2018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats

The World Monuments Fund has announced their 2018 World Monuments Watch, highlighting 25 cultural sites from across the globe currently at risk due to economic, political or natural threats. Covering more than 30 countries and territories, these monuments represent sites of exceptional cultural value dating from prehistory to the 20th century.

2018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats - More Images+ 24

Some key themes of this year’s list outlined by the World Monuments Fund include sites threatened due to:

  • Conflict (the Souk in Aleppo, Syria, a community hub burned during conflict; the al-Hadba’ Minaret in Mosul, Iraq, an historic landmark destroyed by ISIS; the Old City of Ta’izz in Yemen, an ancient city engulfed by war; and Sukur Cultural Landscape in Nigeria, a cultural landscape controlled by Boko Haram)
  • Disaster Response (Disaster Sites of the Caribbean, the Gulf, and Mexico; the town of Amatrice, Italy, nearly entirely leveled by an earthquake in 2016)
  • Sites of Social Movement (Alabama Civil Rights Sites, locations important to the United State Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 60’s)
  • Climate Change (Blackpool Piers, a historic seaside destination in the UK threatened by rising sea levels and strengthening storm surges)
  • Modern Sites (Post-Independence Architecture of Delhi, including works by notable Indian architects Charles Correa and Raj Rewal; Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium, a concrete sports hall in Japan designed by Kenzo Tange; the Sirius Building, a Brutalist public housing building in Sydney, Australia)
  • Cultural Landscapes (the Tebaida Leonesa, a series of once-isolated rural communities in Spain now overrun with tourism and development; the Ramal Talca-Constitución, Chile’s last-remaining rural passenger railway, recently damaged by forest fires; the Matobo Hills Cultural Landscape in Zimbabwe, one of the world's great rock art collections, also threatened by fire and deforestation)

“By building an international coalition, the World Monuments Watch protects both the sites themselves and the shared history they embody,” said Joshua David, President & CEO, WMF. “We may be best known for the excellence of our conservation practices, but the human impacts of our work ultimately mean the most. Sites like the 25 on the 2018 Watch are where we come together as citizens of the world and renew our commitments to justice, culture, peace, and understanding.”

The complete list includes:

Disaster Sites of the Caribbean, the Gulf, and Mexico

Disaster Sites of the Caribbean, the Gulf, and Mexico. Debris left by Hurricane Maria in Havana, Cuba, 2017. Sergei Montalvo Aróstegui/World Monuments Fund
Disaster Sites of the Caribbean, the Gulf, and Mexico. Damage caused by Hurricane Maria to Luis Muñoz Rivera Avenue, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2017. Jorge Iván Reyes/World Monuments Fund

Government House, St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda, Government House. The main building of the Government House seen from the front, 2015. Philip Logan/World Monuments Fund

Sirius Building, Millers Point, Sydney, Australia

Australia, Sirius Building. The Sirius Building, seen from the north, 2016. Glenn Harper/World Monuments Fund

Ramal Talca-Constitución, Talca Province, Chile

Chile, Ramal Talca-Constitución. Four historic railbuses run on the Talca-Constitución narrow-gage line, 2006. Erick Cespedes/ Wikimedia Commons/ World Monuments Fund

Grand Theater, Prince Kung's Mansion, Beijing, China

China, Grand Theater, Prince Kung’s Mansion. An outdoor corridor runs along the west side of the Grand Theater, 2017. Yu Zhixin/World Monuments Fund

Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, Alexandria, Egypt

Egypt, Eliyahu haNavi Synagogue. Alexandria’s Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, seen from Nebi Daniel Street, 2012. Roland Unger/ Wikimedia Commons/ World Monuments Fund

Takiyyat of al-Gulshani, Cairo, Egypt

Egypt, Takiyyat Ibrahim al-Gulshani. The complex of al-Gulshani, seen from the northeast, showing how modern structures obscure the entrance façade, 2017. Matjaz Kacicnik/World Monuments Fund

Potager du Roi, Versailles, France

France, Potager du Roi. View across the central fountain in the Grand Carré towards the north, with a statue of Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie and the cityscape beyond, 2015. Alexandre Petzold/World Monuments Fund

Post-Independence Architecture of Delhi, India

India, Post-Independence Architecture of Delhi. The Bahá’í House of Worship, known as the Lotus Temple (1986), is included on the World Heritage List, 2017. Shutterstock/ World Monuments Fund
India, Post-Independence Architecture of Delhi. The Jeevan Bharati (Life Insurance Corporation of India) Building (1986), designed by Charles Correa (1930-2015), 2017. INTACH Delhi/World Monuments Fund
India, Post-Independence Architecture of Delhi. The State Trading Corporation Building (1989) was designed by Raj Rewal, architect of the now-demolished Delhi Hall of Nations, 2017. INTACH Delhi/World Monuments Fund

Al-Hadba' Minaret, Mosul, Iraq

Iraq, Al-Hadba’ Minaret. The al-Hadba’ Minaret, seen from the mosque before its destruction, 2009. Mosab Mohammed Jaseem/World Monuments Fund

Lifta, Jerusalem, Israel

Israel, Lifta. The ruins of Lifta are now a popular destination for recreation, 2011. Nir Navot/ World Monuments Fund

Amatrice, Italy

Italy, Amatrice. The bell tower is an emblem of hope and resilience amid the devastation, 2017. MIBACT/World Monuments Fund

Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium, Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan

Japan, Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium. The Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium, seen from the southwest, was designed to evoke the form of a traditional Japanese wooden barge, 2014. Noriyuki Kawanishi/World Monuments Fund

Jewish Quarter of Essaouira, Morocco

Morocco, Jewish Quarter of Essaouira. Many structures in the Jewish Quarter are abandoned and crumbling, 2017. Amine Bennour/World Monuments Fund

Sukur Cultural Landscape, Madagali Local Government Area, Nigeria

Nigeria, Sukur Cultural Landscape. Traditional Sukur houses are round clay buildings with thatched roofs, 2006. NCMM/Dipo Alafiatayo/ World Monuments Fund

Historic Karachi, Pakistan

Pakistan, Historic Karachi. The Nizam Mansion on the busy intersection of Muhammad Bin Qasim and Shahrah-e-Liaquat Roads has been abandoned and neglected for decades, 2011. HC-DAPNED/World Monuments Fund

Cerro de Oro, Cañete Valley, Peru

Peru, Cerro de Oro. Aerial view of an excavated area at the southeast part of the hill, 2017. Francesca Fernandini/World Monuments Fund

Tebaida Leonesa, El Bierzo, León, Spain

Spain, Tebaida Leonesa. The thirteenth-century Romanesque Church of San Pedro de Montes in Valdueza, seen from the north, 2015. Escuela del Patrimonio Cultural/World Monuments Fund

Souk of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria

Syria, Souk of Aleppo. A crossroads in the Souk of Aleppo before the fire, 2012. Ekaterina Zhuravleva/ Flickr/ World Monuments Fund

Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand, Chao Phraya River. The Chao Phraya River as it winds through Bangkok, near the Grand Palace. Dario Lo Presti/ World Monuments Fund

Blackpool Piers, Blackpool, United Kingdom

United Kingdom, Blackpool Piers. The North Pier was the first pier at Blackpool, constructed using innovative screw pile engineering. Gidzy/ Flickr/ World Monuments Fund

Buffalo Central Terminal, Buffalo, New York, United States

United States, Buffalo Central Terminal. The Buffalo Central Terminal complex includes an iconic Art Deco office tower, 2017. Joe Casico/World Monuments Fund

Alabama Civil Rights Sites, Alabama, United States

United States, Alabama Civil Rights Sites. Old Ship A.M.E. Zion Church in Montgomery, a historic meeting place for black leaders, 2017. Laura Ewen Blokker, Southeast Preservation/World Monuments Fund

Old City of Ta’izz, Ta'izz, Yemen

Yemen, Old City of Ta’izz. The Mosque of al-Mudhaffar in the Old City of Ta’izz is a survivor of the Rasulid period, 2008. Pierre Blanchard/World Monuments Fund

Matobo Hills Cultural Landscape, Matobo, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, Matobo Hills Cultural Landscape. The grave of Cecil Rhodes in World’s View receives thousands of visitors each year, 2016. Stephen Battle/World Monuments Fund

Learn more about this year’s listed sites, here.

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About this author
Cite: Patrick Lynch. "2018 World Monuments Watch Lists 50 Cultural Sites at Risk from Human and Natural Threats" 23 Oct 2017. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/882188/2018-world-monuments-watch-lists-50-cultural-sites-at-risk-from-human-and-natural-threats> ISSN 0719-8884

India, Post-Independence Architecture of Delhi. The Hall of Nations, a complex of exhibition halls built for the 1972 International Trade Fair, was demolished in April 2017. Ariel Huber, Lausanne/World Monuments Fund

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