Press
Release No.2001-138
VIENNA,
PROVINS AND SAMARKAND: NEW SITES ADDED TO UNESCO’S WORLD HERITAGE
LIST
Helsinki
(Finland), December 13 – Samarkand
(Uzbekistan), the historic centres of Vienna (Austria) and of
Goiás (Brazil), the mining area of the Great Copper Mountain in
Falun (Sweden) and the medieval town of Provins (France), along
with five other sites, today joined the ranks of the sites inscribed
on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
10
cultural sites inscribed this afternoon are added to the six natural
sites and two cultural sites (the Cultural Landscape of Fertö-Neusiedlersee,
which straddles Austria and Hungary, and Masada National Park
in Israel) inscribed earlier in the day. Further inscriptions
– the last this year – will be announced tomorrow morning.
The
decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee, currently
chaired by Henrik Lilius of Finland, which since December 11 has
been holding its 25th annual meeting in Helsinki. The
intergovernmental body is responsible for implementing the 1972
Convention Concerning the
Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and
for the inscriptions on the World Heritage List, which this year
for the first time includes the inscription of an Israeli site.
The
new cultural sites inscribed on the List this afternoon are:
Historical
Centre of Vienna (Austria)
Historic
Centre of the Town of Goiás (Brazil)
Yungang
Grottoes (China)
Provins,
Town of Medieval Fairs (France)
Lamu
Old Town (Kenya)
Medina
of Essaouira (formerly Mogador, Morocco)
Churches
of Peace in Jawor and Swidnica (Poland)
Historic
Centre of Guimarães (Portugal)
Mining
Area of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun (Sweden)
Samarkand
– Crossroads of Cultures (Uzbekistan)
Apart
from the inscription of the 10 new sites, it was also decided
this afternoon
to extend one cultural site already on the List, the
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa (China), with an
extension to include the Norbulingka Palace.
The
Committee is continuing its examination of cultural sites put
forward to be added to the World Heritage List. The final new
inscriptions will be announced tomorrow in a press release, followed
by a full list of this year’s inscriptions.
****
For
more information: http:/www.unesco.org/whc/
A BRoll is available: Tel (+33) 1 45 68 00 68
Photos of the sites can be obtained:
Tel. (+33) 1 45 68
16 91
- E-mail: mailto:n.burke@unesco.org
