Saint Hilarion Monastery in Palestine, also known as ‘Tell Umm Amer’, has been added by UNESCO to its World Heritage List, during the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, in New Delhi.
Simultaneously, the site was also placed on the list of World Heritage in Danger on an emergency basis.
The UNESCO designation comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
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The ruins of the monastery are located in An-Nuseirat town, approximately 10 km south of Gaza City and 10 km from its port.
The site occupies a strategic position at the crossroads of major trade and communication routes between Asia and Africa, making it a centre for religious, cultural, and economic exchange during the Byzantine period.
In a post on X, UNESCO stated, “Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List & World Heritage in Danger List: Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer, #Palestine.”
The site holds exceptional historical, religious, architectural, and cultural significance as it represents a formative milestone in establishing Christian monastic life in Palestine. The ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery at Tell Umm Amer bear witness to the evolution of monastic life and architecture in Palestine and the eastern Mediterranean.
During the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, Palestinian Ambassador to UNESCO, Monir Anastas, expressed gratitude to India and all the committee members for their support of the inscription.
He said, “I am honoured to have this inscription taking place in the greatest democracy in the world. Thank you, India. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all committee members for their valuable support of this inscription.”
He called the inscription of the site “very important” for the people of Palestine, as it is a message of hope to residents in Gaza, who he stressed, were fleeing bombs with no shelter and no food.
Monir Anastas said, “This inscription is very important for us because it is a message of hope to our people in Gaza, who are fleeing bombs with no shelter, no food or water. Through this inscription, we tell them we have not forgotten you, and UNESCO has not forgotten you either.”
“I will not discuss the killing of innocent civilians, including children, women, elders, students, teachers, medical Doctors and journalists, nor the starvation and lack of food and water. Instead, I will focus on the spirit and purpose of our convention,” he added.
During the session, he called on members of the committee and all state parties to call upon Israel to refrain from targeting any cultural property in the Gaza Strip and to immediately and permanently end the ongoing destructive war in Gaza.
“A state party must recognise that once its property is inscribed on the World Heritage List of Humanity, not UNESCO, it becomes a property of all humanity. This means that all state parties are responsible for the protection of any property on the World Heritage List,” he added.
The World Heritage Committee is one of the two bodies governing the Convention for the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage. It is composed of the representatives of 21 states, elected from the 195 states parties to the Convention.
In the ongoing session, from July 26 to July 29, the committee will examine the dossiers of 27 sites proposed for inscription on the World Heritage List. The sites will be examined according to categories: natural, mixed and cultural.