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UNESCO Heritage
sites of Georgia |
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To be included on the
World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and
meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. These criteria are
explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the
World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the Convention, is
the main working tool on World Heritage. The criteria are regularly
revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage
concept itself.
Until the end of
2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural
and four natural criteria. With the adoption of the revised Operational
Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, only
one set of ten criteria exists.
* To bear a unique or at least
exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which
is living or which has disappeared;
* To be an outstanding example of a type
of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which
illustrates (a) significant stage (s) in human history;
* To be an outstanding example of a
traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is
representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the
environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of
irreversible change.
Properties inscribed on
the World Heritage List
Georgia
joined UNESCO on 7 October 1992.
The historic churches of Mtskheta, former capital of the Kingdom of
Georgia, are typical of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus
region; they were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994.
Georgian culture gives pride of place to popular song as typified by the
Chakrulo, a polyphonic song using metaphors and complex musical
ornamentation, whose medieval origin is linked to the cult of wine and
winemaking. In 2001 UNESCO proclaimed Georgian Traditional Polyphony a
Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Georgia participates in UNESCO’s "Caucasus" project, which promotes
intercultural dialogue, development of cultural tourism and HIV/AIDS
prevention. |
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Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery |
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The construction of Bagrati Cathedral,
named after Bagrat III, the first king of united Georgia, started at the
end of the 10th century and was completed in the early years of the 11th
century. Although partly destroyed by the Turks in 1691, its ruins still
lie in the centre of Kutaisi. The Gelati Monastery, whose main buildings
were erected between the 12th and 17th centuries, is a well-preserved
complex, with wonderful mosaics and wall paintings. The cathedral and
monastery represent the flowering of medieval architecture in Georgia.
Criterion (iv): to be an outstanding example of a type of
building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which
illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history; |
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Historical Monuments of
Mtskheta |
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The historic churches of Mtskheta, former
capital of Georgia, are outstanding examples of medieval religious
architecture in the Caucasus. They show the high artistic and cultural
level attained by this ancient kingdom.
The Committee decided to inscribe the Monastery of Haghpat on the basis
of cultural criteria (iii) and (iv) to bear a unique or at least
exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which
is living or which has disappeared; to be an outstanding example of a
type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape
which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history; |
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Upper Svaneti |
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Preserved by its long isolation, the
Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is an exceptional example of
mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-houses. The
village of Chazhashi still has more than 200 of these very unusual
houses, which were used both as dwellings and as defence posts against
the invaders who plagued the region.
Justification for Inscription
The Committee decided to inscribe the nominated property on the basis of
cultural criteria (iv) and (v), considering that the region of Upper Svaneti is of outstanding universal value being an exceptional landscape
that has preserved to a remarkable degree its original medieval
appearance, notable for the distribution, form, and architecture of its
human settlements. |
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