List of World Heritage Sites in Tanzania

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.[2] The United Republic of Tanzania accepted the convention on 2 August 1977.[3] There are seven World Heritage Sites in Tanzania, with a further six on the tentative list.[3]

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in 1979, was the first site in Tanzania to be added to the list. The most recent addition were the Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, in 2006. Three sites are listed for cultural significance, three for natural, and Ngorongoro for both.[3] At different points, three sites have been listed as endangered. Ngorongoro was listed between 1984 and 1989 because of decline in conservation efforts.[4] The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were listed between 2004 and 2014 because of the deterioration and decay that led to collapse of historic structures.[5] The Selous Game Reserve is currently listed, having been designated endangered in 2014 because of unplanned tourism development, uncontrolled urban development, pollution, invasive species, and reduced water flows because of droughts and hydroelectric dams upstream.[6]

World Heritage Sites[edit]

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.[7]

  † In danger
World Heritage Sites
Site Image Location (region) Year listed UNESCO data Description
Ngorongoro Conservation Area Wildebeest grazing Arhusha 1979 39bis; iv, vii, viii, ix, x (mixed) Ngorongoro Crater, after which the area is named, is the World's largest unbroken volcanic caldera and is a part of the East African Rift. The area is home to numerous big animals. It supports migration of over a million wildebeest (specimen pictured), as well as herds of zebras, Grant's gazelles, and Thomson's gazelles. The endangered black rhinoceros lives in the park. The site was initially listed for its natural significance. In 2010, it was extended to include the cultural aspects, namely the sites of Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli where the remains of early hominins and fossilized footprints, indicating the development of human bipedalism have been discovered. The site was listed as endangered between 1984 and 1989 because of decline in conservation efforts.[8][4]
Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara Interior of a mosque in ruins, with vaulted ceiling and bare walls Lindi 1981 144; iii (cultural) The two port cities on small islands off the mainland were important trade centres of the Indian Ocean until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century. The merchants traded with gold, pearls, silver, perfumes, as well as porcelain from China. Kilwa Kisiwani, the larger of the two, reached its peak in the 13th and 14th centuries, when it was visited by Ibn Batutta. The city is now in ruins (the interior of the Great Mosque pictured). In Songo Mnara, the ruins of mosques, a palace complex, and residential buildings have been preserved. The site was listed as endangered between 2004 and 2014 because of deterioration and partial collapse of some structures.[5][9]
Serengeti National Park Savanna scenery Arusha, Mara 1981 156; vii, x (natural) Serengeti is home to one of the largest mammal migration in the world, with vast herds of wildebeest, zebras, Thomson's gazelles, giraffes, different species of antelopes, and other herbivores move across the savanna plains in search of grazing grounds. They are followed by large predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs.[10]
Selous Game Reserve Savanna landscape Lindi, Ruvuma, Morogoro 1982 199; ix, x (natural) Covering 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), the reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa. There ares several vegetation types present, the dominant being deciduous miombo woodlands. There are also gallery forests, swamps, and lowland rain forests. A prominent feature of the park are dry rivers that turn to torrents in the rainy season. The park is home to important populations of black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and African elephant, as well as different species of antelopes and gazelles. Since 2014, the site has been listed as endangered because of unplanned tourism development, uncontrolled urban development, pollution, invasive species, and reduced water flows because of droughts and hydroelectric dams upstream.[11][6]
Kilimanjaro National Park Snow covered volcano, trees in front Kilimanjaro 1987 403; vii (natural) The national park encompasses Mount Kilimanjaro (pictured), a dormant stratovolcano and the highest point in Africa, at an elevation of 5,895 m (19,341 ft). From the bottom to the top, there are five vegetation belts on the mountain, starting with lowland savanna and montane forests, and with an alpine desert on the summit. Because of isolation, the slopes of the mountain are home to numerous endemic animal and plant species, many of them endangered.[12]
Stone Town of Zanzibar A three-storey building with verandas and a bell tower Mjini Magharibi 2000 173; ii, iii, vi (cultural) The Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar City, was shaped by different cultures through trade, from Arab lands, India, and Europe. It is a prime example of a Swahili trading town on the east African coast. It was also a centre of slave trade in the Swahili coast. The major buildings, constructed in rag-stone and timber, date to the 18th and 19th centuries. They include the House of Wonders (pictured), churches, mosques, the Old Fort, the Old Dispensary, and hammams.[13]
Kondoa Rock-Art Sites Rock paintings depicting human figures Dodoma 2006 1183; iii, vi (cultural) This site comprises over 150 places with rock-art, located in rock shelters created by the forces shaping the East African Rift. The sites were occupied by hunter-gatherer and pastoralist societies for several millennia. They created rock paintings with a unique artistic expression, depicting their lives and beliefs. Human figures are depicted in a streaky style while domestic animals are rarely depicted. Some of the sites are still of ritual significance to the local communities.[14]

Tentative list[edit]

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.[15] Tanzania maintains six properties on its tentative list.[3]

Tentative sites
Site Image Location (region) Year listed UNESCO criteria Description
Oldonyo Murwak Kilimanjaro 1997 ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) The Oldonyo Murwak hill is a site of ritual significance to the Maasai people of Tanzania and Kenya who gather there to perform coming of age ceremonies.[16]
Gombe National Park Two chimpanzees, mother and child Kigoma 1997 (natural) National park covers the hills along the coast of Lake Tanganyika. The area is covered by Guineo-Congolian forests and miombo woodlands. The park is mainly known for the community of chimpanzees (two pictured) that live there. They were studied by English anthropologist Jane Goodall for over thirty years.[17]
Jozani - Chwaka Bay Conservation Area A forest scene Unguja South 1997 x (natural) The conservation area, located south of Zanzibar City, protects different habitat types, including the coral rag forest, mangrove forest, salt marshes, and seagrass beds. The area is home to the possibly extinct Zanzibar leopard, endemic monkey Zanzibar red colobus, and Aders's duiker.[18]
Eastern Arc Mountains Forests of Tanzania Cloudy scene of forest and a mountain in the background several sites 2006 (natural) The Eastern Arc Mountains are a chain of 13 mountain ranges (Udzungwa Mountains pictured) that span eastern Tanzania and southern Kenya. They were covered by forests, however, due to human activity, forests have been mostly cleared outside the protected areas. The mountains are rich in endemic animal and plant species, resulting from the relative isolation of the mountain ranges. The part in Kenya is listed as a separate tentative site.[19][20]
The Central Slave and Ivory Trade Route A building with red walls and a flag in front several sites 2006 (cultural) This nomination comprises sites along the East Africa slave trade route that started in Ujiji on the shore of Lake Tanganyika and ended in Bagamoyo on the coast, from where the slaves were shipped to the markets of Zanzibar. Sites along the route include Mamboya, Mpwapwa, Kilimatinde, and Kwihara, with remains of Arab forts, plantations, and graveyards. Picture shows Livingstone's Tembe, the house where the Scottish missionary and opposer of slavery David Livingstone spent some time, is pictured. Slavery in East Africa was officially banned 1873 under British pressure, but secretly continued for several years.[21]
Tendaguru Paleontological Site (TPS) A mounded Giraffatitan skeleton in a museum Lindi 2022 vii, viii (natural) The Tendaguru Formation is a highly fossiliferous formation and Lagerstätte. The formation ranges in age from the late Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, from 165 to 130 million years ago. In the early 20th century, German researchers excavated the area and uncovered remains of invertebrates, fish, and in particular dinosaurs, producing some 80 articulated skeletons. The finds included Africa's largest known dinosaur, the Giraffatitan, which is now displayed in Berlin's Natural History Museum (pictured).[22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The World Heritage Convention". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 1 February 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Tanzania". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Decision 8 COM X.26-27: Inscriptions on the List of World Heritage in Danger". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Report of the Decisions adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its 38th session (Doha, 2014)" (PDF). UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Decision 38 COM 8C.1: Update of the List of World Heritage in Danger (inscribed sites)" (PDF). UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  7. ^ "UNESCO World Heritage Centre – The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 12 June 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  8. ^ "Ngorongoro Conservation Area". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 27 October 2005. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Serengeti National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Selous Game Reserve". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 28 November 2005. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Kilimanjaro national park". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Stone Town Zanzibar". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Kondoa Rock-Art Sites". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Tentative Lists". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 24 September 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  16. ^ "Oldonyo Murwak". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Gombe National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  18. ^ "Jozani - Chwaka Bay Conservation Area". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Eastern Arc Mountains Forests of Tanzania". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 7 January 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Eastern Arc Mountains, Kenya". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  21. ^ "The Central Slave and Ivory Trade Route". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
  22. ^ "Tendaguru Paleontological Site (TPS)". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2023.