Moon and Gaza among 25 cultural sites deemed at risk by major international study

The Moon and Gaza have been named as being among the 25 cultural sites at risk by a global foundation.

The World Monuments Fund (WMF) on Wednesday named 25 sites of cultural importance at risk from war, climate change and even space exploration, including Gaza’s urban infrastructure, Africa’s Swahili Coast and the Old City of Ankara in Turkey.

The only UK entry to the list of sites at risk was Belfast’s Assembly Rooms, built in 1769 as a gathering place for political discourse, business, and entertainment.

Campaigners in the city are hoping to turn the building, one of the city’s oldest civic buildings, into a museum encouraging reflection on Northern Ireland’s Troubles.

The historic Belfast Assembly Rooms was the only UK entry on the list

WMF

Also included in the list was the Moon, which heritage campaigners said reflected the urgent need for international agreements to protect lunar heritage sites.

Many of the sites on the list were included due to the threat from climate change, such as the Swahili coast in Africa, which is threatened by coastal erosion and increasing sea levels.

The historic lighthouses in Maine in the United States were also included for similar reasons, with researchers citing the lighthouses’ status as cultural symbols for the state.

Other cultural monuments were included on the list due to their risk from war, such as buildings in Gaza where conflict has raged between Hamas and Israel since Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Kyiv’s Teacher’s House, a symbol of Ukrainian independence which has been devastated by the Russian invasion, was also included for similar reasons.

The Teacher’s House in Ukraine was deemed at risk due to Russia’s invasion

Shutterstock

Other sites were included due to their risk from over-tourism or development, such as the Chapel of the Sorbonne in France and the Buddhist Grottoes of Maijishan and Yungang in China.

The entries were collected from more than 200 nominations and were then assessed by heritage experts.

“The Watch underscores World Monuments Fund’s commitment to ensuring that heritage

preservation not only honors the past but actively contributes to building a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient future for communities around the world and beyond,” said President and CEO, Bénédicte de Montlaur.

He added: “For the first time, the Moon is included on the Watch to reflect the urgent need to recognize and preserve the artifacts that testify to humanity’s first steps beyond Earth—a defining moment in our shared history.”

Full list of 25 sites deemed at risk by the WMF:

• Monasteries of the Drino Valley, Albania

• Cinema Studio Namibe, Angola

• Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

• Buddhist Grottoes of Maijishan and Yungang, China

• Swahili Coast Heritage Sites, Comoros, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania

• Chapel of the Sorbonne, France

• Serifos Historic Mining Landscape, Greece

• Bhuj Historic Water Systems, India.

• Musi River Historic Buildings, India

• Noto Peninsula Heritage Sites, Japan

• Erdene Zuu Buddhist Monastery, Mongolia

• Jewish Heritage of Debdou, Morocco

• Chief Ogiamien’s House, Nigeria

• Gaza Historic Urban Fabric, Palestine

• Waru Waru Agricultural Fields, Peru

• Terracotta Sculptures of Alcobaça Monastery, Portugal

• Ruins of Old Belchite, Spain

• Water Reservoirs of the Tunis Medina, Tunisia

• Historic City of Antakya, Türkiye

• Kyiv Teacher’s House, Ukraine

• Belfast Assembly Rooms, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

• The Great Trading Path, United States

• Historic Lighthouses of Maine, United States

• Barotse Floodplain Cultural Landscape, Zambia