Russian landmark added to UNESCO World Heritage List along with other global sites

Tamara Hardingham-Gill, CNN
·2 min read

A university observatory in Russia has been inscribed onto the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The astronomical observatories of Kazan Federal University, located in the city of Kazan, were added to the esteemed list on Monday as UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee continued its deliberations in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The site is made up of the Kazan Observatory, built in 1837 in the historical center of the city, and a complex that includes the suburban Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory and various historical buildings.

Other new additions

Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park has been inscribed on the coveted UNESCO World Heritage List. - Daniel Rosengren/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination Office
Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park has been inscribed on the coveted UNESCO World Heritage List. - Daniel Rosengren/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination Office

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Bale Mountains National Park, which stretches across an area of 830 square miles; the Maison Carrée of Nîmes, a well-preserved Roman temple in southern France; and Gordion, the capital city of ancient Phrygia in Turkey, were among the other new sites to be inscribed on Monday.

On Sunday, Gaya Tumuli, a cluster of burial mounds built by the Gaya Kingdom, became the 16th site in South Korea, while the Viking-Age Ring Fortresses in Denmark, which date back more than 1,000 years, also made the cut.

The committee began adding new sites onto the prestigious list on Saturday, with the Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua in Congo and the volcanoes and forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons on the French island of Martinique both chosen.

In order to be added to the list, which was established in 1978, a site must be deemed to be of “outstanding universal value,” according to UNESCO.

‘Outstanding universal value’

Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France, was added to the World Heritage List. - Dominique Marck/Ville de Nîmes/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination Office
Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France, was added to the World Heritage List. - Dominique Marck/Ville de Nîmes/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination Office

The committee is to review the remaining nominations, which includes Ohio’s Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, over the next few days.

Last week, two Ukraine sites — the St. Sophia Cathedral and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, both situated in the capital city of Kyiv, and the historical center of Lviv in western Ukraine — were added to the World Heritage in Danger List.

According to a statement issued by UNESCO, the decision was made “due to the threat of destruction the Russian offensive poses.”

“Faced with the risk of direct attack, these sites are also vulnerable to the shockwaves caused by the bombing of the two cities,” the statement continued.

CNN’s Marnie Hunter and Francesca Street also contributed to this article.

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