The World Heritage Committee has inscribed
the following properties on the World Heritage List:
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1981 Old City of Jerusalem
and its Walls (site proposed by Jordan)
As a holy city
for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem has always been of great
symbolic importance. Among its 220 historic monuments, the Dome of the
Rock stands out: built in the 7th century, it is decorated with beautiful
geometric and floral motifs. It is recognized by all three religions as
the site of Abraham's sacrifice. The Wailing Wall delimits the quarters
of the different religious communities, while the Resurrection rotunda
in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre houses Christ's tomb. |
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2001 Masada
Masada is a
rugged natural fortress, of majestic beauty, in the Judaean Desert overlooking
the Dead Sea. It is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent
destruction and the last stand of Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman
army, in 73 A.D. It was built as a palace complex, in the classic style
of the early Roman Empire, by Herod the Great, King of Judaea, (reigned
37 – 4 B.C.). The camps, fortifications and attack ramp that encircle the
monument constitute the most complete Roman siege works surviving to the
present day. |
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2001 Old City of Acre
Acre is a historic
walled port-city with continuous settlement from the Phoenician period.
The present city is characteristic of a fortified town dating from the
Ottoman 18th and 19th centuries, with typical urban components such as
the citadel, mosques, khans and baths. The remains of the Crusader town,
dating from 1104 to 1291, lie almost intact, both above and below today's
street level, providing an exceptional picture of the layout and structures
of the capital of the medieval Crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. |
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2003 The White City of Tel-Aviv
- the Modern Movement
Tel Aviv was
founded in 1909 and developed under the British Mandate (1920-1948). The
White City was constructed from the early 1930s till 1948, based on the
urban plan by Sir Patrick Geddes, reflecting modern organic planning principles.
The buildings were designed by architects who were trained in Europe where
they practiced their profession before emigrating to Palestine. They created
an outstanding architectural ensemble of the modern movement in a new cultural
context. |
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2005 Biblical Tells – Megiddo,
Hazor, Beer Sheba |
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2005 Incense Route / Cities
in the Negev - Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta |
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2008 Baha’i Holy Places in
Haifa and Western Galilee |
The World
Heritage List was established under terms of The Convention Concerning
the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted in
November 1972 at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO.
The
Convention states that a World Heritage Committee "will establish, keep
up-to-date and publish" a World Heritage List of cultural and natural properties,
submitted by the States Parties and considered to be of outstanding universal
value.
One
of the main responsibilities of this Committee is to provide technical
co-operation under the World Heritage Fund for the safeguarding of World
Heritage properties to States Parties whose resources are insufficient.
States
Parties can request international assistance under the Fund for the preparation
of tentative lists and nomination forms, expert missions, training of specialized
staff, and supply of equipment when appropriate; they can also apply for
long-term loans and, in special cases, non-repayable grants. Requests must
concern work necessary for the preservation of cultural or natural sites
included in the World Heritage List or assistance to national or regional
training centres.
Emergency
assistance is also available under the Fund in the case of properties severely
damaged by specific natural or man-made disasters or threatened with imminent
destruction.
source: www.unesco.org |
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