World Heritage Watch

08/06/2026

اليوم العالمي للبيئة الطبيعة والتراث مش منفصلين. المواقع الأثرية في الأردن، من البترا لوادي رم، مبنية في قلب البيئة الطبيعية. حمايتها مش بس واجب ثقافي هو واجب بيئي. نحن نؤمن إن التدريب على صون التراث هو تدريب على احترام الأرض والطبيعة.

World Environment Day Nature and heritage are inseparable. Jordan's archaeological sites, from Petra to Wadi Rum, exist within natural landscapes. Protecting them is not just a cultural duty, it's an environmental one. We believe that training in heritage conservation is also training in respect for the earth.

08/06/2026

Biserici fortificate – straturi de istorie
Biserica fortificata Saros pe Tarnave / Scharosch (Kokel) / Szaszsaros
In secolul al XIV-lea, satul Saros avea o comunitate suficient de puternica pentru a ridica o bazilica gotica de mari dimensiuni, cu trei nave, dar fara turn.
De-a lungul timpului, biserica a fost transformata pentru a raspunde nevoilor de aparare. Navele laterale au fost demolate, iar nava centrala si corul au fost adaptate pentru aparare. In secolul al XVI-lea a fost ridicat turnul clopotnitei din partea vestica, prevazut initial cu drum de straja din lemn.
Prin unele solutii constructive si detalii arhitecturale, biserica din Saros aminteste de catedrala evanghelica din Sibiu, una dintre cele mai importante biserici medievale din Transilvania.
Un element curios al ansamblului este asa-numitul „bastion rotund”, care reprezinta de fapt ramasitele unei capele romanice mai vechi.
Va invitam sa descoperiti acest loc si povestea lui la evenimentele noastre din acest an – iar prin quiz-uri interactive vom explora impreuna detaliile arhitecturii bisericii.
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Kirchenburg Scharosch (Kokel) / Saros pe Tarnave / Szaszsaros
Im 14. Jahrhundert besaß das Dorf Scharosch vermutlich eine starke Gemeinschaft, die eine große gotische Basilika mit drei Schiffen errichten konnte – zunächst ohne Turm.
Im Laufe der Zeit wurde die Kirche mehrfach verändert, auch aus defensiven Gründen. Die Seitenschiffe wurden abgetragen, während Mittelschiff und Chor für Verteidigungszwecke angepasst wurden. Im 16. Jahrhundert entstand im Westen der Glockenturm, ursprünglich mit einem hölzernen Wehrgang.
In einigen baulichen Lösungen und architektonischen Details erinnert die Kirche von Scharosch an die evangelische Stadtpfarrkirche von Hermannstadt, eine der bedeutendsten mittelalterlichen Kirchen Siebenbürgens.
Ein ungewöhnliches Element der Anlage ist der sogenannte „runde Bastion“, der in Wirklichkeit die Reste einer älteren romanischen Kapelle darstellt.
Wir laden Sie ein, diesen Ort bei unseren Veranstaltungen in diesem Jahr zu entdecken – und architektonische Details bei interaktiven Quizzen vor Ort kennenzulernen.

08/06/2026

08/06/2026

UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany has appointed a new member of his senior management team: Nayef H. Al-fayez as UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQTwgHT3

08/06/2026

THE WORLD HERITAGE WATCH REPORT 2026 IS PUBLISHED !

With great pleasure we announce that the WHW Report 2026 has now been published and is available for download from our website at https://hidrive.ionos.com/share/g2mgj00y-2 #$/

With 59 articles spanning 232 pages, the WHW Report 2026 is the most comprehensive edition to date, and the fact that as many as 15 authors have contributed for the first time show that our network continues to grow even at times when more and more countries obstruct the work of civil society organizations or prohibit them altogether.

At least 17 of the sites covered in the new WHW Report are on the agenda of the World Heritage Committee on their session in Busan, South Korea, from 19-29 July. We will be there to raise our voice and lobby the Committee to take the reports from your global network into due consideration.

To protect and safeguard the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List is the common responsibility of humankind as a whole. Much more needs to be done than we can report here. Please consider what you can contribute to meeting this challenge.

Stephan Doempke, Chair

21/05/2026

The OWHC is pleased to welcome back the City of Saint-Louis (Senegal) as an active member of our international network.

Following the meeting held in Lamu, Kenya, in December 2025 — where sub-Saharan African cities came together to contribute to the OWHC’s New Urban Process — the Mayor of Saint-Louis, Mr. Amadou Mansour Faye, officially renewed the city’s membership after more than 20 years.

After the recent return of Djenné (Mali) and Agadez (Niger), Saint-Louis’ renewed commitment reflects the growing mobilization of African World Heritage cities within the OWHC.

By rejoining the organization, Saint-Louis strengthens a shared dynamic of cooperation, exchange of expertise and urban innovation adapted to the realities of historic cities.

The OWHC warmly welcomes Saint-Louis back into its network and looks forward to continuing this collective work for more resilient, vibrant and sustainable historic centres.

19/05/2026

The Burrup Peninsula is home to one of the most extraordinary collections of ancient rock engravings in the world. Located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the peninsula contains hundreds of thousands of Aboriginal petroglyphs carved into hard volcanic rock over thousands of years. These engravings, also known as rock art, provide a remarkable visual record of the beliefs, ceremonies, animals, and daily lives of Australia’s First Peoples.

Created by carefully pecking and scraping the dark rock surfaces, the carvings reveal images of human faces, kangaroos, marine animals, spirit beings, hunting scenes, and ceremonial symbols. Many of the artworks are believed to be more than 20,000 years old, while some researchers suggest certain engravings may date back even further. The site is especially significant because it preserves depictions of extinct animals and changing coastlines, offering valuable insight into ancient environmental conditions and human history.

The Burrup Peninsula petroglyphs are not only archaeological treasures but also sacred cultural landscapes for the Traditional Custodians, particularly the Ngarluma, Yaburara, Mardudhunera, and Wong-Goo-Tt-Oo peoples. Today, the area remains an important symbol of Aboriginal heritage, spirituality, and artistic achievement, attracting scholars and visitors from around the world.

19/05/2026

Greek-American Colonel Matthew Bogdanos became internationally known for leading efforts to recover thousands of priceless antiquities looted from Iraq’s National Museum after the 2003 invasion. Full story: https://tinyurl.com/yc84cn7m