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Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan)
Factors affecting the property in 2006*
  • Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure
  • Governance
  • High impact research / monitoring activities
  • Housing
  • Identity, social cohesion, changes in local population and community
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Other Threats:

    Natural risk factors; Deterioration of monument

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports

a) Natural risk factors;

b) Lack of planning, governance and management processes;

c) Alteration of the urban and social fabric;

d) Impact of archaeological excavations;

e) Deterioration of monuments;

f) Urban environment and visual integrity;

g) Traffic, access and circulation.

Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger

Excerpts from the Report of the Rapporteur of the Sixth Session of the Committee, Paris, 13-17 December 1982 (document CLT 82/CH/CONF.015/8)

31. … they considered that the situation of this property corresponds to the criteria mentioned in the ICOMOS note and, in particular, to criteria (e) (significant loss of historical authenticity) and (f) (important loss of cultural significance) as far as "ascertained danger" is concerned, and to criteria (a) (modification of juridical status of the property diminishing the degree of its protection), (b)(lack of conservation policy) and (d) (threatening effects of town planning) as far as "potential danger" is concerned. […]

33. After discussion, the Committee decided […] to inscribe the "Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls" on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Corrective Measures for the property

No benchmark has ever been established to correct the present situation of the site, except mitigation measures including an Action Plan developed within the initiative of the Director-General.

Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
Any timeframe, still to be decided, will have to be discussed within the Experts Committee convened by the Director-General for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem.
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2006

Total amount allocated to the property: USD 3,166,033 (since 1988)

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2006
Requests approved: 1 (from 1982-1982)
Total amount approved : 100,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2006**

February-March 2004, World Heritage Centre-ICOMOS-ICCROM; September 2005, World Heritage Centre and experts; December 2005, World Heritage Centre and experts; March 2006, World Heritage Centre and experts; June 2006, World Heritage Centre and experts

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2006

This State of Conservation Report is based on information collected by the World Heritage Centre and by the experts during the missions conducted in the past two years in the framework of the initiative of the Director-General of UNESCO (the Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the old city of Jerusalem) as well as information provided by local institutions and organisations. At the 28th session of the Committee (Suzhou, 2004), the World Heritage Centre presented a report on the state of conservation of the Old City of Jerusalem based on previous reports by the Special Advisers to the Director-General of UNESCO for Jerusalem, and on the report to the Executive Board of UNESCO (170 EX/10 Rev) of the mission carried out in February-March 2004 by the Director of the World Heritage Centre, the Director-General of ICCROM and the President of ICOMOS (Document WHC-04/28.COM/15A). Additional missions by the World Heritage Centre and experts were undertaken in September and December 2005, in March and June 2006, within the framework of the elaboration of the Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem.

A) State of Conservation of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

Natural Risks

The Old City of Jerusalem is situated in an area known for its seismic activities. Major earthquakes have in the past damaged important monuments such as the Holy Sepulchre (the Chapel of the Sepulchre of Christ is still waiting for the reparation of the damages suffered during the 1927 quake) or the al-Aqsa Mosque. Smaller quakes are frequent, the last having been registered on 11 February 2004 with 4.9 to 5.3 on the Richter scale. While seismic risks for the inhabitants and the monuments exist, no risk prevention plan has been so far established.

Planning and Governance

Owing to the current political situation, the Old City of Jerusalem lacks a coherent institutional and planning coordination framework, which would ensure the appropriate management and conservation of its cultural heritage.

Since 1967, the Old City of Jerusalem is de facto administered by the Israeli authorities. Therefore, all new constructions and conservation projects are in principle subject to the administrative jurisdiction of the Municipality. However, although the Israeli Antiquities Authority requires a permit for any building activity within the Old City, in reality, most building activities within the Old City, especially small interventions, are presently carried out without any permit. The Municipality of Jerusalem has prepared a Master Plan for the City, which includes a Detailed Plan for the Conservation of the Old City at a scale 1:1250. This document, prepared with the support of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, is currently under discussion. An overall study for the Revitalisation of the Old City of Jerusalem has been prepared in 2004 by the Welfare Association, a NGO involved in social projects in the Old City.

Among the Palestinian institutions, the main actor is the Islamic Waqf, the largest single owner in the Old City, which is responsible for the maintenance and conservation of al-Haram ash-Sharîf, as well as for the safeguarding of all other properties of the “endowment”, i.e. all Islamic monuments and other estate properties (over 1,500) in the Old City. Within the Christian communities, the main entities involved are the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Custody of the Terra Sancta (Franciscans), the Armenian Patriarchate and the Coptic Patriarchate.

Alteration of the urban and social fabric

The population density in the Old City has reached very high levels, especially in the past decade. Today, this relatively small area is subject to extraordinary pressures, due to population increase as well as security measures affecting the circulation of people and materials and the accessibility to holy sites, while the traditional links and exchanges with the communities of the hinterland have been severed by the construction of the wall.

A combined result of overcrowding and the lack of an effective management and conservation system within the Old City is the uncontrolled spreading of building activities, resulting in the continuous alteration of the urban fabric. Additions on the rooftops and the densification of existing buildings, which in recent years have completely changed the traditional urban landscape of the Old City, are the most common of these various types of alteration. The lack of maintenance, owing to ownership issues, administrative problems in obtaining the necessary permits and lack of financial resources are among the factors affecting the state of conservation of the urban fabric of the Old City.

Some new projects are presently under consideration. In particular, the project to build a new residential area on the site of the current parking lot on the southern edge of the Jewish Quarter within the walls, near Bâb an-Nabî Dâ’ûd (also called Zion Gate), is under discussion. This project aims to build an underground parking lot above the archaeological layers (estimated to be at about 6 metres under the present surface level), with access external to the Walls. According to information collected during the late mission by the World Heritage Centre (June 2006), a trial archaeological excavation in this area may be started in the near future.

Another development project being considered is a new Israeli settlement close to the North-East corner of the Old City, in the area called “Burj al-Laqlaq”, in the Muslim Quarter. The proposed project has been recommended by the Local Planning Commission, but has not been presented to the District Planning Commission for approval, nor has been approved by the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Archaeological excavations are presently underway in the location of the proposed project. This project has raised controversy for its nature and because it affects one of the few remaining open spaces of the Old City. In 2005 the Director-General of UNESCO has asked the Israeli Authorities to withdraw the proposal.

In the plaza facing the Western Wall, a new project is currently under implementation. Archaeological excavations were conducted in the area in the past year, and the plan for the construction of an educational building to the west of the plaza is currently in the last stages of approval, pending the completion of the archaeological evaluations.

In the Jewish Quarter, the Hurva Synagogue, originally built in the 1860s and destroyed after 1948, is presently being rebuilt in its original form.

Impact of archaeological research on the conservation of cultural heritage

Since 1967, an extensive investigation of the archaeological subsoil in the Old City has been undertaken by the Israeli authorities, leading to several excavation campaigns over the past 39 years, in contradiction with the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed conflict and the 1956 UNESCO Recommendation on international principles applicable to archaeological excavations.

Inside the Old City, excavations are taking place under a series of buildings, in the vicinity of the Hammam Al-Ain, under the former Ohel Yizhak Synagogue. According to the latest information received (mission by the World Heritage Centre, June 2006), the excavations are currently suspended due to lack of funds, while the reconstruction of the synagogue destroyed in the 1936 riots is continuing.

Further to the collapse, in February 2004, of the northern side of the embankment supporting the entrance ramp to al-Haram ash-Sharîf, a provisional structure has been established. Possible solutions for the public entrance ramp are currently being evaluated by the Israeli Antiquities Authority. This project could be associated to archaeological excavations and has not yet been finalised. The Islamic Waqf expressed its preoccupation for these excavations as they affect a very sensitive area between the Western wall and the already excavated surroundings of the South-West corner of the al-Haram ash-Sharîf.

Deterioration of monuments

Besides their cultural and artistic value, the Jerusalem monuments have overwhelming religious and symbolic significance to millions of people. The lack of maintenance is one of the main problems affecting the state of conservation of monuments of the Old City of Jerusalem. Many monuments are in a very bad state of conservation and require urgent intervention. Very often, controversies around property ownership between the different communities cause serious delays or blockages of needed interventions. The most evident case is the situation of the Birkat Hammam el-Batrak (also known as Pool of Hezekiah), a seasonal pool located in the centre of the Old City, completely surrounded by houses and with only one access, that has been turned into a garbage dump. As the ownership of the access to the Pool is contested between different communities, no work is allowed to clean the area and remove a serious health hazard.

Another problem is the inability to conduct conservation works in the Muslim quarter according to a planned schedule, owing to unforeseeable changes in administrative and security measures. The restoration works at the Madrasa al-Ashrafîya inside the al-Haram ash-Sharîf, for example, have suffered great delays owing to the difficulty to get through the necessary building materials and workers, due to the strict access and security measures implemented by the Israeli authorities.

Impacts on the visual integrity

In the immediate surroundings of the Old City, the following projects are presently being implemented or under discussion:

(i)the reorganisation of the traffic infrastructure around the Walls, comprising a new system of roads and tunnels (completed) and the “Jerusalem light rail” which will connect West Jerusalem to the Old City and to the Israeli settlements north and south of the town. This project can have a beneficial effect in reducing traffic, but for its proximity to the Walls, affects visually the immediate surroundings of the Old City;

(ii) the completion of the Mamilla project, after over a decade of inaction due to legal disputes between the developer and the Authorities;

(iii) the construction of the Mount Zion Hotel, approved over three years ago, which will affect the area above Wadi Jahannin (also known as Hinnom Valley). Detailed plans for this building are under preparation.

(iv) the construction by the Simon Wiesenthal Centre of the “Centre for Human Dignity” on the location of an abandoned Muslim cemetery (presently called “Independence Park”) at some five to eight hundred meters from the Old City; this construction may impact on the urban landscape;

(v) The construction of a Cable car from Bâb an-Nabî Dâ’ûd (also known as Zion Gate) to the old Railway station. According to information received, this is a very preliminary suggestion still under discussion.

As the site of the Old City of Jerusalem does not have a buffer zone, legal protection of the immediate surroundings is limited. The creation of a buffer zone would certainly be necessary from a technical viewpoint, but it has proven difficult for political and legal reasons.

The Master Plans currently being processed by the Israeli authorities have identified a buffer zone that includes the visual space of the Old City. In addition, there are two detailed Plans for the areas to the north of the Old City between the west and the east central areas. Whereas there are guidelines to ensure a stepped height limit, higher buildings are being approved beyond these guidelines up to 24 stories on the far ridge towards the west entrance of the city. In the central area to the north of the Bab al-Amud (also known as Damascus Gate) and Bab al-Sahera (also known as Herod’s Gate), additional floors will be allowed. A Plan is under preparation for the areas that will aim at preserving the areas between the Old City and Wadi al-Qilt at Silwân (also known as Kidron Valley) and Wadi Jahannin (also known as Hinnom Valley).

Traffic, access and circulation

Except for the new infrastructures being planned outside of the Old City, no new traffic infrastructure has been built. Traffic inside the Old City is regulated and restricted, but it is quite heavy during peak hours and days despite regulations in place. In consideration of the peculiar structure of the site, vehicular circulation should be excluded from the Old City as much as possible and parking should not be allowed except temporarily for utilitarian reasons.

B) The Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of Jerusalem

Further to decision 170 EX/3.6.1. adopted by the Executive Board in October 2004, and based on the guidelines set and proposals made by the international Committee of experts at its January 2005 meeting, the Secretariat has started elaborating the Action Plan. Thanks to the generous financial contribution from the Government of Italy, as well as assistance provided from the government of Spain, and with the agreement of the concerned parties, the following activities have been initiated by the World Heritage Centre and are currently being finalised:

1. Needs Map for the Conservation of Historic Monuments and Sites

This component of the Plan will identify all the historic monuments and sites of the Old City, their state of conservation, use, typology, ownership and heritage value, and generate a basic information tool to prepare conservation and possible adaptive re-use projects. In this first phase, it is planned to identify monuments and sites, transfer the data on a GIS, and carry out the survey of a limited number of monuments/sites.

2. Project Profiles

A number of conservation and restoration project sheets (between 15 and 20) will be elaborated among those identified during the preparation of the Needs Map, in order to prepare the implementation of the 2nd phase of the Action Plan. The project profiles will identify specific areas or buildings, their state of conservation, their current and potential use, and the main restoration and conservation measures to be undertaken. The project sheets will contain a preliminary project description accompanied by a budget estimate of the interventions.

At the end of this phase, a booklet will be designed and published in order for it to be submitted to potential donors for funding. This booklet, which could be made available also on-line, will be the first fund-raising tool to mobilise international support to carry out the conservation of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem.

3. Improvement of Housing

This project aims at the improvement of the quality of the housing stock and of the living conditions of the inhabitants preserving the ordinary architectural elements of the urban fabric as an essential component of the World Heritage Site of Jerusalem. Different activities are planned:

a) Elaboration of a Manual for Housing maintenance and rehabilitation; a technical handbook for professionals and craftsmen:

The Manual will be a practical and operational rehabilitation tool, designed to bring simple and illustrated answers to concrete problems through technical files.

b) Training courses to disseminate the Manual:

The training of local experts and craftsmen is an essential step to disseminate the Manual. Moreover, the involvement of the communities living in the area is a prerequisite for their participation in future maintenance.

4. Development of micro credit schemes

In parallel with the preparation of the Manual, a feasibility study has been undertaken to develop a housing renovation and conservation micro-credit system for the residents of the Old City of Jerusalem. It should also aim at identifying possible financing sources.

5. Revitalising cultural life

In accordance with the guidelines defined by the International Committee of Experts, which stressed in the Action Plan the need for awareness programmes for the local population - focusing on women and youth – and for capacity-building of local professionals in heritage conservation and management, a number of cultural activities have been identified, which could take place in renovated houses or premises, and will be discussed during the second meeting of the Committee of Experts in September 2006. These include training activities to support craftsmanship.

The second meeting of the International Committee of Experts will be convened on 4 and 5 September 2006, in order to examine the progress made in the preparation of the Action Plan.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2006
30 COM 7A.34
State of Conservation (Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/7A.Add.Rev,

2. Recalling Decision 29 COM 7A.31 adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

3. Further recalling 32 C/Resolution 39 of the General Conference of UNESCO and Decision 172EX.18 of the Executive Board of UNESCO, as well as the provisions of the four Geneva Conventions (1949), the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) and the related Protocols, and the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), the inclusion of the Old City of Jerusalem in the World Heritage List and in the List of World Heritage in Danger, and the recommendations, resolutions and decisions of UNESCO on the protection of cultural heritage,

4. Affirming that nothing, in the present decision, which aims at the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem, shall in any way affect the relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, in particular the relevant Security Council resolutions on the legal status of Jerusalem,

5. Reiterates its concern as to the obstacles and practices, such as archaeological excavations or new constructions, which could alter the outstanding universal value of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem, including its urban and social fabric as well as its visual integrity;

6. Asks the Israeli authorities to provide to the World Heritage Centre all relevant information concerning the new buildings planned in and around the Western Wall Plaza, including the plans for the reconstruction of the access leading to the al-Haram ash-Sharîf;

7. Invites all authorities and institutions to cooperate constructively for the conservation of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem and, in particular, the Israeli authorities to facilitate access of materials and technical staff for the restoration of monuments and housing in the Old City, in particular in the al-Haram ash-Sharîf;

8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to report on the state of conservation and on the progress in the preparation and implementation of the Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem, together with the necessary achievable benchmarks, for the examination by the Committee at its 31st session in 2007;

9. Further requests the concerned parties to collaborate with the World Heritage Centre in this endeavour and invites all the States Parties to contribute to its implementation through extra-budgetary funding;

10. Congratulates the Director-General of UNESCO for his commitment in pursuing a comprehensive initiative for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem;

11. Decides to retain the Old City of Jerusalem on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

30 COM 8C.2
Update of the World Heritage List 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-06/30.COM/7A and WHC-06/30.COM/7A.Add.Rev),

2. Maintains the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

   • Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 30 COM 7A.22)

   • Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, (Decision 30 COM 7A.23)

   • Azerbaijan, Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower (Decision 30 COM 7A.29

   • Benin, Royal Palaces of Abomey (Decision 30 COM 7A.16)

   • Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.1)

   • Chile, Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works (Decision 30 COM 7A.31)

   • Côte d'Ivoire, Comoé National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.2)

   • Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 30 COM 7A.3)

   • Democratic Rep. of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 30 COM 7A.8)

   • Democratic Rep. of the Congo Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.6)

   • Democratic Rep. of the Congo Virunga National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.7)

   • Democratic Rep. of the Congo Garamba National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.4)

   • Democratic Rep. of the Congo Salonga National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.5)

   • Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 30 COM 7A.19)

   • Ethiopia, Simien National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.9)

   • Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 30 COM 7A.15)

   • India, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (Decision 30 COM 7A.13)

   • Islamic Republic of Iran, Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Decision 30 COM 7A.25)

   • Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 30 COM 7A.20)

   • Jerusalem, Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (Decision 30 COM 7A.34)

   • Nepal, Kathmandu Valley (Decision 30 COM 7A.26)

   • Niger, Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 30 COM 7A.10)

   • Pakistan, Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore (Decision 30 COM 7A.27)

   • Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 30 COM 7A.32)

   • Philippines, Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (Decision 30 COM 7A.28)

   • United Republic of Tanzania, Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara (Decision 28 COM 7A.17)

   • United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 30 COM 7A.14)

   • Venezuela, Coro and its Port (Decision 30 COM 7A.33)

   • Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 30 COM 7A.21)

Draft Decision: 30 COM 7A.34

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC-06/30.COM/7A.Add.Rev.,

2. Recalling its Decision 29 COM 7A.31 adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

3. Further recalling32 C/Resolution 39 of the General Conference of UNESCO and 172EX/Decision 18 of the Executive Board of UNESCO, as well as the provisions of the four Geneva Conventions (1949), the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict (1954) and the related Protocols, and the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), the inclusion of the Old City of Jerusalem in the World Heritage List and in the List of World Heritage in Danger, and the recommendations, resolutions and decisions of UNESCO on the protection of the cultural heritage,

4. Affirming that nothing, in the present decision, which aims at the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem, shall in any way affect the relevant United Nations resolutions and decisions, in particular the relevant Security Council resolutions on the legal status of Jerusalem,

5. Reiterates its concern as to the obstacles and practices, such as archaeological excavations or new constructions, which could alter the outstanding universal value of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem, including its urban and social fabric as well as its visual integrity;

6. Asks the Israeli Authorities to provide to the World Heritage Centre all relevant information concerning the new buildings planned in the Western Wall Plaza, as well as the plans for the reconstruction of the ramp leading to the al-Haram ash-Sharîf;

7. Invites all authorities and institutions to cooperate constructively for the conservation of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem and in particular to facilitate access of materials and technical staff for the restoration of Monuments and Housing in the Old City, in particular in the al-Haram ash-Sharîf;

8. Requests the World Heritage Centre to report on the progress in the preparation and implementation of the Action Plan for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem for the consideration of the Committee at its 31st session in 2007;

9. Further requests the concerned parties to collaborate with the World Heritage Centre in this endeavour and invites all the States Parties to contribute to its implementation through extra-budgetary funding;

10. Congratulates the Director-General of UNESCO for his commitment in pursuing a comprehensive initiative for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem;

11. Decides to retain the Old City of Jerusalem on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Report year: 2006
Jerusalem (Site proposed by Jordan)
Date of Inscription: 1981
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (ii)(iii)(vi)
Danger List (dates): 1982-present
Documents examined by the Committee
arrow_circle_right 30COM (2006)
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.


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