ArmenPress, Armenia
Aug 24 2018


Armenia's culture ministry plans to replenish UNESCO list with new monuments


YEREVAN, AUGUST 24, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian culture ministry plans to
replenish the UNESCO World Heritage list with new monuments, deputy
culture minister Tigran Galstyan told ARMENPRESS, adding that major
works are underway on this path.

“We have only few monuments registered in UNESCO which is absurd. This
number should be tenfold, multiplied since we really have worthy
monuments. Works are also underway on this direction, but it’s not an
easy work”, the deputy minister said. “We would like several monuments
to be included in the UNESCO list, for instance, Noravank, which must
definitely be included in that list. Moreover, there are also other
monuments which deserve to be included in the list”.

The deputy culture minister said the topic of preservation of
monuments is the most sensitive in the field of culture since the
demolition of each monument in previous years has been accompanied by
mass protests. “The culture ministry has two major functions –
formation of cultural policy and preservation of monuments. The latter
is very important for the ministry”, Tigran Galstyan said, reminding
that recently the expert commission unanimously voted in favor of the
proposal to include several structures to the list of immovable
cultural and historical monuments.

“This is a continuous process, the list of monuments should be
constantly supplemented. We have proposed the public also to
participate in this process, and all proposals will be discussed at
the session of the expert commission”, he said.

The following Armenian sites are included in the UNESCO World Heritage list:

Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots

Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin

Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley

Full version of the interview is available in Armenian.

Interview by Roza Grigoryan

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan