Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)

• Management activities
• Managements systems/management plan (absence of a comprehensive conservation and management plan)
• Water infrastructure (dam building project)
• Flooding (partial flooding and seepage)
• Fragile mud brick structures
• Destruction and damage due to the armed conflict (including deliberate destruction of heritage)

• Nearby construction of a dam entailing partial flooding and seepage
• Armed conflict

In progress

In progress

In progress

Total amount granted (for World Heritage properties of Iraq):

• USD 6,000 from the Italian Funds-in-Trust
• 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 35,782 from the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust (for Strengthening capacities in state of conservation reporting on properties inscribed on the list of World Heritage in Danger)
• USD 50,000 from the Netherlands Funds-in-Trust (Strengthening capacities for the documentation and conservation of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger in Iraq)

On 31 January 2024, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1130/documents. Progress in conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

• No activities have been carried out since the last report in 2023, following the maintenance works undertaken at the Walter Andrae house;
• An agreement is in the process of being finalised between the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage of Iraq (SBAH), the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage (ARC-WH) and the World Monuments Fund (WMF) to work on the preparation of the Conservation Plan and Site Management Plan for the property. Special focus will be given to assessing threats affecting the property identified in previous reports, including environmental issues, and addressing the recommendations of the report of the 2022 joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission.

The State Party has been working with the ARC-WH and the WMF to finalise the Memorandum of Understanding that will support the preparation of the Conservation and Site Management Plans of the property. As recommended by the 2022 Reactive Monitoring mission, the preparation of these two plans is a priority, and it would be imperative to initiate this work as soon as possible.

It is important to recall that the property is very fragile and has been suffering from water seepage and environmental degradation for some time, and thus it is recommended that the Committee reiterate its previous request that remedial and repair works should be guided by the comprehensive Conservation Plan that will be prepared in full consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies. Priority should be given to identifying any necessary emergency stabilization work and establishing a road map for long-term conservation and management actions. As previously recommended, any required emergency stabilization work should adhere to the principle of minimal conservation.

The State Party has informed that no recent activities have taken place at the property. Accordingly, it is recommended that the Committee recall actions outlined as priority by the 2022 mission and requested by Decision 45 COM 7A.27, notably with regard to regular maintenance activities following testing in a pilot area and monitoring over a certain period, and, site protection measures, including the prevention of uncontrolled access, as well as installing a fence and proper signage that does not negatively impact the Outstanding universal Value (OUV) of the property.

Considering that the Makhool Dam project was halted by the State Party and that it was a major threat to the property’s OUV, justifying the property’s concurrent inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger at the time of its inscription on the World Heritage List in 2003, it is recommended that Committee reiterate its request to the State Party to ensure a permanent cancellation or relocation of the project.

Since the rehabilitation of the Walter Andrea House to be mainly used as residence for archaeological missions, information on potential excavations or site survey have not been provided yet. It would be important to keep the World Heritage Centre informed about any such activities.

The Committee may wish to also reiterate its request to the State Party to continue to submit to the World Heritage Centre, for review by the Advisory Bodies, detailed information on all future works that may have an impact on the OUV of the property, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

The process for the elaboration of the Desired state of conservation for removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), with the necessary corrective measures, has been initiated through the support of the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS. It is recommended that the Committee encourage the State Party to pursue the elaboration of the DSOCR, and a set of correctives measures with a timeframe of implementation, for potential examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session.