MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE GELATI MONASTERY 2017 Table of Contents LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS........................................................................................................................5 1. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................6 1.1. Aim of the Management Plan.................................................................................................6 1.2. Relation with other studies.....................................................................................................6 1.3. Scope and approach ...............................................................................................................7 General.............................................................................................................................................7 Management principles ...................................................................................................................8 Approach..........................................................................................................................................9 1.4. Objectives of the management plan ................................................................................... 10 Preparation of a spatial plan for the project area......................................................................... 10 Protection and conservation management .................................................................................. 10 2. INFORMATION.......................................................................................................................... 12 2.1. General................................................................................................................................. 12 The management area .................................................................................................................. 12 Geographic data............................................................................................................................ 13 2.2. Cultural Heritage.................................................................................................................. 14 Brief history of the Gelati Monastery ........................................................................................... 14 Monuments within the property .................................................................................................. 16 Evidence and results of study ....................................................................................................... 22 Present protection status and management ................................................................................ 24 Conservation and rehabilitation.................................................................................................... 25 Sites and monuments in the Buffer Zone ..................................................................................... 28 2.3. Landscape and nature.......................................................................................................... 32 Landscape...................................................................................................................................... 32 Relief.............................................................................................................................................. 32 Air and climate .............................................................................................................................. 35 Water and hydrological regime..................................................................................................... 36 Vegetation, flora, and fauna ......................................................................................................... 36 Human Influences ......................................................................................................................... 37 2.4. Threats and natural hazards ................................................................................................ 39 2.5. Social and economic aspects ............................................................................................... 39 Land tenure and ownership in and near the Gelati Monastery.................................................... 39 Land and resource use in the Buffer Zone .................................................................................... 42 Demography and economy........................................................................................................... 44 2.6. Governance and Management ............................................................................................ 45 2 Legal framework............................................................................................................................ 46 Law enforcement .......................................................................................................................... 49 3. INTERACTION WITH STAKEHOLDERS ....................................................................................... 51 3.1. General................................................................................................................................. 51 Public Sector.................................................................................................................................. 51 Private Sector ................................................................................................................................ 51 Civil Sector..................................................................................................................................... 51 3.2. Stakeholders in the project area................................................................................................ 51 General.......................................................................................................................................... 51 Monastery ..................................................................................................................................... 52 Public Sector.................................................................................................................................. 54 Private Sector ................................................................................................................................ 56 Civil Sector..................................................................................................................................... 57 3.3. The Role of National Agencies ................................................................................................... 57 General.......................................................................................................................................... 57 Public Sector.................................................................................................................................. 58 Private Sector ................................................................................................................................ 58 Civil Sector..................................................................................................................................... 58 4. ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................ 59 4.1. General................................................................................................................................. 59 4.2. Zoning .................................................................................................................................. 60 4.3. Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site and other values ........................ 63 Cultural value ................................................................................................................................ 63 Justification for criteria ................................................................................................................. 63 Authenticity and integrity ............................................................................................................. 64 Religious value............................................................................................................................... 66 Tourist value.................................................................................................................................. 66 4.4. Cultural value of monuments in the Buffer Zone................................................................. 66 4.5. Value and functions of nature.............................................................................................. 67 Site values and functions............................................................................................................... 67 Environmental assessment ........................................................................................................... 68 Use value....................................................................................................................................... 69 4.6. Issues facing the WHS and its Buffer Zone .......................................................................... 71 Threats to the buildings of the Monastery ..................................................................................