Sudanese World Heritage Tentative List: Launching Workshop of the Review

On 31^st of October 2015 the Khartoum office of UNESCO in collaboration with the Sudanese Ministry of Tourism, Antiquities and Wildlife, the National Corporation of Antiquities and Museums, and the Sudanese National Commission of UNESCO organized a workshop titled “Reviewing and Developing National Tentative List”. The workshop contributes to a project, funded by UNESCO.

The context of the project is defined by the World Heritage procedures. In frameworks of World Heritage countries-participants decided to maintain the inventory of items, which are of a visible value for the all Mankind. Sudan currently inscribed as the World Heritage two sites: Meroe and Gebel Barkal.

Additionally to the general World Heritage List each state should develop a National Tentative List of Cultural and Natural property, which considers to be of a outstanding universal value –Current Sudanese Tentative List includes six items – three historical and three natural sites. National Tentative List has to be reviewed every ten years, and the revision of the Sudanese Tentative List consists the objective of the project.

During the workshop its participants were updated with necessary basic skills and appropriate knowledge linked to the 1972 convention. After joint and group discussions, where the participants covered all the topics including the 1972 convention, Prehistorical and Historical sites, Modern Urban Spaces and Architecture, Natural sites, and Cultural Landscapes, the workshop drafted the following changes to the existing Sudanese Tentative List:

Category 1 : the archaeological l& historical sites listed:

1. The Monuments of the Kingdom of Kerma  (exists in current TL, to be reviewed)
2. The Monumental Sites of Pharonic Egypt in Sudan - including Soleb, Sedeinga,Sesebi and Tombos  (newly proposed sites)
3. The Monumental Sites of the Christian Kingdom of Makuria - including Old Dongola, Banganarti, Salib and Algadar  (newly proposed sites)
4.  The Monumental Sites of the Islamic and Historical cities in Sudan – including Elkhandag & Wad Nimari  (newly proposed sites)
5. The  archaeological site of Sai Island  (newly proposed site)

Category 2: The Natural heritage site listed:

1.      Jebel Uweinat  (newly proposed site as a cross boundary Cultural Landscape)

2.      Wadi Hower  (exists in current TL, to be reviewed)

3.      Dinder National Park  (exists in current TL, to be reviewed as a mixed site)

4.      National reserve of Aldair   (newly proposed site)

5.      Jabel Marra   (newly proposed site)

6.      Nationa reserve Jebel Alhassaniya  (newly proposed site)

7.      Nile junction and the botanic  garden  (newly proposed site)

8.      Al-Tabaldi belts ( the baobabs trees belts)  (newly proposed site)

9.      The 6^th cataract, Al-Sabaloka   (newly proposed site)

10.  North Kordofan: Badyat Al-Majaneen / AL-Mazroub  (newly proposed site)

Category 3: The urban heritage site listed:

11.  Omdurman Historical  City or the Mahdi’s Monuments and the Confluence of the Nile   (newly proposed site)

12.  The Colonial Historical Building in Khartoum city – the content of the great Khartoum file  (newly proposed site)

Category 4: The Cultural rout site listed :

13.  Forty days caravans Road - Darb El Arbaein  (newly proposed site)

14.  The Piligram rout   (newly proposed site)

15.  Al  masarat of the nomadic tribs   (newly proposed site)

Category 5: The Cultural Landscape:

16.  The Nuba Mountain Cultural Landscape  (newly proposed site)

17.  The Earthen structure Houses of the Nubain in North Sudan  (newly proposed site)

18.  Taka mountain and Alsawagi   (newly proposed site)

The workshop was officially honored by the Minister of Tourism, Antiquities and Wildlife and wildly attended by representatives from Heritage and Natural Institutions, universities, government bodies, the National Assembly, and the private sector.