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State of Conservation Petra 1998

Petra

Jordan
Factors affecting the property in 1998*
  • Commercial development
  • Ground transport infrastructure
  • Housing
  • Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure
  • Management activities
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Solid waste
  • Other Threats:

    Conservation of antiquities

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • impact of new hotels under construction in the vicinity of the World Heritage site of Petra
  • insufficiency or non-existence of sewage disposal facilities
  • uncontrolled development of villages in the vicinity of the site
  • proliferation of shops
  • insufficient conservation of antiquities
  • construction or road widening projects leading to the site
  • other encroachments upon the integrity of the site
  • heavy floodings in 1996 (issue resolved) 
International Assistance: requests for the property until 1998
Requests approved: 2 (from 1987-1995)
Total amount approved : 79,500 USD
1995 Flash flood control at Petra (Approved)   29,500 USD
1987 Contribution towards research work on weathering and ... (Approved)   50,000 USD
Missions to the property until 1998**
1994 UNESCO mission report, Petra, April 1994
1992 Mission Report, Petra
Information presented to the Bureau of the World Heritage Committee in 1998

A mission of three specialists sent by the Centre in December 1997 to study the state of conservation of World Heritage sites in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon visited the site of Petra and found that the situation had improved especially through the establishment of the co-ordination body at the site, the «Petra Region Planning Council (PRC)» as a follow-up action to the recommendation made by the 1994 UNESCO mission. The PRC is an independent body for the management of the Petra Region reporting to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. The PRC has four principal objectives:

  • creation of an attractive and appropriate environment for the setting of Petra,
  • provision of functional and cost-effective development for the area, including infrastructure and environmental protection,
  • growth and management of sustainable forms of tourism in the Petra region,
  • management and protection of the Petra archaeological site.

The mission found the work of PRC to be successful; but it also noted that technical advice at field level, implementation of the Convention and other international texts, specific problems such as; flash flooding, collapses of rock-cliff, etc. were neglected since the departure from Amman of the Italian associate expert.

Action Required
After having taken note of the report of the Secretariat, the Bureau warmly welcomes the Jordanian authorities’ effort to follow-up to the recommendation made by UNESCO in 1994. However, the Bureau requests UNESCO to relocate a specialist in the UNESCO Office in Amman to provide technical co-operation on cultural heritage, mainly for Petra.
Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 1998
22 BUR V.B.47
Petra (Jordan)

After having taken note of information provided by the Secretariat, the Bureau warmly commended the Jordanian authorities effort to follow-up to the recommendation made by UNESCO in 1994. The Bureau also thanked UNESCO for the forthcoming transfer of a specialist to the UNESCO Office in Amman to provide technical co-operation on cultural heritage, mainly for Petra.

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Report year: 1998
Jordan
Date of Inscription: 1985
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (i)(iii)(iv)
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC-98/CONF.201/3B
arrow_circle_right 22COM (1998)
Exports
Previous 1997 Next 2000

* : 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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