in the Historical Centre of Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain.

"The idea of creating an international movement for protecting heritage emerged after World War I. [...] The event that aroused particular international concern was the decision to build the Aswan High Dam in Egypt, which would have flooded the valley containing the Abu Simbel temples, a treasure of ancient Egyptian civilization. [...] Consequently, UNESCO initiated, with the help of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the preparation of a draft convention on the protection of cultural heritage. [...]
The Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972."
(From the UNESCO World Heritage Website - The World Heritage Convention/Brief History)

[originally posted on Jan 20th, 2008]

Category: THE HERITAGE