World Heritage Earthen Architecture Programme

Although Egypt is not specifically mentioned I see no reason why it should not be included in this programme, particularly when you look at places like the fabulous Medieavel town of El Qasr in Dakhleh oasis, which is truly remarkable for its architecture and its beauty.

Earthen architecture is one of the most original and powerful expressions of our human ability to create and build environment with nearby available resources. It includes a great variety of building types and groups, ranging from mosques, palaces and granaries to historic city centres, cultural landscapes, and archaeological sites. Its cultural importance throughout the world is evident and has led to its consideration as a common heritage of humankind, and therefore deserving protection and conservation by the international community. In 2007, 106 out of 660 cultural properties inscribed on the World Heritage List incorporate earthen structures. Thanks to the materials’ availability and economic quality, it bears great potential to contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.

However, increasingly threatened by natural and human impacts (e.g. floods and earthquakes, industrialization, urbanization, modern building technologies, disappearance of traditional conservation practices, etc.) earthen structures deserve our particular attention in terms of conservation and maintenance to brave these forces; tellingly, about ¼ of the sites inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger are earthen sites.

The World Heritage Programme on Earthen Architecture aims for the improvement of the state of conservation and management of earthen architecture sites worldwide. Pilot projects on earthen architectural sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, or included in States Parties’ Tentative Lists, will help identify best practices and set examples for the development and dissemination of appropriate methods and techniques in conservation, management, and capacity building. Scientific research will further the endeavor to ameliorate know-how in the filed. Expected outputs include a better understanding of the problems facing earthen architecture, the development of policies favoring its conservation, the definition of practical guidelines and the organization of training and awareness activities, particularly in local communities through workshops, exhibitions, conferences and technical publications to raise the recognition of earthen architecture, as well as the creation of an active global network for the exchange of information and experience.