Olympos Karpathos to be included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List
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July 16, 2009
The provincial council of Karpathos and Kasos voted in its recent meeting to start the process of including Olympos Karpathos in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List. The proposal was formulated by Mrs. Lee Minaides. Lee is wife of Karpathian Vasilis Minaides, president of the Hotel Owners Association of Rhodes, and she (also of Karpathian origin) is in charge of public relations for the Municipality of Rhodes. Her proposal was made during a Conference on Development that took place in Karpathos last summer. The Provincial Council decided unanimously to propose the inclusion of the village of Olympus Karpathos via the Greek Ministry of Culture to Greece’s list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. This is since it meets two of UNESCO’s required criteria: 1) To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared. 2) 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. All of the council members agreed that such an initiative will positively affect the future of Olympos and Karpathos in general. Source: Rodiaki of Rhodes UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to: - Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
- Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
- Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
- Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;
- Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;
- Support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;
- Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
- Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.
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. - To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- 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;
- To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);
Greek sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List- Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
- Acropolis, Athens
- Archaeological Site of Delphi
- Medieval City of Rhodes
- Meteora
- Mount Athos
- Paleochristian and Byzantine Monuments of Thessalonika
- Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus
- Archaeological Site of Mystras
- Archaeological Site of Olympia
- Delos
- Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios
- Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos
- Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina)
- Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns
- Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint John "the Theologian" and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Pátmos
- Old Town of Corfu
Source: www.unesco.org
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