Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam
Factors affecting the property in 2023*
- Civil unrest
- Erosion and siltation/ deposition
- Illegal activities
- Management systems/ management plan
- Other Threats:
Inclination of the Minaret
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
- Civil unrest (Political instability)
- River erosion (Inclination of the Minaret)
- Management systems/ management plan (Lack of management plan)
- Illegal activities (Illicit excavations and looting)
- Erosion and siltation/deposition
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
- Lack of legal protection
- Lack of an effective monuments protection agency
- Lack of adequate protection and conservation personnel
- Lack of a comprehensive Management Plan
Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1286
Corrective Measures for the property
Adopted, see page https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/1286
Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures
In progress
UNESCO Extra-Budgetary Funds until 2023
Total amount granted: USD 844,901 (2003-2012) from the UNESCO/Italy Funds-in-Trust; USD 124,300 (2003-2012) from the UNESCO/Switzerland Funds-in-Trust; USD 16,800 (2017) from the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund; USD 1,921,888 from the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH) for Safeguarding the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan – Phase I (2020-2024)
International Assistance: requests for the property until 2023
Total amount approved : 98,750 USD
| 2021 | Public Awareness Project on The Cultural Landscape and ... (Approved) | 5,000 USD |
| 2015 | Preparatory work for the conservation plan for the ... (Approved) | 73,750 USD |
| 2002 | Training for national and local authorities in the ... (Approved) | 20,000 USD |
Missions to the property until 2023**
Several UNESCO expert missions took place between 2002 and 2006 to implement the operational projects for the property. After a period of three years of inactivity from 2007 to 2009 due to the security situation, UNESCO dispatched two missions in cooperation with an Afghan local NGO in 2010 and 2014 to resume on-site operations; September 2017: mission within the framework of the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund;
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2023
At the time of writing this report, the World Heritage Center has not received a state of conservation report, nor a proposal for a Minor Boundary Modification, both of which were requested by the World Heritage Committee in Decision 44 COM 7A.29.
The property was inscribed simultaneously on the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2002. In 2007, the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR) and corrective measures were identified by Decision 31 COM 7A.20 (Christchurch, 2007).
Over the years, the property, located at the confluence of two rivers, has sustained periodic flooding, and its remote location has posed lasting challenges in terms of physical intervention.
Major changes occurred in August 2021, leading to a change in the administrative and technical provisions in the field of heritage.
In January 2022 and February 2023, the UNESCO Office in Kabul took part in planning discussions with the various parties involved in the preservation of the property.
Within the framework of the project “Safeguarding the Minaret and Archaeological remains of Jam – Phase I”, funded by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), emergency cleaning operations of the Hari and Jam riverbeds were carried out in February and March 2022, with the aim of engaging local communities. UNESCO also commissioned rapid assessments on the conservation status of the Minaret of Jam, possible measures to minimize the adverse effects of flash flood events; and the immediate and emergency needs of the local communities. A Conservation Plan was elaborated to address technical issues faced by the Minaret and its surroundings and reviewed by ICOMOS. A contract was established to rehabilitate the river defence system along the Hari River, rebuilding and extending the gabion walls that protect the Minaret and building a gabion dike upstream the Hari River. These works are ongoing.
The implementation of the International Assistance project approved in May 2021 for the valorisation Bamiyan and Jam properties has been put on hold in view of the prevailing situation.
Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2023
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies note with deep concern that the major changes which occurred in August 2021 have brought additional and critical challenges for the implementation of maintenance, monitoring and conservation work at the property, and for international cooperation efforts.
The Committee may note with regret that no progress on conservation work or corrective measures has been reported, despite the provisions of the 2017 Conservation Action Plan (CAP) and previous Committee decisions. The CAP should serve as the basis for the revision of the timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures adopted in 2007 in Decision 31 COM 7A.20, including the installation of a monitoring device at the minaret, the emergency stabilization of the wooden staircases, the construction of a footbridge over the Hari Rud, and the rehabilitation of the guesthouse. It is also suggested that emergency cleaning of sediment in the riverbeds and preventive measures be implemented as soon as the situation allows.
It is recommended that the Committee request the concerned parties to continue deploying security personnel on site to prevent any illicit trafficking of movable heritage.
In response to the concerns raised by civil society following the earthquake of 17 January 2022, the technical information provided through the project funded by ALIPH, which included on-site activities in January 2022, clarified that the Minaret is in no imminent danger of collapse, based on a comparative analysis of data collected over years. Major concerns relate to the inclination of the Minaret and the erosion and silting caused by the accumulated sediment deposits resulting from the recurrent seasonal flooding of the two rivers surrounding the property. These natural sedimentation processes are exacerbated by the crumbling and erosion of some parts of the engineered bank stabilizations (gabions and concrete walls) constructed in recent years. As a result of the irregular, exceptional spring floods and the decreasing free volume of the riverbed, the property is increasingly susceptible to flooding, which has a negative impact on the base of the minaret. Previous hydraulic simulations have shown that labour-intensive periodic cleaning of the riverbed from silt and stones, combined with engineering measures that reduce the velocity of flows from upstream, can reduce the risk of the flooding of the property without further ground engineering interventions on the riverbank in the immediate vicinity of the Minaret.
The Committee may thus recommend that technical studies continue to fill the lacunae of earlier research and to identify the most urgent and feasible actions in light of the current situation, considering a people-centred approach that engages the local community in the management of the property. The results of these studies should inform an update of the CAP that should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies. The draft Conservation Plan elaborated within the ALIPH-funded project needs to be revised to address the recommendations issued by the ICOMOS technical review, to ensure that the proposed actions be in conformity with the corrective measures and DSOCR, and not to place potential threats to the property.
It is recommended that all activities be designed to contribute to the implementation of the corrective measures adopted in Decision 31 COM 7A.20 and that the available resources are optimised and involve, to the extent possible, assistance that could benefit the local communities.
It is also recommended that the Committee reiterate its request to the concerned parties to clearly delineate the boundaries of the minaret, the other three components of the property, and the encompassing buffer zone, based on the revised topographical map of the property generated from high-resolution remote sensing imagery as presented in the UNESCO expert meeting on Jam and Herat in 2012, as a critical step towards developing an effective conservation strategy.
The Committee may also wish to reiterate the importance of the preservation of Afghanistan’s heritage, in line with humanitarian law and culture Conventions. It may also express its solidarity with the Afghan people and call upon the international community to provide assistance and support towards the safeguarding of Afghanistan’s heritage and cultural rights.
The property remains subject to ascertained and potential threats and the DSOCR has not been achieved, so it would be appropriate for the property to remain on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2023
45 COM 7A.52
Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan) (C 211 rev)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.3,
- Recalling Decisions 43 COM 7A.42 and 44 COM 7A.29 adopted at its 43rd (Baku, 2019) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) sessions respectively,
- Expresses its deep concern regarding the current situation in Afghanistan in terms of humanitarian, educational and cultural environments, and the challenges faced by the national and international communities, including the United Nations system, in effectively preserving cultural heritage and implementing technical assistance activities;
- Notes with serious concern the continued lack of sustainable human and financial resources and the alarming field situation, which, combined with natural disasters, have brought another layer of difficulties for the implementation of conservation work based upon the 2017 Conservation Action Plan (CAP) and the corrective measures adopted in 2007 by the Committee in Decision 31 COM 7A.20;
- Urges the State Party to seek the necessary means to implement the following:
- Installation of a monitoring instrument on the Minaret of Jam to measure its inclination,
- Emergency stabilization work for the wooden staircases to prevent further destabilization of the minaret’s structure,
- Construction of a footbridge over the Hari Rud and the reconstruction of the site office at the property, in order to improve access to the property and site security,
- Completion of the emergency cleaning of sediment from the riverbeds and the implementation of preventive measures based on the local hydrogeological conditions and hydraulic engineering studies, including upstream gabion and retaining walls, tree planting, and monitoring of the height and flow of the Hari Rud and Jam Rud rivers,
- Permanent deployment of security personnel on the ground;
- Recommends that technical assistance, including the assistance provided by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), contribute to the implementation of the adopted corrective measures, in particular pursuing additional technical studies, identifying the most urgent and feasible actions in light of the current situation, and, to the extent possible, to benefitting the local communities;
- Requests that the draft Conservation Plan elaborated under the ALIPH funded project be revised based on the ICOMOS review to produce an update of the CAP, which should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
- Regrets that the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone still remain to be precisely defined, and reiterates its request to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, a proposal for a Minor Boundary Modification, taking into consideration the topographical map produced in 2012 to facilitate the delineation of these boundaries, in conformity with the CAP and in accordance with Paragraphs 163-164 of the Operational Guidelines;
- Also requests the allocation of necessary financial and human resources for the safeguarding of the property through relevant budget in order to address conservation issues at the property, including the proposal for a boundary modification, the establishment of the overall action plan for the CAP as well as capacity-building;
- Reaffirms its solidarity with the Afghan people, expresses again its strong commitment to stand together in safeguarding Afghanistan’s heritage, and reiterates its call to all concerned to observe the humanitarian law and international instruments relating to heritage, so that all the diversity of heritage, moveable or immoveable, that constitute an integral part of Afghanistan’s culture can be preserved;
- Further requests the international community to provide support to the Afghan people in preserving their heritage and cultural rights;
- Requests furthermore the submission to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, of an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session;
- Decides to retain Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
45 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Retained Properties)
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/23/45.COM/7A, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.3, WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.4),
- Having examined the recommendations of the Advisory Bodies, decides to retain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:
- Afghanistan, Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Decision 45 COM 7A.51)
- Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision 45 COM 7A.52)
- Austria, Historic Centre of Vienna (Decision 45 COM 7A.55)
- Bolivia (Plurinational State of), City of Potosí (Decision 45 COM 7A.18)
- Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.3)
- Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.4)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.5)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.6)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.7)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.8)
- Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 45 COM 7A.26)
- Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.1)
- Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 45 COM 7A.15)
- Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 45 COM 7A.27)
- Iraq, Hatra (Decision 45 COM 7A.28)
- Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 45 COM 7A.29)
- Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan) (Decision 45 COM 7A.31)
- Kenya, Lake Turkana National Parks (Decision 45 COM 7A.10)
- Libya, Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Decision 45 COM 7A.33)
- Libya, Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (Decision 45 COM 7A.34)
- Libya, Archaeological Site of Sabratha (Decision 45 COM 7A.35)
- Libya, Old Town of Ghadamès (Decision 45 COM 7A.36)
- Libya, Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Decision 45 COM 7A.37)
- Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 45 COM 7A.11)
- Mali, Old Towns of Djenné (Decision 45 COM 7A.22)
- Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 45 COM 7A.23)
- Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 45 COM 7A.24)
- Mexico, Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California (Decision 45 COM 7A.2)
- Micronesia (Federated States of), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (Decision 45 COM 7A.53)
- Niger, Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 45 COM 7A.12)
- Palestine, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Decision 45 COM 7A.39)
- Palestine, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Decision 45 COM 7A.38)
- Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 45 COM 7A.19)
- Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 45 COM 7A.20)
- Romania, Roșia Montană Mining Landscape (Decision 45 COM 7A.56)
- Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.13)
- Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 45 COM 7A.57)
- Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 45 COM 7A.16)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 45 COM 7A.40)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 45 COM 7A.41)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 45 COM 7A.42)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 45 COM 7A.43)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 45COM 7A.44)
- Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 45 COM 7A.45)
- United Republic of Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve (Decision 45 COM 7A.14)
- United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 45 COM 7A.17)
- Uzbekistan, Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Decision 45 COM 7A.54)
- Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Coro and its Port (Decision 45 COM 7A.21)
- Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 45 COM 7A.47)
- Yemen, Old City of Sana’a (Decision 45 COM 7A.49)
- Yemen, Old Walled City of Shibam (Decision 45 COM 7A.50)
- Lebanon, Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.1)
- Ukraine, The Historic Centre of Odesa (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.2)
- Yemen, Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib (Decision 18 EXT.COM 5.3)
Draft Decision: 45 COM 7A.52
The World Heritage Committee,
- Having examined Document WHC/23/45.COM/7A.Add.3,
- Recalling Decisions 43 COM 7A.42 and 44 COM 7A.29 adopted at its 43rd (Baku, 2019) and extended 44th (Fuzhou/online, 2021) sessions respectively,
- Expresses its deep concern regarding the current situation in Afghanistan in terms of humanitarian, educational and cultural environments, and the challenges faced by the national and international communities, including the United Nations system, in effectively preserving cultural heritage and implementing technical assistance activities;
- Notes with serious concern the continued lack of sustainable human and financial resources and the alarming field situation, which, combined with natural disasters, have brought another layer of difficulties for the implementation of conservation work based upon the 2017 Conservation Action Plan (CAP) and the corrective measures adopted in 2007 by the Committee in Decision 31 COM 7A.20;
- Urges the State Party to seek the necessary means to implement the following:
- Installation of a monitoring instrument on the Minaret of Jam to measure its inclination,
- Emergency stabilization work for the wooden staircases to prevent further destabilization of the minaret’s structure,
- Construction of a footbridge over the Hari Rud and the reconstruction of the site office at the property, in order to improve access to the property and site security,
- Completion of the emergency cleaning of sediment from the riverbeds and the implementation of preventive measures based on the local hydrogeological conditions and hydraulic engineering studies, including upstream gabion and retaining walls, tree planting, and monitoring of the height and flow of the Hari Rud and Jam Rud rivers,
- Permanent deployment of security personnel on the ground;
- Recommends that technical assistance, including the assistance provided by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), contribute to the implementation of the adopted corrective measures, in particular pursuing additional technical studies, identifying the most urgent and feasible actions in light of the current situation, and, to the extent possible, to benefitting the local communities;
- Requests that the draft Conservation Plan elaborated under the ALIPH funded project be revised based on the ICOMOS review to produce an update of the CAP, which should be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies;
- Regrets that the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone still remain to be precisely defined, and reiterates its request to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, a proposal for a Minor Boundary Modification, taking into consideration the topographical map produced in 2012 to facilitate the delineation of these boundaries, in conformity with the CAP and in accordance with Paragraphs 163-164 of the Operational Guidelines;
- Also requests the allocation of necessary financial and human resources for the safeguarding of the property through relevant budget in order to address conservation issues at the property, including the proposal for a boundary modification, the establishment of the overall action plan for the CAP as well as capacity-building;
- Reaffirms its solidarity with the Afghan people, expresses again its strong commitment to stand together in safeguarding Afghanistan’s heritage, and reiterates its call to all concerned to observe the humanitarian law and international instruments relating to heritage, so that all the diversity of heritage, moveable or immoveable, that constitute an integral part of Afghanistan’s culture can be preserved;
- Further requests the international community to provide support to the Afghan people in preserving their heritage and cultural rights;
- Requests furthermore the submission to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2024, of an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 46th session;
- Decides to retain Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Afghanistan) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Afghanistan
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.
