The World Heritage Committee holding its 40th session from 10 July in Istanbul (Turkey) recorded during Friday’s session afternoon five new websites: a transboundary site (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia) and sites in Spain, Greece, UK and Turkey.
Cemeteries of medieval tombs Stecci (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia) – This serial has 30 sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to the west of Serbia, Montenegro west and central and southern Croatia, which represent cemeteries and medieval tombs, or stecci specific to these regions. These cemeteries dating from the twelfth to the sixteenth century, are organized in rows, as was the custom in Europe since the Middle Ages. The Stecci are mostly carved in limestone. They have a wide variety of decorative motifs and inscriptions that testify iconographic continuities in medieval Europe and the oldest specific local traditions.
Archaeological site of Philippi (Greece) – The remains of this fortified city spread out at the foot of an acropolis located in the present region of eastern Macedonia and Thrace, on the old road that connects Europe Asia, the Via Egnatia. Founded in 356 BC by the Macedonian king Philip II, the city then develops as a “little Rome” with the creation of the Roman Empire in the decades following the battle of Philippi in 42 BC -C. the Hellenistic monuments such as the grand Theatre and the funeral heroon (temple) are then complemented by Roman buildings as the forum. The city later became a center of Christian faith after visiting the Apostle Paul in 49-50 AD. The remains of churches are an exceptional testimony of the primitive establishment of Christianity.
dolmens site of Antequera (Spain) – In the heart of Andalusia in southern Spain, the site includes three megalithic monuments: the dolmen of Menga, Viera and the dolmen of the tholos of El Romeral and two natural monuments: the Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal which are two visual cues within the site. Edified during the Neolithic and Bronze Age with large blocks of stone, these monuments form chambers and spaces covered with lintels or false cupolas. These three graves, buried under their original tumulus, are one of the most outstanding architectural works of European prehistory and one of the most important examples of European megaliths.
Archaeological site of Ani (Turkey) – The site is located north-east of Turkey on an isolated plateau, overlooking a gorge forming a natural border with Armenia. This medieval city combines residential structures, religious and military characteristics of a medieval town built over the centuries by the Christian and Muslim dynasties. The city reached its peak in the tenth and eleventh centuries AD when it became the capital of medieval Armenian kingdom of Bagratuni and derives its wealth of mastering the trade of one of the branches of the Silk Road. Later, under the Byzantine, Seljuk and Georgian sovereignty, it remains important hub status for trade caravans. The Mongol invasion and a devastating earthquake in 1319 marked the beginning of the decline of the city. Ani offers a wide panorama of the medieval architectural development through the presence of almost all architectural types that have emerged in the region between the seventh and thirteenth century AD
All caves Gorham (United Kingdom) – The steep limestone cliffs, located in the eastern part of the rock of Gibraltar, contain four caves with archaeological and paleontological sites attest to the presence Neanderthal, for a period of more than 125 000 years. This exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions of Neanderthals is reflected in particular by traces of hunting birds and marine animals for food and the use of ornamental feathers, and the presence of rock engravings abstract. Scientific research conducted at the site have already made significant contributions to debates on the Neanderthal and human evolution.
The 40th session of the World Heritage Committee will continue until July 20 under the chairmanship of Lale Ülker, Ambassador, Director General of Cultural Affairs and promotion abroad to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
with AFP
Stéphane © armenews.com