Gelati Monastery, Georgia, removed from UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger

A decision adopted on Sunday, introduced a major reduction in the boundaries of the Georgian site of Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1994 and on the List in Danger in 2010. The new boundaries exclude Bagrati Cathedral, which has undergone major reconstruction detrimental to its integrity and authenticity. The decision retains the Monastery of Gelati’s World Heritage standing as a site of outstanding universal value.

Founded in 1106 in the west of Georgia, the Monastery of Gelati is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia, a period of political strength and economic growth between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is characterized by the facades of smoothly hewn large blocks, balanced proportions and blind arches for exterior decoration. The Gelati monastery, one of the largest medieval Orthodox monasteries, was also a centre of science and education and the Academy it housed was one of the most important centres of culture in ancient Georgia.

The List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of conditions, which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List, and to encourage corrective action. Typical threats that lead to danger listing include armed conflict, natural disaster, unplanned urban developments, poaching and pollution

The 41st session of the World Heritage Committee (continues until through 12 July.)