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State of Conservation Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) 2004

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)

Iraq
Factors affecting the property in 2004*
  • Human resources
  • Illegal activities
  • Management systems/ management plan
  • Water infrastructure
  • Other Threats:

    Lack of maintenance

Factors* affecting the property identified in previous reports

Dam proposal; state of war in the country

International Assistance: requests for the property until 2004
Requests approved: 1 (from 2003-2003)
Total amount approved : 50,000 USD
2003 Emergency assistance to prepare an urgent nomination of ... (Approved)   50,000 USD
Missions to the property until 2004**
2002 Report on the Assessment of the Impact of the Makhool Dam Project on the Site of Ashur and other Archaeological ...
Conservation issues presented to the World Heritage Committee in 2004

Further to the inscription of Ashur on the World Heritage List and on the List of World Heritage in Danger, at its 27th session, the World Heritage Committee approved an Emergency Assistance grant of US$50,000 for the establishment of a site management coordination unit and the development of a management plan for the property, in view of the threats posed by the on-going construction of a Dam near the property. As a consequence of the war, the Dam Project was halted but the site of Ashur remained endangered as a result of widespread looting and lack of maintenance. It became urgent, therefore, to assist the responsible Iraqi authorities in strengthening the presence and capacity of its staff on the site.

 

To this end, the Secretariat established a contract with an expert archaeologist, as team leader, for the development of an emergency Conservation Plan for the site. This activity, to be developed in close co-operation with the State Party, is conceived also as a training opportunity for the technicians of the Iraqi State Board for Antiquities and Heritage (SBOAH) and includes the provision of some essential equipment for their work at the site. A preliminary work-plan has already been prepared although, owing to the current security constraints, the implementation of this activity has been delayed. The Centre plans to dispatch the first preparatory mission to the site with the objective of defining the details of the programme, as soon as possible.

 

Thanks to a grant from the Nordic World Heritage Foundation the Centre is organizing a Training Workshop to introduce ten Iraqi specialists to the concepts and procedures of the Convention. This Workshop is due to take place in June 2004 in Jordan and is being organized in collaboration with the UNESCO Office in Amman. 

Summary of the interventions
Decisions adopted by the Committee in 2004
28 COM 15A.18
Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) (Iraq)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Notes with concern that the security situation in Iraq is delaying implementation of activities critical for the conservation of Ashur;

2. Encourages the State Party to establish, as early as possible, a site management coordination unit, which will be responsible for any action to be undertaken on the property and shall constitute a counterpart of the World Heritage Centre in the development of an emergency Conservation Plan;

3. Requests the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS to continue assisting the responsible Iraqi authorities, in every possible way, with the definition of an overall action plan for the conservation and management of the ancient city of Ashur, including capacity building for the staff of the State Board for the Antiquities and Heritage;

4. Decides to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Read more
28 COM 15C.2
List of World Heritage in Danger

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Following examination of state of conservation reports of properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger (WHC-04/28.COM/15A Rev),

2. Decides to maintain the following properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger:

  • Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.21)
  • Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.22)
  • Butrint, Albania (Decision 28 COM 15A.28)
  • Tipasa, Algeria (Decision 28 COM 15A.16)
  • Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower, Azerbaijan (Decision 28 COM 15A.29)
  • Royal Palaces of Abomey, Benin (Decision 28 COM 15A.14)
  • Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park, Central African Republic (Decision 28 COM 15A.1)
  • Comoé National Park, Côte d'Ivoire (Decision 28 COM 15A.2 )
  • Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Côte d'Ivoire/Guinea (Decision 28 COM 15A.5)
  • Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Virunga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Garamba National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Salonga National Park, Democratic Rep. of the Congo (Decision 28 COM 15A.3)
  • Sangay National Park, Ecuador (Decision 28 COM 15A.12)
  • Abu Mena, Egypt (Decision 28 COM 15A.17)
  • Simien National Park, Ethiopia
  • (Decision 28 COM 15A.4)
  • Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, Honduras (Decision 28 COM 15A.13)
  • Group of Monuments at Hampi, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.24)
  • Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, India (Decision 28 COM 15A.10)
  • Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat), Iraq (Decision 28 COM 15A.18)
  • Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, Jerusalem (Decision 28 COM 15A.31)
  • Timbuktu, Mali (Decision 28 COM 15A. 15)
  • Kathmandu Valley, Nepal (Decision 28 COM 15A.25)
  • Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger (Decision 28 COM 15A.6)
  • Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan (Decision 28 COM 15A.26)
  • Chan Chan Archaelogical Zone, Peru (Decision 28 COM 15A.30)
  • Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Philippines (Decision 28 COM 15A.27)
  • Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal (Decision 28 COM 15A.7 )
  • Ichkeul National Park, Tunisia (Decision 28 COM 15A.9)
  • Everglades National Park, United States of America (Decision 28 COM 15A.11)
  • Historic Town of Zabid, Yemen (Decision 28 COM 15A.20)
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Draft Decision:28 COM 15A.18

The World Heritage Committee,

1.  Notes with concern that the security situation in Iraq is delaying implementation of activities critical for the conservation of Ashur;

2.  Encourages the State Party to establish, as early as possible, a site management coordination unit, which will be responsible for any action to be undertaken on the property and shall constitute a counterpart of the Centre in the development of an emergency Conservation Plan;

3.  Requests the Centre and ICOMOS to continue assisting the responsible Iraqi authorities, in every possible way, with the definition of an overall action plan for the conservation and management of the ancient city of Ashur, including capacity building for the staff of the State Board for the Antiquities and Heritage;

4.  Decides to retain the property on the List of World Heritage in Danger. 

Next 2005
Report year: 2004
Iraq
Date of Inscription: 2003
Category: Cultural
Criteria: (iii)(iv)
Danger List (dates): 2003-present
Documents examined by the Committee
WHC-04/28.COM/15A.Rev
arrow_circle_right 28COM (2004)
Exports
Next 2005

* : 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.


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