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Old Town of Ghadamès

Libya
Factors affecting the property in 2019*
  • War
Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports
  • Conflict situation prevailing in the country  
Threats for which the property was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger
Conflict situation prevailing in the country
Corrective Measures for the property

Not yet identified

Timeframe for the implementation of the corrective measures

Not yet identified

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2019
Requests approved: 0
Total amount approved : 0 USD
Missions to the property until 2019**

January 1998: UNESCO mission; March 2003: World Heritage Centre mission

Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2019

On 8 February 2019, the State Party submitted a state of conservation report. An executive summary of this report is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/362/documents/. Progress in a number of conservation issues addressed by the Committee at its previous sessions is presented in this report, as follows:

  • The necessary measures for the maintenance and restoration of buildings damaged during the heavy rains of 2017 have been established, including the preparation of a bill of quantities for each building and the financial support of 800,000 Libyan Dinars (USD 570,000) from the Libyan Government for urgent maintenance works. Several contracts have been signed with specialized companies to carry out maintenance and restoration work, which is planned to be completed by autumn 2019. Based on the opinions of local maintenance experts and CRAterre, however, it was not possible to manufacture mud bricks or construct with them during the past autumn;
  • Several activities have been carried out in close coordination with the local community, which is committed to the conservation of the property and has invested in the actions undertaken. House owners within the property are aware of its historical and cultural importance, and contribute to its conservation;
  • Other activities include the documentation of the entire city’s heritage according to specific criteria, as well as the design of an open Geographic Information System (GIS) for the documentation, inventory and presentation of the property. The Ghadamès City Promotion and Development Authority has made arrangements for the presentation and marketing of the property. The designation of the historic Tilouan School as a tourist information centre helped achieve this objective. Further developments include the adoption of a land use regulation plan within the property and the proposed buffer zone, and the preparation of a risk preparedness plan;
  • The boundary clarification adopted in 2018 has been shared with the Municipality of Ghadamès, the Ghadamès City Promotion and Development Authority and the Urban Planning Authority for protection and conservation purposes;
  • The Department of Antiquities (DoA) has participated in the “Training in Action” programme for capacity building in fields such as preventive conservation, management, recording and documentation.

There have been no security violations or specific threat to the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property, therefore the State Party requests the Committee to remove the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger. To this end, the State Party has formally invited a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to assess the state of conservation of the property.

Analysis and Conclusion by World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies in 2019

The information provided by the State Party demonstrates its commitment to the conservation of the property, despite the prevailing conflict. Progress is being made regarding the analysis of the situation at the property. The allocation of funds for emergency maintenance works and the efforts being made by the State Party to elaborate regulatory and management tools, such as the risk preparedness plan, are welcomed. The State Party should consider an International Assistance request in order to address the necessary planning and implementation of comprehensive conservation and restoration actions that would ensure the property’s integrity and authenticity.

Detailed information on the ongoing conservation and restoration works has not been submitted, nor has any information been received by the World Heritage Centre on the development of land use within the boundaries of property and the proposed buffer zone. Information about these and any other plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property needs to be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines.

The commitment and interest of the local communities and owners in maintaining and conserving the property is welcomed. It is recommended that the Committee encourage them to continue their efforts to maintain its OUV and to prepare a management plan for the property following the approach of the 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL).

The effort made to clarify the property’s boundary is recognized as an indispensable step towards its effective protection and management. The ongoing close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS concerning the definition of an appropriate buffer zone is appreciated. It is recommended that the Committee reiterate its appeal to the State Party to continue this cooperation, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines.

With the commencement of the third cycle of the Periodic Reporting exercise, the State Party has expressed its willingness to initiate the elaboration of management plans for all five of its World Heritage properties, and will seek international support to achieve this objective. It also reported on the increasing awareness by civil society, local and national authorities, and high-level decision-makers about the necessity to protect cultural heritage in Libya, including World Heritage properties. The organization of workshops and symposiums on the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties has emphasized the importance of their protection and conservation, linking national identity with cultural heritage.

It is recommended that the State Party continue to orient the important efforts made in conserving the property in line with the strategy developed during the International Meeting on the Safeguard of Libyan Cultural Heritage, held in Tunis in May 2016 (report available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1496), building on the short-, medium- and long-term measures identified during that meeting.

The recent escalation of violence raises much concern about the sustainability of the efforts made to conserve the Old Town of Ghadamès, as the situation prevents the State Party from undertaking necessary actions to protect and conserve the property. It remains essential that the joint mission invited by the State Party and requested by the Committee at its 40th (Istanbul/UNESCO, 2016) and 41st (Krakow, 2017) sessions takes place as soon as the security conditions permit. In the meantime, it is important that the State Party pursues its efforts to keep the Committee, through the World Heritage Centre, updated on the situation on the ground, as well as on the further implementation of the measures it has launched, while addressing, to the extent possible, the comments and requests made by the Committee.

It is recommended that the Committee call upon the international community to support the State Party in its conservation efforts.

Considering the above-mentioned information, it is recommended that the Committee retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2019
43 COM 7A.26
Old Town of Ghadamès (Libya) (C 362)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.2,
  2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.25, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
  3. Commends the State Party for its important efforts in conserving the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in close coordination with the local communities and civil society, and urges it to continue its efforts in this regard to the extent possible;
  4. Requests the State Party, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to keep the Committee regularly informed about the evolution of the situation at the property and to inform it, through the World Heritage Centre, of any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, including the conservation and restoration works at buildings affected by the heavy rains of 2017, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse;
  5. Encourages the State Party to submit an International Assistance request in order to address the necessary planning and implementation for comprehensive conservation and restoration actions to ensure the property’s integrity and authenticity including the completion and adoption of the management plan in line with the approach of 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL);
  6. Also encourages the State Party to continue the finalization of the Minor Boundary Modification in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
  7. Acknowledges the invitation from the State Party for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, and further encourages it to take place as soon as the security conditions permit;
  8. Calls for an increased mobilization of the international community to provide financial and technical support to the State Party to implement the short-, medium- and long-term measures identified during the International Meeting on the Safeguard of Libyan Cultural Heritage (Tunis, May 2016);
  9. Also requests the State Party to develop a set of corrective measures and a timeframe for their implementation, as well as the Desired state of conservation for the removal of the property from the List of World Heritage in Danger (DSOCR), in collaboration with the World Heritage Centre and Advisory Bodies, and to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, 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 44th session in 2020;
  10. Decides to retain the Old Town of Ghadamès (Libya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
43 COM 8C.2
Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (Retained Properties)

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined the state of conservation reports of properties inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC/19/43.COM/7A, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.2, WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.3 and WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.3.Corr),
  2. 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 43 COM 7A.41)
  • Afghanistan, Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (Decision43 COM 7A.42)
  • Austria, Historic Centre of Vienna (Decision 43 COM 7A.45)
  • Bolivia (Plurinational State of), City of Potosí (Decision 43 COM 7A.48)
  • Central African Republic, Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.5)
  • Côte d'Ivoire / Guinea, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve (Decision 43 COM 7A.6)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garamba National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.7)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kahuzi-Biega National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.8)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Okapi Wildlife Reserve (Decision 43 COM 7A.9)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Salonga National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.10)
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo, Virunga National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.11)
  • Egypt, Abu Mena (Decision 43 COM 7A.17)
  • Honduras, Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve (Decision 43 COM 7A.4)
  • Indonesia, Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Decision 43 COM 7A.1)
  • Iraq, Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Decision 43 COM 7A.18)
  • Iraq, Hatra (Decision 43 COM 7A.19)
  • Iraq, Samarra Archaeological City (Decision 43 COM 7A.20)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan) (Decision 43 COM 7A.22)
  • Kenya, Lake Turkana National Parks (Decision 43 COM 7A.12)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Cyrene (Decision 43 COM 7A.23)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna (Decision 43 COM 7A.24)
  • Libya, Archaeological Site of Sabratha (Decision 43 COM 7A.25)
  • Libya, Old Town of Ghadamès (Decision 43 COM 7A.26)
  • Libya, Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus (Decision 43 COM 7A.27)
  • Madagascar, Rainforests of the Atsinanana (Decision 43 COM 7A.13)
  • Mali, Old Towns of Djenné (Decision 43 COM 7A.53)
  • Mali, Timbuktu (Decision 43 COM 7A.54)
  • Mali, Tomb of Askia (Decision 43 COM 7A.55)
  • Micronesia (Federated States of), Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia (Decision 43 COM 7A.43)
  • Niger, Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves (Decision 43 COM 7A.14)
  • Palestine, Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (Decision 43 COM 7A.30)
  • Palestine, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (Decision 43 COM 7A.29)
  • Panama, Fortifications on the Caribbean Side of Panama: Portobelo-San Lorenzo (Decision 43 COM 7A.50)
  • Peru, Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone (Decision 43 COM 7A.51)
  • Senegal, Niokolo-Koba National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.15)
  • Serbia, Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (Decision 43 COM 7A.46)
  • Solomon Islands, East Rennell (Decision 43 COM 7A.2)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Aleppo (Decision 43 COM 7A.31)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Bosra (Decision 43 COM 7A.32)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient City of Damascus (Decision 43 COM 7A.33)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Decision 43 COM 7A.34)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din (Decision 43 COM 7A.35)
  • Syrian Arab Republic, Site of Palmyra (Decision 43 COM 7A.36)
  • Uganda, Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi (Decision 43 COM 7A.56)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Liverpool – Maritime Mercantile City (Decision 43 COM 7A.47)
  • United Republic of Tanzania, Selous Game Reserve (Decision 43 COM 7A.16)
  • United States of America, Everglades National Park (Decision 43 COM 7A.3)
  • Uzbekistan, Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz (Decision 43 COM 7A.44)
  • Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Coro and its Port (Decision 43 COM 7A.52)
  • Yemen, Historic Town of Zabid (Decision 43 COM 7A.38)
  • Yemen, Old City of Sana’a (Decision 43 COM 7A.39)
  • Yemen, Old Walled City of Shibam (Decision 43 COM 7A.40)
Draft Decision: 43 COM 7A.26

The World Heritage Committee,

  1. Having examined Document WHC/19/43.COM/7A.Add.2,
  2. Recalling Decision 42 COM 7A.25, adopted at its 42nd session (Manama, 2018),
  3. Commends the State Party for its important efforts in conserving the property and its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), in close coordination with the local communities and civil society, and urges it to continue its efforts in this regard to the extent possible;
  4. Requests the State Party, in conformity with Paragraph 172 of the Operational Guidelines, to keep the Committee regularly informed about the evolution of the situation at the property and to inform it, through the World Heritage Centre, of any future plans for major restoration or new construction projects that may affect the OUV of the property, including the conservation and restoration works at buildings affected by the heavy rains of 2017, before making any decisions that would be difficult to reverse;
  5. Encourages the State Party to submit an International Assistance request in order to address the necessary planning and implementation for comprehensive conservation and restoration actions to ensure the property’s integrity and authenticity including the completion and adoption of the management plan in line with the approach of 2011 UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL);
  6. Also encourages the State Party to continue the finalization of the Minor Boundary Modification in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies, in line with Paragraph 164 of the Operational Guidelines;
  7. Acknowledges the invitation from the State Party for a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission to the property, and further encourages it to take place as soon as the security conditions permit;
  8. Calls for an increased mobilization of the international community to provide financial and technical support to the State Party to implement the short-, medium- and long-term measures identified during the International Meeting on the Safeguard of Libyan Cultural Heritage (Tunis, May 2016);
  9. Also requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2020, 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 44th session in 2020;
  10. Decides to retain the Old Town of Ghadamès (Libya) on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Report year: 2019
Libya
Date of Inscription: 1986
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (v)
Danger List (dates): 2016-present
Documents examined by the Committee
SOC Report by the State Party
Report (2019) .pdf
arrow_circle_right 43COM (2019)
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.