Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

• Natural risk factors
• Lack of planning, governance and management processes
• Alteration of the urban and social fabric
• Impact of archaeological excavations
• Deterioration of monuments
• Urban environment and visual integrity
• Traffic, access and circulation

(cf. Document CLT 82/CH/CONF.015/8)
“[…] 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. […]”

The political context does not allow the definition of a Desired state of conservation at this stage.

Within the present context, only specific activities are possible, such as the implementation of those foreseen within the UNESCO Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Total amount provided to the property: approximately USD 4,000,000 (since 1988)

A report was transmitted by the Israeli National Commission for UNESCO to the World Heritage Centre on 28 January 2010 and by the Ministry of Awqaf of Jordan through the Jordanian Permanent Delegation on 30 March 2010.

It is to be noted that 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 IsraeliMunicipality and usually supervised by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

I. Report from the Israeli authorities

The report of the Israeli authorities presents a whole range of activities. The main ones are summarized hereunder:

a) Planning:

(i) Revitalisation Plan

The work has proceeded on two levels: the plan for the public realm (streets, alleys, souqs) and detailed plans for specific areas.

(ii) Plan for guidelines for conservation and building

Until the Revitalisation Plan is approved, an interim statutory plan proposes to present guidelines for conservation and monitoring for the purpose of obtaining licenses and building permits.

(iii) Upgrading of the public realm, infrastructure and facades

A manual is being prepared to include guidelines for the design of pavings and furnishing, to be integrated in plans for upgrading streets, including infrastructure improvements and facades restorations. Works to improve the infrastructure around Jaffa Gate/Bab al-Khalil have started. They will include new traffic management for vehicles and pedestrians, new street paving, lighting. The upgrading of facades is to take place jointly.

(iv) Accessibility, cleaning and maintenance

Further to a survey of the public realm in 2009, a Master Plan for accessibility in the OldCity will include accessible tourist information and street signage, tourist routes, elevators, etc. Cleaning and maitenance have been outsourced by the Municipality to a company hired to implement a new action plan for discarding refuse.

b) Conservation projects:

(i) Rehabilitation and preservation of monuments within the Old City

Work was completed at the so called Ottoman Tombs inside the Jaffa Gate of the OldCity, and conservation projects were carried out at St Mary of the Teutons, St Mary’s Gate at the Holy Sepulchre and MessiahChurch.

 (ii) Rehabilitation and management of the Old City walls and gates

Conservation work continues at the north-western corner of the OldCity towards the south-western corner and work has begun on the southern wall from Zion Gate to Dung Gate.

c) Archaeological works:

(i) Western Wall tunnels and Plaza

The archaeological works in the Western Wall tunnels continue, notably: finalisation of the two year conservation project to consolidate the vaults of the Baladiyya Madrasa, stabilisation of the ceiling of the Hasmonean tunnel, addition of access routes for the public around the Struthion pool.

(ii) Salvage excavations

A number of excavations in and around the Old City are carried out, connected to building projects: Western Wall Plaza, Western Wall tunnels, Gloria Hotel in the Christian quarter, Al Ward street, Hosh Saqsaq, St Mary of the Teutons, Omer Street, Misgav Ladakh Street (in order to build an elevator between the Jewish quarter and the Western Wall Plaza).

d) Construction works:

(i) Western Wall Plaza

At the Strauss building, the plan for additional office space, restrooms and a police station was approved in December 2009. The building will also provide a new entrance to the Western Wall tunnels and its visitors centre. On the Western side of the Plaza, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation intends to open an educational institute including offices, an information centre, an auditorium, above antiquities unearthed by the excavations. The plan has yet to be deposited. Another plan for upgrading the Davidson Centre has been initiated as well as a plan for the elevator connecting the Jewish quarter to the Plaza to include more functions.

(ii) Zion Gate underground parking

The revised plan for the underground parking is to be submitted, as well as for new residential buildings above.

e) Plans and activities outside the Old City walls

The report mentions several projects located outside the OldCity walls, notably at MountZion: excavations, improvement of the public realm, conservation efforts at the complex of the Tomb of David and at the Cenacle. It also mentions the development of East Jerusalem, at Sheikh Jarrah and Wadi Joz, Damascus Gate, and a number of excavations, notably at New Gate, Lions Gate, Wadi Hilwa (City of David). It also mentions the Jerusalem Outline Plan (1968) and the Outline Town Planning Scheme (2000). The latter, approved for deposition in the District Planning Commission, includes a definition of three zones of conservation: the OldCity, the visual basin of the OldCity and the HistoricCity.

The report received from the Israeli authorities also mentions works carried out by the Jerusalem Waqf within the Haram ash-Sharif (see below, report from the Jordanian authorities) and work undertaken at the Holy Sepulchre, both by the Franciscans and the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate, in particular the conservation of the belfry architectural elements by the Israel Antiquities Authority.

II. Report from the Jordanian authorities

The report received from the Permanent Delegation of Jordan provides information on the works carried out by the Ministry of Awqaf in the Haram ash-Sharif, among others:

a) Maintenance work on the stucco and mosaics inside the Dome of the Rock;

b) Restoration of the internal marble walls of the Dome of the Rock;

c) Several restoration and maintenance work inside Al-Aqsa Mosque: stucco, stone, marble decoration and wood panels;

d) Restoration of the eastern porch and courtyard of Al-Aqsa Mosque;

e) Restoration of the tiles of the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque;

f) Restoration of the walls of Al-KhanthaniaSchool;

g) Restoration of walls and ceilings of the fifth porch of Al-Marwani and study for the restoration of its columns;

h) Work on the roofs of Al-Aqsa library and Islamic Museum;

i) Studies to establish a fire extinguisher system on the Haram ash-Sharif.

The report stresses the difficulties of bringing restoration materials within the compound of the Haram ash-Sharif and the fact notably that the Waqf was not allowed by the Israeli authorities to install the crescent on the Dome of the Rock, to introduce tiles for restoration of the Dome and to install lighting equipment at the site.

The largest part of the report however focuses on the excavations carried out by the Israeli authorities in various places surrounding Al Aqsa Mosque and Al Buraq Plaza, and under Al Ward street[1]. The report notably states that “the fact that foreign observers and Muslim Awqaf experts were prevented from inspecting the Israeli archaeological excavation sites […] places many questions regarding Israeli intentions specific to these archaeological projects”. Other excavations are mentioned at the Omayyad Palaces area, at Al-Khanqah Al-Salahiya in the north-east part of the Old City, as well as works outside the western wall of the Church of the Holy Sepulche. The report deplores the building of a synagogue using cast concrete walls and columns on Al-Ward street, for which Waqf land was seized near Hammam Al-Ain and Hammam Al-Shifa.

In their report, the Jordanian authorities also express their concern at archaeological excavations undertaken by the Israeli authorities outside the Old City walls, in the area of Silwan, and the digging of tunnels towards Al Aqsa Mosque, that caused collapse of buildings in Silwan and could affect the structure of the walls of the Old City and of the Haram ash-Sharif. They mention several other activities undertaken by the Israeli authorities outside the Old city, such as the construction of the light rail, the movement restrictions and the changes in the demographic balance of the OldCity.

III. Action Plan for the Safeguarding of the Cultural Heritage of the Old City of Jerusalem

With the remaining funds available under the Action Plan funded by the Government of Italy, in the second half of 2009, the "Young People Cultural activities" workshops, held by local experts, were successfully carried out by the Burj Luq Luq Social Centre.

The educators (48) and children (50) who participated in the workshops were enthusiastic of the experience on the cultural heritage of the OldCity; and the educators are ready to repeat it with their pupils in the coming years. The World Heritage in Young Hands kit has been reproduced in many copies and it will be available for future training courses. In addition, 65 trainees among youth and children passionately participated on the photography/video course and an exhibition of their work was organised at the Social Centre.

The World Heritage Centre is waiting for the approval of a request submitted to the Italian authorities to allocate the remaining funds in order to complete the restoration of some residential buildings in the Christian quarter. The objective is to improve the quality of life of the residents, among the poorest families of the OldCity, in the same time preserving the historic building stock, belonging to the Custody of the Holy Land. A training component, fundamental to improve the skills in conservation of the local workers, would be definitely included in the project by testing the Rehabilitation manual produced in the framework of the Action Plan.

Concerning the restoration of the church of St. John Prodromos, funded by the A.G. Leventis Foundation, the activities of the first phase are focusing on preliminary studies and the architectural design in order to define the detailed restoration interventions that will be carried out in the following years. The detailed architectural survey of the church and the evaluation of its state of conservation were carried out by the chosen expert in collaboration with an archaeologist specialised in the interpretation of late Antiquity/medieval constructions. Before preparing the final project, the need to remove the modern cemented crypt's paving to allow the humidity to evaporate and in the same time to conduct complementary archaeological research under the paving was recognised. The archaeological studies will be conducted by the Ecole biblique of the Dominicans Convent in Jerusalem in the second half of 2010.

IV. Other projects

The development of an Architectural Heritage Preservation Institute, in partnership with the Welfare Association and thanks to funding from the European Commission (€700,000), initiated in 2007, is reaching its last phase. Based on the curriculum developed by ICCROM, one pilot and three long core courses have taken place as well as two seminars and three short intensive training sessions (approximately 150 trainees). Training of trainers has also taken place and a documentation centre including a specialised library, database, website, and publications was established, setting the basis for the future Institute.

As a follow-up to the project for the establishment of a Centre for Restoration of Islamic Manuscripts, located in the Madrasa Al Ashrayfiyyah within the Haram ash-Sharif, a new capacity-building project has been developed, with funding from the UNESCO’s Regular Programme (USD 190,000). This new project aims to build the capacity of the staff in paper restoration and electronic inventorying to ensure the long-term conservation of this invaluable collection of manuscripts and other historic documents, which are in advanced state of deterioration.

The project for the “Safeguarding, Refurbishment and Revitalization of the Islamic Museum of al-Haram ash-Sharif and its Collection”, funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has started in 2009. It will mainly consist in the following: make an assessment and an inventory the collections, improve conservation measures, upgrade storage and exhibition spaces and develop the conservation, management and administrative capacities.

V. The Mughrabi Ascent

At its 31st session (Christchurch, New Zealand, July 2007), the World Heritage Committee adopted Decision 31 COM 7A.18, by which it requested “the World Heritage Centre to facilitate the professional encounter at the technical level between Israeli, Jordanian and Waqf experts to discuss the detailed proposals for the proposed final design of the Mughrabi ascent, prior to any final decision”. Accordingly,two professional meetings took place in Jerusalem on 13 January and 24 February 2008 between Israeli and Jordanian (including Waqf) experts. Unfortunately, no other meeting took place since that date, although repetedly requested by the World Heritage Committee and the Executive Board of UNESCO. Indeed, the last meeting scheduled on 12 November 2008, was postponed at the request of the Jordanian authorities, “until a date when it can get its own experts and equipment on the site in order to take the appropriate measurements, necessary to finalise the design of the project”. Bilateral consultation between Jordan and Israel did not make this visit possible.

In their report of January 2010, the Israeli authorities indicate that: “Following the decision of the National Council for Planning and Construction, an alternative plan for the Mughrabi Ascent was made in order to maintain the authenticity and integrity of the site reflected in the recommendations of the World Heritage Committee and its Advisory bodies. The process of the approval of this plan should end only after a formal publication of the approved planning principles.”

UNESCO has acknowledged receipt of this information and reiterated in its letter to the Israeli National Commission for UNESCO its support for the organization of a meeting of the concerned parties to evaluate the alternative plan before its final approval.

The report from the Jordanian authorities recalls previous decisions by the World Heritage Committee and the Executive Board of UNESCO in this respect, as well as their attempt of 29 July 2009 to access the site of the Mughrabi Ascent to take their own measurements, referring to the provisions of both the Hague and the 1972 Conventions as well as to the Status quo arrangement (foreseen within the Israel-Jordan peace treaty of 1994).

The “Reinforced monitoring mechanism”, requested by the Executive Board at its 176th session (176 EX/Special Plenary Meeting decision) and by the World Heritage Committee since its 31st session (Decisions 31 COM 5.2., 31 COM 7A.18), was applied for Jerusalem with regard to the Mughrabi ascent. Six monitoring reports were prepared by the World Heritage Centre in this respect and forwarded to the concerned parties and the members of the World Heritage Committee. The seventh report was kept pending upon decision by the Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee.

VI. 182nd and 184th sessions of the Executive Board and 35th session of the General Conference of UNESCO

At its 182nd session in September 2009, the Executive Board adopted Decision 182 EX/5(II) in which it recalled previous decisions and regretted “in this regard the postponement of the follow-up meeting of experts which was scheduled on 12 November 2008 […] as well as of the planned visit of Jordanian technical experts to the Mughrabi Ascent site on 29 July 2009, due to circumstances that have impeded Jordanian experts from having access in order to take measurements”. It recognized “the existence of deep concerns regarding the decision taken by the Jerusalem District Planning and Construction Commission on the town planning scheme for the Mughrabi ascent” and requested that despite that decision, “the process for the design of the Mughrabi ascent be inclusive of all parties concerned, in accordance with the spirit and content of previous World Heritage Committee decisions”.

At its 35th session, the General Conference adopted Resolution 35C/49 by which it “reiterates its concern as to the obstacles and practices, unilateral or otherwise, affecting the preservation of the distinctive character of the Old City of Jerusalem” and “invites the Director-General to pursue his efforts with the concerned parties for the safeguarding of the outstanding universal value of the Old City of Jerusalem”.

During the 184th session of the Executive Board, document 184 EX/5 (IV) related to the Mughrabi Ascent and document 184 EX/12 concerning the Old City of Jerusalem were presented to the members of the Board. Two draft decisions (184 EX/PX/DR.1 and 184 EX/PX/DR.2) were submitted by Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Tunisia and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  After considerable effort to reach a consensus, a decision was adopted, to which the original draft decisions were attached, by which the examination of these agenda items was postponed to the 185th session of the Executive Board.