Castrum, site security issues, and the long-term planning for church conservation.