Samarra Archaeological City

• Management systems/ management plan
• War
• Weathering and lack of maintenance affecting the fragile structures
• State of conflict in the country that does not allow the responsible authorities to assure the protection and management of the property

State of conflict in the country that does not allow the responsible authorities to assure the protection and management of the property

 Not yet identified

Total amount granted: USD 100,000 from the Nordic World Heritage Fund for training and documentation aiming at the preparation of the Nomination File

Total amount granted for all World Heritage Sites of Iraq:

• USD 6,000 from the Italian Funds-in-Trust (for cultural heritage, including World Heritage)
• USD 1.5 million by the Government of Japan (for cultural heritage, including World Heritage)
• USD 154,000 by the Government of Norway (for cultural heritage, including World Heritage)
• EUR 300,000 by the Government of Italy (for cultural heritage, including World Heritage)
• USD 35,000 by the Government of the Netherlands (for cultural heritage, including World Heritage)
• USD 100,000 Heritage Emergency Fund - support for Iraqi World Heritage properties
• [USD 1.5 million by the Government of Iraq (Ministry of the Sunni Fund) for specialized and conservation of the Great Mosque of Samarra and other mosques in the city]

On 11 February 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/276/documents and presents progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions, as follows:

• As the State Party had reported in 2018 (see 42 COM 7A.20), many sites in this archaeological property have been affected by military operations, including the Sur Ashnas palace and the Qubbat al-Sulaibiya mausoleum;
• Conservation and restoration work have not been carried out, the work being limited to an initial assessment of damage to the property;
• Citing the World Heritage Convention and previous pledges, the State Party requests the international community to assist it in conserving and restoring the property, especially since the security situation is now encouraging for interventions and for urgently needed conservation work in the field.

The State Party also requests that the World Heritage Committee dispatch missions to develop centralized damage reports for its World Heritage properties.

In 2016, the UNESCO Office for Iraq, in collaboration with the Samarra Antiquities Office, conducted a survey, documentation and assessment of damage at specific monument within the property (Malwiya and Great Mosque, Al-Asheq Palace, Al-Qubba al-Salibiyya, and Ashnas Wall). The data was generated in 3D models and integrated in an interactive content format.

Nevertheless, it is recommended that the Committee request again the State Party to submit, for review by the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, a copy of any additional documentation that was mentioned in the State Party’s 2017 state of conservation report. It is further recommended that the Committee reiterate its request that a full and updated comprehensive assessment be carried out in close collaboration with the UNESCO Office for Iraq, as soon as security conditions permit and before any remedial actions are undertaken. Priority should be given to identifying any necessary emergency stabilization work and establishing a road map for longer-term conservation and management actions. As previously recommended, any required emergency stabilization work should adhere to the principle of minimal intervention.

21.     General Decision on the World Heritage properties of Iraq

Current conservation issues

The conflict between 2014 and 2017 has led to a massive humanitarian crisis and resulted in significant damage to Iraq’s cultural heritage through deliberate destruction, illegal excavation and looting, as well as collateral damage. Three of Iraq's World Heritage sites have suffered as a result of this conflict, namely Samarra Archaeological City, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) and Hatra. In addition, the archaeological sites of Nimrud and the Ancient City of Nineveh, which are on Iraq’s Tentative List, have also been greatly damaged through acts of deliberate destruction. In the Old City of Mosul, included in the Tentative List since August 2018, significant sites, monuments and buildings have been systematically targeted, including historical and religious heritage sites such as al-Nouri Mosque and its iconic al-Hadba Minaret.

On 11 February 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/43com/documents/#state_of_conservation_reports. The report provides an overview of damages to the three properties, Samarra Archaeological City, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) and Hatra. It also mentions efforts and challenges faced in the recovery of destroyed sites and in the restitution of cultural property. Challenges are related primarily to insufficient funding and the fragile security situation; no physical interventions have yet taken place.

The State Party is of the opinion that conservation interventions can now be considered, due to the current encouraging security situation. The State Party requests that missions be undertaken to conduct damage assessments and conservation works.

Activities undertaken by UNESCO

• At the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, held in Kuwait City on 14 February 2018, the Director-General of UNESCO launched the initiative “Revive the Spirit of Mosul”. Supported by the Prime Minister of Iraq and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, through this flagship initiative and with an approach that fosters harmonious coexistence and the construction of an inclusive, cohesive and equitable society, UNESCO is working with the Government of Iraq in the recovery and reconstruction of the Old City of Mosul’s built heritage and in reviving the city’s cultural life and educational institutions. In April 2018, the United Arab Emirates and UNESCO signed a USD 50.4 million partnership agreement, aiming at the restoration and reconstruction of the historic landmarks of Mosul, notably the emblematic al-Nouri Mosque and its celebrated al-Hadba Minaret, built more than 840 years ago;
• Since the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee (Manama, 2018), UNESCO has pursued its actions towards the recovery of Iraq’s cultural heritage, notably in Mosul;
• On 10 September 2018, the International Meeting on the Recovery and Rehabilitation of the City of Mosul was held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, in collaboration with the Government of Iraq. The meeting aimed at taking stock of the situation in Mosul, presenting a list of projects that will contribute to the rehabilitation of Mosul’s heritage sites, reviving its cultural life and its educational institutions, and raising awareness about the rationale for the initiative “Revive the Spirit of Mosul” spearheaded by UNESCO. The meeting also demonstrated the solidarity of the international community with the Government of Iraq, and its support for a sustainable response to the most urgent needs of the city;
• The rehabilitation and reconstruction of the al-Nouri Mosque and its al-Hadba Minaret, in addition to two churches in the Old City of Mosul, began with preliminary scientific studies and surveys, background studies, data collection and digital documentation, as well as damage assessment. A temporary protective fence around the area of the mosque has been installed. In an area that is still highly congested with explosives and debris, this will ensure the safety of the public, workers and UNESCO staff during subsequent phases of clearance and site rehabilitation works;
• The structural consolidation of both the al-Nouri Mosque and al-Hadba Minaret is currently ongoing. In addition, UNESCO is engaging with all levels of involved national and local government entities and relevant stakeholders with a view to completing the heritage-sensitive removal of rubble and clearance of explosive hazards at the sites;
• With regard to the support for the restoration and documentation of the thousands of manuscripts dating from the 14th to the 19th centuries, UNESCO provided technical assistance for the preservation of some of the most historically significant manuscripts and materials. The digitization and conservation equipment was subsequently delivered and installed at the Digital Centre of Eastern Manuscripts in Erbil;
• An important project funded by the European Union for more than USD 22 million was signed between it and UNESCO in February 2019. The project aims to rehabilitate the old cities of Mosul and Basra, while creating jobs and developing the skills of vulnerable young people in the rehabilitation of the urban infrastructure of those two cities.

Activities undertaken by the Advisory Bodies

Representatives of ICOMOS participated in meetings concerning Mosul and provided advice for the Najaf Charter for the Conservation, Restoration and Rehabilitation of Historic Cities, Urban Areas and Historic – Heritage Monuments that aims to preserve the heritage of Najaf and all other Iraqi cities.


Analysis and Conclusions of the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and ICCROM

The conflict situation in Iraq has directly affected three of its properties that are currently on the List of World Heritage in Danger, and some of its Tentative List properties in varying degrees. Due to the unstable security situation in several parts of the country and the very limited resources, Iraq’s other World Heritage and Tentative List properties have been indirectly affected. In addition, the illegal excavation and looting of archeological sites has caused extensive loss and irreversible damage – although there have been several incidents of restitution of cultural property during the past years.

Since the liberation of vast areas of the country in 2017, Iraq has been facing the challenges of recovery while addressing the unprecedented humanitarian crisis. This is particularly evident at the Old City of Mosul, where UNESCO is currently engaged within the framework of its flagship initiative “Revive the Spirit of Mosul”.

During the conference held in April 2019 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 1999 Second Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, the representative of Iraq indicated his country’s intention to ratify the Second Protocol, which is a commendable step that would contribute to the enhanced protection of cultural heritage.

On the other hand, the lack of detailed damage assessments for the three World Heritage properties that are on the List of World Heritage in Danger remains a concern. In 2016, the UNESCO Office for Iraq, in collaboration with the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), had carried out documentation and damage assessment of specific monuments at the property of Samarra Archaeological City, as well as preliminarily assessments at Nimrud and the Ancient City of Nineveh, which are on the Tentative List.

Nevertheless, detailed damage assessments are necessary to evaluate the situation and to plan for stabilization and conservation works before interventions can take place. It is also necessary to evaluate potential risks other than those specifically related to conflict, such as those concerning natural deterioration and potential flooding, and, to plan for the properties’ longer-term recovery and management.

It is recommended that the Committee request the State Party to submit documentation on all damage incurred at World Heritage properties, and to undertake protection and urgent stabilization work only in cases where collapse or further damage is imminent, according to the principle of minimal intervention. Elements found at the property, and resulting from conflict-related damages, should be retrieved and gathered in a safe location. Boundaries of properties should be protected from illegal excavations and looting.

It is also recommended that the Committee request the State Party to revisit the Response Plan for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Liberated Areas of Iraq (2017-2019), which reflects the recommendations of the International Coordination Conference for the Safeguarding of Cultural Heritage in Liberated Areas of Iraq, with the objective of finding the way forward to start implementing the priority actions and to secure the needed resources as urgently as possible.

It is further recommended that the Committee remind the State Party to inform it, through the World Heritage Centre, about any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of World Heritage properties, in accordance with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse.

The Committee may wish to reiterate its appeal to Member States to cooperate in the fight against the illicit trafficking of cultural property coming from Iraq and to contribute towards the safeguarding of its cultural heritage.