2019 Addendum Evaluations of Nominations of Cultural and Mixed Properties ICOMOS report for the World Heritage Committee 43rd ordinary session, Baku, 30 June - 10 July 2019 WHC-19/43.COM/INF.8B1.Add UNESCO World Heritage Convention World Heritage Committee 2019 Addendum Evaluations of Nominations of Cultural and Mixed Properties ICOMOS report for the World Heritage Committee 43rd ordinary session, Baku, 30 June - 10 July 2019 Secrétariat ICOMOS International 11, rue du Séminaire de Conflans 94220 Charenton-le-Pont France Tel: 33 (0)1 41 94 17 59 Fax: 33 (0)1 48 93 19 16 World Heritage List Nominations received by 1st February 2019 V Cultural properties A Europe – North America Nomination referred back by previous sessions of the World Heritage Committee Azerbaijan [C 1549rev] Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace 1 Italy [C 1571rev] Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene 12 United States of America [C 1496rev] The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright 23 Minor modifications to the boundaries Germany [C 534bis] Garden Kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz 38 Germany [C 546bis] Maulbronn Monastery Complex 40 Portugal [C 1387bis] University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia 42 Sweden [C 559bis] Royal Domain of Drottningholm 44 Creation/modification of buffer zones France [C 164bis] Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments 46 Italy [C 394bis] Venice and its lagoon 48 Norway [C 59bis] Bryggen 51 B Latin America - Caribbean Minor modifications to the boundaries Chile [C 971bis] Churches of Chiloé 53 Chile [C 1178ter] Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works 56 Creation/modification of buffer zones Bolivia [C 420bis] City of Potosí 58 Honduras [C 129bis] Maya Site of Copan 60 Note: ICOMOS recalls that nominated properties are assessed on the basis of various sources of information, including the nomination dossier submitted by the States Parties. ICOMOS does not take any responsibility for the scientific content of the information included in these nomination dossiers nor for any potential consequences that may arise from their use or interpretation. property in close consultation with the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS; Historic Centre of Sheki 4. Invites the State Party to give consideration to the (Azerbaijan) following: No 1549rev a) to strengthen the mandate and resources of the management team, and to revise and adopt the management plan for its further proper implementation, b) to strengthen protective measures for the Official name as proposed by the State Party buffer zone to ensure the long-term protection of the wider landscape setting, Historic centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace c) to prepare conservation guidelines to ensure Location future restorations are undertaken utilizing adequate materials and expertise, Sheki city Azerbaijan d) to consider the increase of the role of traditional governance structures such as the Brief description Council of Elders and the neighbourhood representatives in decision-making and The historic town of Sheki is situated in the central North of management processes, Azerbaijan along the southern edge of the Greater Caucasian mountain range. Its historic centre, built as a e) to develop a monitoring system focused on both the state of conservation of the reconstruction of an earlier town after mud floods in 1772, nominated property and the implementation is characterized by a traditional architectural ensemble of of the management plan. houses with high saddle roofs. Located along important historic trade routes, the architecture was influenced by the Consultations and Technical Evaluation Mission building traditions of Safavid, Qajar and Russian rule origin. ICOMOS consulted its International Scientific Committee The Khan’s Palace in the north-east of the town as well as on Historic Towns and Villages (CIVVIH) and several the various merchant’s houses reflect the wealth generated independent experts. by silkworm breeding and trading of cocoons in the late 18th th and 19 centuries. An ICOMOS technical evaluation mission visited the property from 4 to 8 July 2016. Category of property In terms of categories of cultural property set out in Article I Additional information received by ICOMOS of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, this is a group of ICOMOS sent a letter to the State Party on 16 October buildings. 2016 requesting additional information with regard to the basis of Outstanding Universal Value, the approach In terms of the Operational Guidelines for the towards the Comparative Analysis, the administrative Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (July arrangements for the management of the site and future 2015), Annex 3, this is also an inhabited historic town. prospects of development control. The State Party responded on 14 November 2016, addressing all issues that ICOMOS requested. These are integrated in the 1 Basic data relevant sections below. Included in the Tentative List An Interim Report was sent by ICOMOS to the State Party 24 October 2001 on 23 January 2017. Background In its evaluation, ICOMOS recommended that the Historic This is an originally referred nomination (41 COM, Krakow, centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace, Azerbaijan, should Poland). The World Heritage Committee adopted the not be inscribed on the World Heritage List. following decision (41 COM 8B.20): Following decision 41 COM 8B.20 in 2017 to refer the The World Heritage Committee, nomination back to the State Party, additional Information was submitted by the State Party on 30 January 2019. This 1. Having examined Documents WHC/17/41.COM/8B and WHC/17/41.COM/INF.8B1, information is supplementary to the original nomination dossier and addresses some of the recommendations of 2. Refer the nomination of the Historic Centre of Sheki with the Committee. It includes: the Khan’s Palace, Azerbaijan, back to the State Party in order to further advance conservation and preservation mechanisms with a view for their better An Action Plan with Texts of Procedures for the implementation; "Conservation and Rehabilitation of Historical Centre 3. Recommends the State Party to prepare the Action Plan of Sheki”; for conservation and preservation of the nominated Restoration Manual – part of the Action Plan. 1 As a revised nomination dossier has not been submitted, in Sheki and their cocoons were sold and became source and no further mission has been undertaken. The sections of the city’s wealth. Sheki also became famous for in this evaluation report on Description, History and embroidery products, very often silk embroidery. development, Justification of Outstanding Universal Value, Integrity and authenticity, Criteria under which Besides the manor houses, Sheki’s public buildings inscription is proposed, Factors affecting the Property, encompass religious structures, identified in the urban Boundaries, and Ownership, remain unchanged from fabric by the vertical lines of the mosque minarets, public ICOMOS’s first evaluation. baths and caravanserais. The city appears strikingly green from a distance while from a pedestrian viewpoint it is Date of ICOMOS approval of this report characterized by adobe brick walls and cobblestone 13 March 2019 plastered streets. Its overall impression is influenced by architectural language of Safavid and Qajar origin with later features relating to traditions from territories under Russian 2 Description of the property rule. Description and history The founding date of a settlement under the name of Sheki Sheki is located on the southern foot of the Greater is unknown but archaeological records date it to Caucasus ridge and is divided into a northern and southern approximately 2,700 years of age. At its present location part by the Gurjana River. While its northern and earlier part Sheki was constructed in 1772 following the destruction of is situated on higher land, the southern part lies within the the earlier Sheki by floods of the river Kish. This occurred river valley. The history of Sheki dates back at least two approximately 30 years after establishment of the Sheki millennia but the current historic town of Sheki’s oldest Khanate in 1743, which is said one of the most influential structures date to the year 1772. Almost thirty years after Khanates in the region. In its new location, the city soon the establishment of the Sheki Khanate in 1743, the prospered again through the wealth obtained along the previous settlement was destroyed by flooding of the river trade routes, in particular through sericulture and the Kish and the city was resettled and built at its new higher trading of cocoons. The Khan’s palace built in 1797 and ground location at Gurjana River. It is for this reason that many manor houses are a direct expression of this wealthy the city today appears homogenous in design and environment. architectural style. The nominated area corresponds to the historic core of Sheki and covers an area of approximately However, the reign in the palace was short-lived as merely 120 hectares. It is surrounded by a buffer zone of 18 years after its construction the Khanate was abolished 146 hectares. by the Russian empire. Throughout the 19th century Sheki remained a feudal trade town with its management The historic centre of the relocated Sheki is its citadel in the transferred by the Russian government to a military upper north-east built in 1790 by Huseyn Khan. Within is commandant. In 1834 a devastating fire destroyed 369 gated garden areal accessible via two gates lies the Khan’s shops and one caravanserai in the central market area. Per Palace, which is singled out in the title and concept of this historic records of 1836, Sheki was composed of nomination. Built in 1797 during the reign of Mammad 2,791 houses at the time with a population of Hasan Khan, the palace complex is composed of the 12,586 inhabitants. Sericulture blossomed during this Khan’s residence and seat of power, mosque, bath, century, especially after Sheki was designated as a centre pantries, stables, barns and other service buildings.