Heritage sites at risk of landing on Unesco ‘danger list’
ISLAMABAD: Following restoration work by the Punjab archaeology division at two World Heritage sites in Taxila, which has allegedly compromised their
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Heritage sites at risk of landing on Unesco ‘danger list’
ISLAMABAD: Following restoration work by the Punjab archaeology division at two World Heritage sites in Taxila, which has allegedly compromised their authenticity and integrity, the sites are at risk of being placed on Unesco’s ‘List of World Heritage in Danger’.
According to Unesco, this list is designed to inform the global community of conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List, and to encourage corrective action.
The caution comes after a third faction recently shared information and photos with Pakistan’s Permanent Delegate to Unesco in Paris regarding two such sites in Taxila.
The concern highlights how interventions may affect the authenticity and integrity of the Gandhara sites at Mohra Moradu and Sirkap. Specifically, the concern centres around the demolition or repair of original walls, the new construction being carried out in their place, or their height being raised.
“The [third faction] urges Unesco to intervene to protect the site’s integrity for future generations,” the permanent delegate to Unesco stated in a letter to the Division of Archaeology and Museums (DOAM), Islamabad, seen by Dawn .
Citing its concern and seeking an immediate response regarding the condition of the World Heritage sites, DOAM wrote to the Punjab Archaeology Division, stating: “If sane action is not taken in the matter, it could lead to placing the two sites on Unesco’s ‘Danger List’.”
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