DELOS - ART AND CULTURE
News: Ancient Greek sanctuary slowly
sinks into the Aegean Sea
What's in the news?
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Delos, a UNESCO World Heritage site situated close
to Mykonos, Greece, played a pivotal
role as a sanctuary in the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations.
Key takeaways:
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Scientists warn that Delos faces imminent
destruction within the next 50 years due to rising sea levels caused by climate
change.
Delos:
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Delos is a small island located in the Aegean Sea, part of the Cyclades archipelago in Greece.
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It is considered as the birthplace of Apollo, the god of light, arts, and healing, and his
sister Artemis, the goddess of the hunt.
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Its ancient ruins date back to the 3rd millennium BCE.
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These ruins include temples, houses, sanctuaries,
theatres, and other public buildings.
Important Takeaways:
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It served as a port
and trading hub, connecting the civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean
with those of the west.
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Delos was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.
Ruins and Monuments:
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Some of the most notable ruins and monuments on
Delos include the Terrace of the Lions, the Temple of Apollo, the House of the
Dolphins, the Theater District, and the Sacred Lake.
Go back to basics:
UNESCO World Heritage
Sites (WHS):
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It is a landmark or area with legal protection by
an international convention administered by UNESCO.
Criteria:
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They are designated for their cultural, historical,
scientific, or other forms of significance.
World Heritage
Convention:
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The 1972
Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural
Heritage established the framework for preserving the world’s outstanding
heritage.
Members:
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191 State Parties, including
India, have ratified the World Heritage Convention.
Number of Sites:
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There are currently 1,172 World Heritage Sites
across 166 countries.
Types of Sites:
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913 cultural sites
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220 natural sites
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39 mixed properties
World Heritage
Committee:
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Evaluate nominated sites and inscribe them on the
World Heritage List.
Preservation:
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Member states commit to protecting their World
Heritage Sites.
World Heritage Fund:
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The fund, supported by member contributions,
provides assistance for preserving sites.
Selection Criteria:
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Sites must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) by meeting criteria defined in
the Convention.
Advisory Bodies
International:
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Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assess nominated sites.
Criteria for Cultural
Sites:
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Six criteria for significance related to human creative genius,
cultural interchange, unique testimony, outstanding examples of architecture,
tradition, and events.
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Criteria for Natural Sites - Four criteria for
significance related to natural phenomena, Earth’s evolutionary history,
ecological processes, and biological diversity.
Legal Status:
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Once inscribed, each site remains the property of
the state it belongs to, with shared
responsibility for its preservation and protection.
Obligations:
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Member states are obligated to integrate heritage protection into regional planning, report
on-site conditions, and preserve sites for future generations.
Enforcement:
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The Committee may provide assistance, deploy
experts, or delist sites in extreme cases of endangerment.
India and World Heritage
Sites:
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There are 42
World Heritage Sites in India.
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Out of these, 34 are cultural, 7 are natural, and
1, Khangchendzonga National Park, is of mixed type.
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India has the sixth-most sites worldwide.
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The first sites to be listed were the Ajanta Caves,
Ellora Caves, Agra Fort, and Taj Mahal, all of which were inscribed in the 1983
session of the World Heritage Committee.
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The most recent sites listed were Santiniketan and the Sacred Ensembles of
the Hoysalas, in 2023.