From an English castle threatened by climate change to a forgotten Egyptian landmark, the World Monuments Watch this year highlights 25 culturally significant but endangered heritage sites.
World Monuments Watch is a project managed by the World Monuments Funda non-profit organization that highlights endangered historical and cultural sites around the world.
Every two years, WMF adds new points to its watchlist, bringing awareness and helping to raise funds for the continued protection of the sites.
To date, the organization says it has directly contributed more than $110 million to projects in more than 300 locations. The World Monuments Fund says destinations also reap significant economic benefits from the increased visibility that comes with a place on the list.
New potential destinations can be nominated by individuals and community-led organizations. This year, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) – an organization that also weighs in on the UNESCO World Heritage List – and an independent group of heritage experts from around the world scoured over 225 nominations before settling on the 2022 list.
Climate change and other threats
Highlights this year include Hurst Castlea historic fortress on the south coast of England that partially collapsed with storm surges in 2021. The WMF says the castle’s inclusion on the watch list “can help bring attention to the impact of climate change through ongoing monitoring. ”
The Maldives’ mosques and Koagannu cemetery were also placed on the list due to risks associated with the weather, with the World Monuments Fund stating that the damaging effects of sea level rise can already be seen at the site.
The WMF also highlights locations that celebrate underrepresented voices in history, including Garcia Pasture in Texas, USA, the ancestral home of the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe, as well as locations impacted by what it calls “unbalanced tourism”.
In Egypt, the ancient city of Abydos is highlighted as a place “little visited by tourists, despite its cultural importance”.
And while Mexico’s Teotihuacan archaeological park is a popular destination, the World Monuments Fund includes the site on its 2022 list to highlight that its popularity doesn’t necessarily mean locals reap economic benefits.
Other notable spots on the list include Beirut’s historic buildings in an area of the Lebanese city damaged by an explosion in 2020, as well as the historic city center of Benghazi, Libya – crippled by ongoing conflict.
“This year’s watch demonstrates that heritage preservation can offer innovative solutions to contemporary global challenges,” said Bénédicte de Montlaur, president and CEO of WMF, in a statement.
“We urge the world to support communities and save these places of extraordinary cultural importance. Heritage sites are an incredible resource for addressing larger issues facing society, as well as local needs for recognition, access, participation and economic opportunity.”
From Brazil, the Monte Alegre National Park, in Pará, also appears on the WMF list. The destination, which turned 20 at the end of 2021, houses the oldest archaeological site in the South American Amazon, and has cave paintings that are more than 11,000 years old. In addition, the park is a natural habitat for endangered species of animals, such as the Cacaué, the Aratinga maculata bird.
2022 World Monuments Watch List
– Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home, Kinchela, Australia
– Bagerhat City Mosque, Bagerhat, Bangladesh
– Cultural landscape of the Bunong people, Mondulkiri Province, Cambodia
– Fortified Mansions of Yongtai, Fujian Province, China
– Sumba Island, Indonesia
– Historic buildings of Beirut, Lebanon
– Hitis (water sources) of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
– Jahangir’s Tomb, Lahore, Pakistan
– Nuri, Sudan
– Hurst Castle, Hampshire, UK
– Lamanai, Indian Church Village, Belize
– Monte Alegre State Park, Brazil
– La Maison du Peuple, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
– Abydos, Egypt
– Traditional buildings Asante, Ghana
– Tiretta Bazaar, Calcutta, India
– Historic center of the city of Benghazi, Libya
– Koagannu Mosques and Cemetery, Maldives
– Teotihuacan, San Juan Teotihuacan, Mexico
– Yanacancha-Huachis cultural landscape, Miraflores district, Peru
– Alcântara and Rocha do Conde de Óbidos, Marine Stations (Murals of Almada Negreiros), Lisbon, Portugal
– Timișoara Jewish Heritage and Fabric Synagogue, Timișoara, Romania
– Africatown, Mobile, Alabama, United States
– Garcia Pasture, Brownsville, Texas, United States
– Socotra Archipelago, Yemen
Source: CNN Brasil
