Georgia’s Historical Monuments of Mtskheta inscribed on Danger List

The World Heritage Committee, chaired by María Jesús San Segundo, the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Spain to UNESCO, inscribed the Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (Georgia) on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of concerns over their preservation.

The Committee asked Georgia to adopt an integrated management plan for the site and address problems related to the serious deterioration of the stonework and frescoes at the site. Other issues of concern include the management of land near the churches, and loss of authenticity due to work carried out in the buildings, inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1994.

The site comprises the historic churches of Mtskheta, former capital of Georgia which represent outstanding examples of the high accomplishments of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus.

The property is the third to be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger during this session, which aims to raise international support for the conservation of World Heritage properties. The state of conservation of sites on the World Heritage List will resume on Tuesday.

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (Belize) and Los Katios National Park (Colombia) were also placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger while progress in the preservation of Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower (Azerbaijan) allowed for its removal from that List.