WHC-01/CONF.207/INF.3 UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION BUREAU OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE 25th extraordinary session (7 – 8 December 2001) Helsinki (Finland) EVALUATIONS OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES Prepared by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) The IUCN and ICOMOS evaluations are made available to members of the Bureau and the World Heritage Committee. A small number of additional copies are also available from the secretariat. Thank you 2001 WORLD HERITAGE LIST Nominations 2001 INTRODUCTION I NOMINATIONS OF CULTURAL PROPERTIES Properties which the Bureau referred back B.1 Historic towns Georgia - Tbilisi Historic District 86 Israel - The Old City of Acre 91 B.2 Religious properties Cyprus - Painted Churches in the Troodos Region - Palaichori, 98 Church of Ayia Sotira (Church of the Transfiguration of the Saviour) - (Extension) Spain - Mudéjar de Aragon (Extension of Mudéjar Architecture of Teruel) 100 B.3 Architectural monuments and ensembles Russian Federation - The Bolgar Historical and Architectural Complex 104 B.4 Technological ensembles Germany - The Cultural Industrial Landscape of the Zollverein Mine 109 Sweden - The Historic Cultural Landscape of the Great Copper Mountain in Falun 114 B.5 Cultural Landscapes Italy - The Middle Adda Valley (extension to “Crespi d’Adda”) 119 Portugal - Alto Douro Wine Region 122 Spain - Aranjuez Cultural Landscape 129 II NOMINATIONS OF MIXED PROPERTIES Properties which the Bureau referred back Austria-Hungary - Natural Site and Cultural Landscape of Fertö-Neusiedler Lake 142 Russian Federation - Natural complex "Central Sikhote-Alin" 146 serious risk of losing its identity owing to major changes Tbilisi (Georgia) threatening its historic district. Criterion v The fertile cultural traditions and the continuously advancing position of the capital city encouraged creative processes No 1020 providing many brilliant artists with equal opportunities. Tbilisi was praised in the songs and verses of poets and witnessed the debut or crucial moments in the career of famous singers (Theodore Shalyapin), poets (Alexandre Griboedov), writers (Boris Pasternak, George Gurijiev), and painters (Niko Pirosmanashvili). The city flourished especially in the 19th century with its workshops and Identification markets, bathhouses and gardens. Tbilisi is directly linked with the life and creative activity of Georgian Romanticism, Nomination Tbilisi Historic District associated with Alexander Chavchavadze, Gregory Orbeliani, and Nikoloz Baratashvili, and literature with Ilia Location Region Kartli, Central Georgia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli. It was the inspiration of avant-garde Georgian poets, the Tsisperkantselebi group, and State Party Georgia Galaktion Tabidze, symbol of modern Georgian poetry, as well as an attraction to many foreign painters and poets. Date 9 December 1999 Criterion vi Category of property Justification by State Party In terms of the categories of cultural property set out in Article 1 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, this is a Tbilisi, an urban heritage site, can be considered a meeting group of buildings. place of diverse nations and cultures, where foreign influences were filtered through national traditions and established in the specifically Tbilisian form of History and Description interpretation of the imported themes. The capital of a country and residence of successive invaders, Tbilisi History underwent a continuous metamorphosis, being enriched in Human life in the area of Tbilisi has ancient origins, and has the process and never losing its own identity. The historic been traced back to the 5th millennium BCE, demonstrated buildings of western and oriental influence, the churches, by rich archaeological evidence. The first urban settlements synagogues, and mosques bear vivid witness to the intense date from the end of the 1st millennium BCE, and the earliest cultural and spiritual interrelations that contributed to its evidence of a construction is from 4th century CE, a architectural diversity and urban fabric, still continuing to fragment within the Narikala fortress from the time of sustain age-old traditions of different origins merged with Persian occupation. According to legends, the capital was local culture. Criterion ii moved from Mtskheta to Tbilisi by King Bakhtang Gorgasali Tbilisi has always been a multi-national and multi-cultural and his son Dachi Ujarmeli in the late 5th and early 6th city, where the immigrants felt at their ease and were able to centuries. There is evidence of active building shown by retain their own religions, languages, and ethno-cultural several early medieval churches (Anchiskhati Church, Sioni peculiarities, contributing to the process of the development Cathedral). of a Tbilisian mode of life, character, and relations. This Tbilisi was destroyed by Buga Turk in 853, but a century unity has to a certain extent helped to resist pressure of later Armenian and Arab writers mention it as a flourishing ethnic confrontation, being particularly important in the town. This sequence is symptomatic, considering that Tbilisi Soviet period. Criterion iii has been destroyed and revived some twenty times in its The Tbilisian mode of life and daily activities have history. In 1121, after a victorious battle, Tbilisi was released contributed to a typically Tbilisian spatial organization of the from the Arab domination, becoming the capital of the residential districts. Here, interiors and exteriors were united Kingdom of Georgia. The period of King David the connected via balconies; courtyards were the focal points for Builder (1089–1125) marks its heyday as the largest and various activities, often partly open toward the street, richest city in the Near East, the period when Lurji creating connections to the different parts of the house and Monastery was founded, Sioni Cathedral renovated, and linking with the staircases. All this played a role in the Metekhi Church built. From 1226 to 1230 it was attacked development of an open and communicable type of dwelling, several times and then invaded by the Mongols. In the 13th corresponding to the conditions of the city and the needs of century King Demetre the Self-Sacrificer commissioned the inhabitants. Criterion iv restoration and rebuilding. The domed church of St Nicholas was built in the Narikala fortress, and records mention 65 Tbilisi belongs to a number of cities which have undergone baths over hot springs. significant evolution in the course of history, being a settlement, a fortress, a fortified city, and a capital. Having The period from the 15th century onwards is marked by become a capital city, it has acquired cultural, administrative, devastating invasions by Tamerlan and the troops of Safavid and trading functions that it still retains, not only for the Persia, lasting until the treaty between the Persians and the country but for the whole region. At present, Tbilisi faces the Ottomans in 1639. Taking advantage of the relative peace, 86 Tbilisians started rebuilding their town, resulting in a number narrow gorge of the River Mtkvari, the architectural of churches of different beliefs, palaces, and caravanserais. dominants include Narikala fortress and the churches of However, in 1795, Tbilisi was again completely burned Metekhi, Sioni, and Anchiskhati. The oldest part of the city down, this time by Aga-Mahmad-Khan. At the beginning of is in the area of Kala, which has retained its medieval layout the 19th century, Georgia was annexed to Russia and Tbilisi as well as a number of typical Tbilisian residential houses. became the centre for the whole Transcaucasus. This resulted The area is divided in two parts: Zemo Kala (Upper Kala) in a new wave of building activity, giving the city the and Kvemo Kala (Lower Kala). This spontaneously evolved character that has survived till the present. area is characterized by irregular streets, narrow lanes, blind alleys, and houses that reflect the fantasy of the builder. The new constructions were built on old foundations, respecting the urban layout in the area of the Narikala The Abanotubani quarter, to the south of Kala, is so named fortress and the Metekhi plateau. Old residential areas such because of the abundance of bathhouses. The areas around as Kala, Isani, Kharpukhi, and Avlabari were extended into the Narikala fortress have less well preserved medieval the Gare Avlabari, Sololaki, Mtatsminda, and Vera quarters, fabric, while the Garetubani quarter, on the right bank of the as well as on the left bank of the River Mtkvari. The river, houses many significant public buildings. Sololaki is a architectural character of the old quarters was changed to regularly laid-out quarter, built in the late 19th century on the some extent: for example, the old darbazi dwellings site of the former royal gardens. On the north side there is the disappeared. Many features such as churches and the fortress Mtatsminda quarter, which developed on the slopes of were preserved, although the old city walls and towers were Mount Mtatsminda, retaining its Tbilisian character, as does demolished in the early 19th century. The residential areas the somewhat later Vera quarter. In the 20th century a series were built with wider streets and to a regular grid pattern. of large public buildings were built on two main axes that European architectural styles merged with traditional were opened into the historic fabric. building traditions, especially from the mid 19th century There are a number of interesting residential buildings that