25 Cultural and Natural Wonders in Danger

Nearly two thousand traditional earthen buildings remain standing in Djenné, one of the oldest towns in sub-Saharan Africa, inhabited since 250 B.C. In addition to its Islamic architecture, four archaeological sites—Djenné-Djeno, Hambarkétolo, Kaniana, and Tonomba—reveal clues about pre-Islamic urban structure and its subsequent evolution. Political insecurity, deterioration of historic construction materials, urbanisation, and erosion earned it a place on the World Heritage in Danger List in 2016.

In the heart of Wadi Hadramaut, the 16th-century Walled City of Shibam is the oldest standing metropolis in the world to use vertical construction. In the 1930’s, British explorer Freya Stark dubbed the mud skyscraper city “the Manhattan of the desert”. In 2015, Shibam was added to the list of World Heritage in Danger due to ongoing civil war. “In addition to causing terrible human suffering, these attacks are destroying Yemen’s unique cultural heritage, which is the repository of people’s identity, history and memory and an exceptional testimony to the achievements of the Islamic Civilisation," Director-General Irina Bokova said in a press release.

Described as “a river of grass flowing imperceptibly from the hinterland into the sea”, Florida’s sweeping subtropical wetlands are a sanctuary for birds, reptiles, and more than 20 rare, endangered, and threatened species. A combination of urban growth, pollution, and natural disaster earned it a spot on the Danger List in 1993, and it was later removed in 2007 after restoration efforts. It landed on the list once again in 2010 after continued degradation from pollution and significant losses of marine habitat and species.

In the Central Highlands between Nablus and Hebron, a series of ancient terraces, agricultural towers, and a complex irrigation system have been used to cultivate Battir since antiquity. The agricultural practices—still in use today—are some of the oldest farming methods known to humankind. In 2014, the site was listed "in danger" because of ongoing geo-political transformations in the region. According to UNESCO, Israel’s controversial West Bank Barrier “may isolate farmers from fields they have cultivated for centuries.”

Perched on the Danube River, the Baroque castles and gardens of Vienna reveal its long, rich history as capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city has also been recognised as the musical capital of Europe since the 16th century, housing the likes of Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. In 2017, the city was inscribed World Heritage in Danger due to high-rise constructions in the Austrian capital. “The Committee regrets that the Vienna Ice-Skating Club—Intercontinental Hotel project fails to comply fully with previous Committee decisions, notably concerning the height of new constructions, which will impact adversely the outstanding universal value of the site,” UNESCO said in a press release.

At an altitude of 13,000 feet, the silver mining city of Potosí was considered the world’s largest industrial complex in the 16th century, and Spain’s major colonial-era supplier of silver. In addition to the mines—which are still in use today—the city is known for its unique Andean Baroque architecture, intricate aqueduct system, and artificial lakes. In 2014 the site was added to the “in danger” list after ongoing concerns over degradation of the site related to mining operations.

One of the most striking volcanic landscapes in Africa, Virunga National Park is a refuge for numerous birds, reptiles, hippos, and its most iconic: the rare and globally threatened mountain gorilla. Virunga National Park was added to the Danger List in 1994. Both the guards and wildlife have been subjected to ongoing violence in the decades since, including the slaughter of hippos and gorillas. In April 2018, six guards were killed in an attack—the third this year.

In 1495, Emperor Askia Mohamed of Songhai built a 55-foot pyramidal structure as a symbol of his capital city’s wealth and power. The complex includes the pyramid, two flat-roofed mosques, a cemetery, and assembly ground, and is representative of the mud-building techniques of West African Sahel. In 2004, the site was added to the “in danger” list due to threats of conflict-related damage, trafficking of cultural objects, and interruptions in conservation work.

Considered a pioneer in modern dock technology, the historic centre and docklands of Liverpool represent one of the world’s major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries, and played a significant role in facilitating the trans-Atlantic slave trade. The site was listed “in danger” in 2012 due to a proposed redevelopment scheme that would significantly alter the skyline and isolate the dock areas visually.

Striking geometric patterns of burnt brick and gypsum decorate the rammed earth towers of Sana’a. Considered a jewel of Islamic civilisation, the city has been continuously inhabited for more than 2,500 years and is associated with Biblical and Koranic civilisations. In 2015, a bombing raid of Sana’a resulted in human causalities and destroyed several historic houses and buildings. “I am shocked by the images of these magnificent many-storeyed tower-houses and serene gardens reduced to rubble. This destruction will only exacerbate the humanitarian situation,” Director General Irina Bokova said in a press release.

Four Serbian Orthodox Monasteries—Dečani monastery, Patriarchal Monastery of Peć, Our Lady of Ljeviš, and Gračanica monastery—represent the melding of Byzantine and Western medieval traditions that developed between the 13th and 17th centuries. The vibrant frescoes that adorn the church interiors played an important role in the development of subsequent Balkan art and architecture. In 2006, the Medieval Monuments in Kosovo were listed "in danger" due to “difficulties in its management and conservation stemming from the region's political instability.”

The southernmost island in the Solomon Island group, East Rennell is the largest raised coral atoll in the world. Its limestone islets, dense forest, and brackish lakes harbour a diverse array of endemic species. In 2013, the island was listed "in danger" because of logging in the region.

On the coast of Belize, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons, and offshore atolls make up the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. Seven UNESCO-protected areas comprise 12 percent of the entire complex, and provide important habitat for threatened marine species, including turtles, manatees, and crocodiles. The reef was inscribed as World Heritage in Danger in 2009 due to mangrove cutting and excessive development.

In a deep river valley in Ghur province, the 213-foot Minaret of Jam marks where the ancient city of Firuzkuh once stood. The 12th-century construction is covered in intricate brickwork, Kufic inscription, and turquoise tile, and represents the architecture and ornamentation of the Islamic period in Central Asia. In 2002, the Minaret of Jam was inscribed World Heritage in Danger to encourage the development and implementation of a long-term conservation policy, including setting up boundaries and increasing staff.

In the golden sands of Sahara desert, Ténéré is the largest protected area in Africa and home to an array of plants and animals, including three threatened species of antelopes. The site was inscribed on the Danger List in 1992 due to political instability, poaching, and illegal grazing.

Positioned at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, Damascus was founded in the third millennium B.C., and is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. Some 125 monuments represent a rich history spanning the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic civilisations. In 2013, all six of Syria’s World Heritage sites were added to the Danger List amidst the ongoing Syrian Civil War—several sites have sustained further conflict-related damage since their listing, and in 2015, two prominent scholars of Syrian antiquity were killed.

Thick, earthen walls decorated by anthropomorphic and zoomorphic motifs evidence the former glory of Chan Chan, the capital of the Chimu Kingdom and the largest earthen city of pre-Columbian America. The site was listed "in danger" in 1986 due to its vulnerability to extreme climatic events, trafficking of archaeological remains, and proposed construction.

In Chile’s Pampas, one of the driest deserts on Earth, thousands of pampinos—saltpeter workers from Chile, Peru and Bolivia—lived and worked in these communal towns for more than 60 years. It is the largest saltpeter deposit in the world, and when it opened in 1872, provided fertiliser sodium nitrate used for agriculture throughout North America, South America, and Europe. The site was listed "in danger" in 2005 after an earthquake rattled the vulnerable buildings.

The mosques, minarets, and palaces of Samarra are a testament to the Abbasid Empire, which ruled the area spanning Tunisia to Central Asia for a century. After monuments of Baghdad were destroyed, Samarra represents the only surviving Islamic capital that has retained its original architecture, arts, and layout. In 2007, Samarra was listed "in danger" based on the criteria set forth by the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Located on the Silk Roads in southern Uzbekistan, this 2,000-year-old city was the cultural and political center of the Temurids in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Ak-Sarai Palace, tomb of Temur, and Chor-su bazaar represent the rich architectural heritage of Central Asia and the Islamic world. In 2016, the site was listed “in danger” due to the destruction of medieval buildings and construction of modern facilities “which have affected irreversible changes to the appearance of historic Shakhrisyabz.”

More than six million acres form Gunung Leuser, Kerinci Seblat, and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Parks—together they are one of the biggest conservation areas in Southeast Asia. Sumatra is biodiversity hot spot, home to both endemic and endangered species, including Sumatran orangutans, Sumatran tigers, rhinos, elephants, and Malayan sun bears. In 2011, the site was placed on the World Heritage in Danger List “to help overcome threats posed by poaching, illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, and plans to build roads through the site.”

Known as “the pearl of the desert”, Ghadamès is one of the world’s oldest remaining pre-Saharan settlements. In 2016, amidst ongoing conflict, all five of Libya’s World Heritage sites were added to the Danger List. "Libya] is of great importance to humanity as a whole," said Director General Irina Bokova in a press release. "Several major sites bear witness to the great technical and artistic achievements of the ancestors of the people [of Libya], and constitute a precious legacy."

Near the Libya-Algeria border, thousands of cave paintings dating from 12,000 B.C. to 100 A.D. pepper the rocky massif of Tadrart Acacus, including depictions of giraffes, elephants, horses, and people. Amidst ongoing conflict in the region, the prehistoric cave art has been subjected to increasing vandalism. In 2016, all five of Libya’s World Heritage sites were added to the Danger List.

Nestled in the Hindu Kush mountain range, the Bamiyan Valley is home to Buddhist monasteries, sacred caves, and fortified structures from the Islamic period that span the first to 13th centuries. In 2001, the Taliban destroyed two standing Buddha statues—a tragedy that reverberated throughout the world. “The two monumental statues had stood for one and a half millennia as proud testimonies to the greatness of our shared humanity,” said the Director General. “They were destroyed in the context of the conflict devastating Afghanistan and to undermine the power of culture as a cohesive force for the Afghan people.”