2002 World Monuments Watch


The World Monuments Watch is a flagship advocacy program of the New York-based private non-profit organization, World Monuments Fund that is dedicated to preserving and safeguarding the historic, artistic, and architectural heritage of humankind.

Selection process

Every two years, it publishes a select list known as the Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites that is in urgent need of preservation funding and protection. It is a call to action on behalf of threatened cultural heritage monuments worldwide. The sites are nominated by governments, conservation professionals, site caretakers, non-government organizations, concerned individuals, and others working in the field. An independent panel of international experts then select 100 candidates from these entries to be part of the Watch List, based on the significance of the sites, the urgency of the threat, and the viability of both advocacy and conservation solutions. A site’s inclusion on the Watch List brings them to international attention, helping to raise funds needed for its rescue and spurring local governments and communities to take an active role in protecting the cultural landmark.

2002 Watch List

The 2002 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites was launched on October 11, 2001 by WMF President Bonnie Burnham at a press conference at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Watch List was expanded to 101 in the wake of the devastating destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Its vicinity—the Lower Manhattan area, was added as an imperiled urban site.

List by country/territory

NumberCountry/TerritorySiteLocationPeriod
1AlbaniaVoskopoje churchesKorce1780
2BahamasWhylly Plantation at Clifton PointClifton Point, New Providence1750
3BelarusPervomaisk ChurchPervomaisk, Uzdensky, Minksaya1626
4Bosnia and HerzegovinaMostar Historic CenterMostar1557
5BrazilVila de ParanapiacabaSanto Andre1868
6CambodiaBanteay/Chhmar Temple of Jayavarman VIIThmar Puok, Oddar Meanchey Province1199
7ChileRuedas de AguaPichidegua, Larmahue1799
8ChinaShaxi Market AreaShaxi Zhen, Shaxi Valley, Jianchuan1800
9ChinaOhel Rachel SynagogueShanghai1920
10ChinaDa Qin Christian Pagoda and MonasteryZhouzhi, Lou Guan Tai, Shaanxi781
11ChinaGreat Wall of China Cultural Landscape Beijing14th-16th centuries
12CroatiaVukovar city centerVukovar1799
13CroatiaLazaretiDubrovnik1648
14CubaNational Art SchoolsCubanacan, Havana1965
15Czech RepublicTerezin FortressTerezin1790
16EgyptKhasekhemwy at HierakonpolisEdfu, El Muissat, Kom el Ahmar2700 BC
17EgyptValley of the KingsThebes, West Bank at Luxor1080 BC
18EgyptWhite and Red MonasteriesSohag, Middle Egypt500
19EgyptSultan Al Muayyad HospitalCairo1420
20FranceChateau de ChantillyChantilly, Oise1885
21FranceSt. Pierre de Beauvais CathedralBeauvais, Oise1700-1799
22GeorgiaTbilisi Historic DistrictTbilisi500 BC-0 AD
23GeorgiaBodbe CathedralQedeli Village, Signakhi Region850
24GeorgiaArt Nouveau BuildingsTbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Poti, Dusheti1900
25GermanyCarl-Theodor BridgeHeidelberg1788
26GhanaLarabanga MosqueLarabanga, Western Gonja1650
27GreecePalaikastro Archaeological sitePalaikastro, Crete100
28GuatemalaPiedras NegrasPiedras Negras400 AD-800 AD
29IndiaBasgo Gompa Ladakh, Leh, Basgo1699
30IndiaOsmania Women CollegeHyderabad, Telangana1857
31IndiaDwarka Dheesh Mandir TempleAhmedabadbefore 1600
32IndiaAnagundi Historic SettlementGangawati, Koppal, Karnataka1400-1600
33IndiaNako TemplesHimachal, Kinnaur, Nako1025
34IndiaLutyens Bungalow ZoneNew Delhi1931
35IndonesiaOmo HadaNias, Teluk Dalam, Hilinawalo Mazingo1715
36IraqNineveh and Nimrud Palacesnear Mosul883 BC - 681 BC
37IraqCitadel of ArbilErbil, Kurdistan Region6th millennium BC-Present
38IsraelBet She'arim Archaeological SiteKiryat Tiv'on100 - 300 AD
39ItalyChains BridgeBagni of Lucca1860
40ItalyCinque TerreMonterosso, Riomaggiore, Vernazza13th century AD
41ItalyPort of Trajan Archaeological ParkFiumicino 100
42JamaicaFalmouth historic townFalmouth, Parish of Trelawny1784
43JapanTomo Port TownFukuyama1800
44JordanPetra Archaeological SiteWadi Mousa, Petra100-299 AD
45KenyaThimlich Ohinga Cultural LandscapeMigori1399
46LebanonEnfehnear Tripoli1299
47MalaysiaKampung Cina River FrontageKuala Terengganu1939
48MalaysiaGeorge Town Historic EnclaveGeorge Town, Penang State1940
49MaliMedine FortMedine1855
50MaltaMnajdra Prehistoric TemplesMnajdra3600 BC-2500 BC
51MexicoSan Juan de Ulua FortVeracruz1825
52MexicoYaxchilan Archaeological ZoneCuenca del Usumacinta, Chiapas900
53MexicoInmaculada Concepcion ChapelNurio, Michoacan1700
54MoldovaBarbary-Bosia Monastery ComplexButuceni, Judet Orhei, Moldovan Auto. Reg.1675
55MyanmarSri-Ksetra TemplesHmawa400
56NepalTeku Thapatali Monument ZoneBagmati River, Kathmandu19th Century
57NepalItum MonasteryKathmandu1200
58NigeriaBenin City EarthworksBenin City, Edo State1460
59PakistanUch Monument ComplexUch, Bahawalpur District, Punjab Province1449
60PanamaSan Lorenzo Castle & San Geronimo FortChagres, Colon and Portobelo1779
61PeruHistoric Center of CuscoCusco1699
62PeruSantuario de Nuestra Señora de CocharcasCocharcas, Chincheros, Apurimac Dept.
63PeruCaral sacred citySupe Pueblo, Barranca Province, Caral3000 BC-2000 BC
64PeruLos PinchudosRio Abiseo National Park1200
65PeruOyon Valley Missionary ChapelsOyon, Departamento de Lima1699
66PeruSan Pedro de Morrope ChapelMorrope1599
67PolandWislica Archaeological SiteWislica1175
68RussiaAlvar Aalto LibraryVyborg, Leningrad Region1935
69RussiaArkhangelskoye State MuseumMoscow1831
70Russia"Oranienbaum" State Museum ReserveLomonosov1774
71RussiaNarcomfin BuildingMoscow1930
72RussiaResurrection New Jerusalem MonasteryIstra1698
73RussiaAssumption ChurchKondopoga, Karelia1774
74RussiaKarelian Petroglyph SitesBelomorsky and Pudozhsky Districts3500 BC
75RussiaChurch of our Savior & Rostov Veliky Historic CenterRostov Veliky862-1690
76SyriaThe Citadel of AleppoAleppo2000 BC
77SyriaDamascus Old City & Saddle SoukDamascus1400-1800
78TanzaniaBagamoyo Historic TownBagamoyo1800
79TurkeyAni Archaeological SiteOcarli Koyu, Kars1399
80TurkeyTemple of AugustusAnkara25 BC-20 BC
81TurkeyLittle Hagia Sophia Mosque Istanbul527-536
82TurkeyTepebasi DistrictGaziantep1914
83TurkmenistanMerv Archaeological SiteBairam Ali1400
84UkraineChurch of The Savior Of BerestoveKiev1600-1800
85UkraineAncient ChersonesosSevastopol500-15th century
86United KingdomStowe HouseStowe, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire1890
87United KingdomSt. George's ChurchLondon1730
88United KingdomBrading Roman VillaBrading, Isle of Wight300 AD
89United KingdomSinclair and Girnigoe CastlesNr. Wick, Caithness, Scotland1606
90United KingdomSugar warehousesGreenock, Renfrewshire1886
91United KingdomSelby AbbeySelby, North Yorkshire1069
92United States of AmericaSan Juan Capistrano Mission ChurchSan Juan Capistrano1806
93United States of AmericaA. Conger Goodyear HouseOld Westbury, Long Island, New York1939
94United States of AmericaSt. Ann and the Holy Trinity ChurchBrooklyn Heights, New York1848
95United States of AmericaSan Esteban del Rey Mission at Acoma PuebloAcoma Pueblo, New Mexico1643
96United States of AmericaSchindler Kings Road House and StudioWest Hollywood, California1922
97YemenTarimTarim, Wadi Hadramaut1870-1920
98YugoslaviaSubotica SynagogueSubotica1902
99YugoslaviaPrizren Historic CenterKosovo, Prizren
100YugoslaviaPeć and Decani MonasteriesKosovo & Metohiha, Decani and Pec1850
101United States of AmericaHistoric Lower ManhattanNew York, New YorkSince 1625

Statistics by country/territory

The following countries/territories have multiple sites entered on the 2002 Watch List, listed by the number of sites:
Number of sitesCountry/Territory
8Russia
6India, Peru, United Kingdom and United States of America
4China, Egypt and Turkey
3Georgia, Italy, Mexico and Yugoslavia
2Croatia, France, Iraq, Malaysia, Nepal, Syria and Ukraine