Professional Documents
Culture Documents
WHC-12/36.COM/8D
Paris, 1 June 2012
Original: English/French
Thirty-sixth Session
SUMMARY
To date, seventy States Parties have responded to the letters sent following the
review of the individual files, in order to clarify the original intention of their
nominations (or to submit appropriate cartographic documentation) for two
hundred fifty-three World Heritage properties.
2. The objective of the Retrospective Inventory is the identification and collection of baseline
data (such as boundaries, geographical coordinates, information on serial components,
area of properties in hectares, etc.) for early inscribed World Heritage properties. These
data had never been gathered in a systematic way before, in spite of their key role in
different processes, such as reactive monitoring, modification of boundaries and the
review of Periodic Reports for World Heritage properties. The reason was that documents
and maps received as part of the Nomination files:
a) had neither been registered nor inventoried until 1999;
b) had been dispersed in different archives at the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS, or
IUCN.
In this context, the identification of baseline data was already difficult when only one
Nomination dossier had been received, but it was even more complicated when several
versions of the Nomination file had been submitted. In case of uncertainty, no help could
come from the side of the States Parties, as in most cases there was no institutional
memory at the local and national levels concerning the inscription process of World
Heritage properties.
3. Therefore, the Retrospective Inventory was initiated: all documentation available at the
archives of the World Heritage Centre, ICOMOS and IUCN was inventoried and
analysed, property by property. Baseline data were identified and made easily
retrievable, through their insertion in Inventories and in the database of the World
Heritage Centre. All maps were examined and compared to the text of the Nomination,
the evaluation of the Advisory Bodies and the decision of the World Heritage Committee
concerning the property, in order to identify which map was the authoritative one,
displaying the delimitation of the World Heritage property as inscribed. This analysis
allowed the detection of outstanding issues needing to be clarified (absence of
delimitation, mistakes in the attribution of geographical coordinates, etc.). Such problems
were subsequently presented to the States Parties concerned, whose cooperation was
requested in order to clarify them. Letters were sent to Permanent Delegations, National
Commissions and Focal Points identifying the maps and other geographical data on file
and asking for the missing information. All satisfactory answers received were finally
presented as “clarifications” to the World Heritage Committee.
4. This process (inventory – analysis – contact with the States Parties concerned –
clarification noted by the World Heritage Committee) involved since 2004 more than four
hundred properties inscribed on the World Heritage List in the period 1978 -1998, on the
basis of the following phases:
a) 2004-2005: Nomination files of European World Heritage properties were reviewed;
b) 2006: Nomination files of Arab World Heritage properties were reviewed;
c) 2007-2008: Periodic Reporting submissions (maps, Section II, etc.) concerning World
Heritage European properties were reviewed;
d) 2009: Nomination files of African World Heritage properties were reviewed;
e) 2010-2011: Nomination files of Asian and Pacific World Heritage properties were
reviewed;
2. “Boundary clarifications” submitted by States Parties in order to solve these problems are
usually represented by maps. They are considered satisfactory (and are therefore
presented in this document) only if they:
a) are consistent with the Nomination, the evaluation of the concerned Advisory
Body(ies) and the decision of the World Heritage Committee at the time of inscription;
b) meet technical requirements, i.e.:
i) being topographic or cadastral maps at the largest available scale (the choice
between a topographic or cadastral map depends on the size of the property);
ii) displaying the delimitation of the World Heritage property as inscribed;
iii) showing a clearly labeled coordinate grid (or coordinate references for at least
four points on the map);
iv) presenting a bar scale;
v) displaying a legend in English or French clearly referring to the “boundaries of the
World Heritage property” (and to the “buffer zone of the World Heritage property”,
if applicable).
In order to avoid any future misunderstanding, it is important that the World Heritage
Committee takes note of such clarifications. A “Clarification Document” will be issued
each year until all pending issues have been resolved.
1. At its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011), the World Heritage Committee requested States
Parties concerned to submit all requested boundary clarifications by 1 December 2011
(see Decision 35 COM 8D). Following this decision, letters were addressed to the States
Parties concerned, asking for the missing information. Of the total of a hundred and
twenty-one clarifications received, fifty-five are satisfactory and are therefore being
presented to the World Heritage Committee in this document.
2. Clarifications are presented (see Annex) by Region (Europe, Arab States, Africa, Asia
and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean), by State Party (in alphabetical order)
and by date of inscription of the property. For each World Heritage property, the following
elements are provided:
a) an identification table providing its name, its date of inscription, its criteria of
inscription, its identification number, its area in hectares (and the area in hectares of
its buffer zone, whenever applicable) and the date of receipt of the clarification;
b) a “Technical Summary” providing some explanatory notes;
Note: The printed version of this document is presented in black and white, but its electronic
version in colour is available at the following Web
address: http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2012.
2. Recalling Decision 35 COM 8D, adopted at its 35th session (UNESCO, 2011),
4. Recalls that the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies will not be able to
examine proposals for minor or significant modifications to boundaries of World
Heritage properties whenever the delimitation of such properties as inscribed is
unclear;
5. Takes note of the clarifications of property boundaries and areas provided by the
following States Parties in response to the Retrospective Inventory, as presented in the
Annex of Document WHC-12/36.COM/8D:
- Algeria: M’Zab Valley;
- Argentina: Los Glaciares;
- Australia: Lord Howe Island Group; Wet Tropics of Queensland; Shark Bay, Western
Australia; Heard and McDonald Islands;
- Cambodia: Angkor;
- China: The Great Wall; Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian; Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic
and Historic Interest Area; Ancient City of Ping Yao; Summer Palace, an Imperial
Garden in Beijing; Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing;
- Colombia: Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox;
- Croatia: Plitvice Lakes National Park;
- Czech Republic: Historic Centre of Prague;
- Finland: Fortress of Suomenlinna;
- Georgia: Historic Monuments of Mtskheta;
- Germany: Aachen Cathedral; Collegiate Church, Castle and Old Town of
Quedlinburg;
- Germany and the United Kingdom: Frontiers of the Roman Empire: Hadrian’s Wall;
- Honduras: Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve;
- India: Ajanta Caves; Kaziranga National Park;
- Indonesia: Borobudur Temple Compounds;
- Japan: Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area; Himeji-jo; Yakushima; Shirakami-
Sanchi; Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama; Hiroshima Peace Memorial
(Genbaku Dome); Itsukushima Shinto Shrine; Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara;
- Nepal: Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha;
- Sri Lanka: Sinharaja Forest Reserve;
6. Requests the States Parties which have not yet answered the questions raised in the
framework of the Retrospective Inventory to provide all clarifications and
documentation as soon as possible and by 1 December 2012 at the latest.
All maps presented in this document are consistent with the decision of the World Heritage
Committee at the time of the inscription, and/or the evaluation of the relevant Advisory Body
and/or the Nomination.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
PROPERTIES IN EUROPE boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated. A
CROATIA proposal of a minor boundary modification concerning this property
is presented in Document WHC-12/36.COM/8B.Add.
Property Plitvice Lakes National
Park Serial ID Name of the component Area Buffer
Identification HR-98 bis (ha) zone (ha)
Dates of inscription 1979-2000 616-001 Historic Centre of Prague 894.94 49600
Area of the inscribed property 29482 ha 616-002 Průhonice Park 211.42 --
Date of receipt of the clarification 21/11/2011
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property.
FINLAND
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated. A proposal of a minor boundary modification concerning
this property is presented in Document WHC-12/36.COM/8B.Add.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
1
In the table, the information provided in the cells « Identification »
and « Dates of inscription » concerns the property « Frontiers of
the Roman Empire » as a whole (Germany and United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Northern Ireland), while the information provided
in the cells “Property”, “Area of the inscribed property”, “Area of the
buffer zone” and “Date of receipt of the clarification” concern
specifically “Hadrian’s Wall” (United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland).
SPAIN
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property. The area in
hectares of each component of the inscribed property has also been
indicated. Property Old Town of Segovia
and its Aqueduct
Serial ID Name of the component Area (ha) Identification ES-311 rev
318-001 Palace, Monastery, subsidiary 85.34 Date of inscription 1985
buildings and gardens
Area of the inscribed property 134.28 ha
318-002 Subsidiary building “La Casita del 8.77
Date of receipt of the clarification 01/12/2011
Infante”
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property. The area in hectares of the
inscribed property has also been indicated. A proposal of a minor
boundary modification concerning this property is presented in
Document WHC-12/36.COM/8B.Add.
Technical Summary:
This clarification concerns the component “Gaudí’s work on the
Sagrada Familia”. The map of the component “Hospital de Sant
Pau”, submitted with the nomination file of the property “Palau de la
Detail 2 Detail 5
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
312-006 La Foncalada
312-003 Santa Cristina de Lena
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
664-004 Guadiana River Dam, Roman Bridge over Guadiana 664-007 Sta. Catalina Basilica
River, Alcazaba
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property. The area in
hectares of each component of the inscribed property has also been
indicated.
664-021 Thermal Baths at Reyes Huertas St. Serial ID Name of the component Area (ha)
357-001 Göreme National Park 9572
357-002 Karain site 0.77
357-003 Karlik site 0.51
357-004 Yeşilöz site 0.58
357-005 Soganli site 309
357-006 Subterranean city of Kaymakli 0.7
357-007 Subterranean city of Derinkuyu 0.25
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been 357-001 Göreme National Park
indicated.
ALGERIA
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property. The area in
hectares of each component of the inscribed property has also been
provided.
Situation map
Detail 3
TUNISIA
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property. The area in
hectares of each component of the inscribed property has also been
indicated. A proposal of a minor boundary modification concerning
this property is presented in Document WHC-12/36.COM/8B.Add.
Detail 5
Serial Name of the component Area
ID (ha)
37-001 The area of the hills (encompassing the 443.48
following monuments : Acropolis, punic
necropoles, theatre, amphitheatre, circus,
baths of Antoninus, cisterns of the
Maalga)
37-002 Land of the “ Maison de la chasse au 2.31
sanglier”
37-003 El Mbazaa Field 1.08
37-004 Land of the « Maison de la course des 0.95
chars »
37-005 Land of the roman house 0.65
37-006 Sector of Bir Messaouda 7.10
37-007 Magon District 2.75
37-008 Sector of Dermech Basilica 3.42
37-009 Sector of Bib Knissia Basilica 7.67
37-010 District of the punic ports and of the tophet 27.49
37-011 Zone of the entrance to the harbours 74.37
Detail 6
37-012 Basilica of Saint Cyprien 25.66
37-013 Land of the roman houses of Amilcar 19.09
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property. The area in hectares of the
inscribed property has also been indicated.
AUSTRALIA
Technical Summary:
The State Party has clarified the area in hectares of the inscribed
property. An updated map has also been provided.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has clarified the area in hectares of the inscribed
property. An updated map has also been provided.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has clarified the area in hectares of the inscribed
property. An updated map has also been provided.
CAMBODIA
Property Angkor
Identification KH-668
Date of inscription 1992
Area of the inscribed property 40100 ha
Date of receipt of the clarification 13/12/2011
438-001 Badaling
438-002 Shanhaiguan
CHINA
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property.
438-003 Jiayuguan
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated.
Property Ancient City of Ping Yao
Identification CN-812
Date of inscription 1997
Area of the inscribed property 245.62 ha
Area of the buffer zone 95.99 ha
Date of receipt of the clarification 03/02/2012
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated.
INDONESIA
Situation map
Property Himeji-jo
Identification JP-661
Date of inscription 1993
Area of the inscribed property 107 ha
Area of the buffer zone 143 ha
Date of receipt of the clarification 01/02/2012
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
592-002 Mendut Temple boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone.
JAPAN
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
Property Shirakami-Sanchi
Identification JP-663
Date of inscription 1993
Area of the inscribed property 16971 ha
Date of receipt of the clarification 01/02/2012
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property and its
buffer zone. The area in hectares of each component of the
inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property.
NEPAL
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided clear maps of the site, displaying the
boundaries of each component of the inscribed property. The area in
hectares of each component of the inscribed property has also been
indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property. The area in hectares of the
inscribed property has also been indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated.
UZBEKISTAN
COLOMBIA
Technical Summary:
The State Party has clarified the area in hectares of the property.
The boundary of the property has not been modified since the
inscription. The State Party has also provided an updated map of the
property.
Technical Summary:
The State Party has provided a clear map of the site, displaying the
boundaries of the inscribed property and its buffer zone. The area in
hectares of the inscribed property and its buffer zone has also been
indicated.