2004 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 the historic, artistic, and architectural heritage around the world.

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 attracts 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.

2004 Watch List

The 2004 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites was launched on 24 September 2003 by WMF President Bonnie Burnham and WMF partner American Express. For the first time, a site from Antarctica was included, ensuring that the Watch List geographically covers every continent.

List by country/territory

NumberCountry/TerritorySiteLocation
1AfghanistanGhazni MinaretsGhazni
2AlbaniaVoskopojë ChurchesKorcë
3AntarcticaSir Ernest Shackleton's Expedition HutCape Royds, Ross Island
4Argentina, Brazil & ParaguayJesuit Guaraní Missions
5AustraliaDampier Rock Art ComplexDampier, Dampier Archipelago
6BoliviaVallegrande Area Rock Art SitesVallegrande and Saipina
7BrazilSan Francisco ConventOlinda
8BulgariaVidin SynagogueVidin
9CanadaSt. John's Anglican ChurchLunenburg, Nova Scotia
10ChileHumberstone & Santa Laura Industrial complexIquique
11ChinaOhel Rachel SynagogueShanghai
12ChinaGreat Wall of China Cultural Landscape Beijing
13ChinaCockcrow Postal TownCockrow Post, Huailai County, Hebei
14ChinaPuning Temple StatuesChengde City, Hebei Province
15ChinaTianshui Traditional HousesTianshui City, Gansu Province
16CubaCalzada del CerroHavana
17Czech RepublicSaint Anne's ChurchPrague
18Czech RepublicChotesov MonasteryChotesov
19EcuadorLas PeñasGuayaquil – Guayas
20EcuadorBolivar TheaterQuito
21EgyptKhasekhemwy at HierakonpolisEdfu, El Muissat, Kom el Ahmar
22EgyptMortuary Temple of Amenhotep IIILuxor, West Bank
23EgyptSabil Ruqayya DuduCairo
24El SalvadorSan Miguel Arcangel and Santa Cruz de Roma churchesPanchimalco & Huizucar
25FinlandHelsinki-Malmi AirportHelsinki
26GeorgiaTimotesubani Virgin ChurchTimotesubani village, Borjomi Region
27GreecePalaikastro Archaeological sitePalaikastro
28GreeceHelike Archaeological SiteRizomylos & Eliki, Achaia
29GuatemalaUsumacinta River Cultural LandscapeChiapas, Mexico/Peten, Guatemala
30HungaryTúrony ChurchTúrony
31IndiaOsmania University College for WomenHyderabad, Telangana
32IndiaQuila MubarakPatiala, Punjab
33IndiaDalhousie SquareCalcutta
34IndiaBhuj DarbargadhBhuj, Gujarat
35IndonesiaOmo HadaNias, Teluk Dalam, Hilinawalo Mazingo
36IndonesiaTamansari Water CastleYogyakarta
37IraqNineveh and Nimrud Palacesnear Mosul
38IraqCitadel of ArbilErbil, Kurdistan Region
39IrelandHeadfort HouseKells
40IrelandAthassel abbeyAthassel
41IsraelApollonia-ArsufHerzliya
42ItalyPort of Trajan Archaeological ParkFiumicino
43ItalyTuff-Towns and Vie CavePitigliano, Sorano, Manciano, Tuscany
44JamaicaFalmouth Historic TownFalmouth, Parish of Trelawny
45JapanTomo Port TownFukuyama
46Jordan'Ain GhazalAmman
47KenyaMtwapa Heritage SiteKilifi, Mtwapa
48LebanonIskandarouna – Naqoura Cultural LandscapeIskandarouna, Naqoura, Tyre
49MaliBandiagara Escarpment Cultural LandscapeBandiagara, Mopti
50MexicoSan Francisco de Tzintzuntzan ConventTzintzuntzan, Michoacan
51MexicoQuetzalcoatl TempleTeotihuacan, Mexico State
52MexicoLa TercenaMetztitlan
53MexicoOxtotitlan PaintingsGuerrero, Chilapa
54MexicoPimeria Alta MissionsSonora
55MongoliaGeser Sum MonasteryUlaanbaatar
56MoroccoSahrij & Sbaiyin Madrassa ComplexFez
57NigeriaBenin City EarthworksBenin City, Edo State
58Palestinian TerritoriesTell Balatah Nablus/West Bank
59Palestinian TerritoriesAl-Qasem PalaceBeit Wazan
60PanamaPanama Canal AreaPanama and Colon Provinces
61ParaguayParaguay Railway SystemAsuncion to Sapucay
62PeruOur Lady of Guadalupe MonasteryGuadalupe, La Libertad
63PeruAngasmarca TempleAngasmarca/Santiago de Chuco/La Libertad
64PeruKuelap FortressKuelap, Amazonas
65PeruTucume Archaeological ComplexTucume
66PolandOld Lublin TheaterLublin
67PortugalRoman Villa of RabaçalRabaçal, Penela, Coimbra
68RussiaThe Chinese Palace at OranienbaumLomonosov
69RussiaNarcomfin BuildingMoscow
70RussiaPerm-36Perm Region
71SlovakiaThree Greek Catholic churchesBodruzal, Lukov-Venecia, Topola
72SloveniaLanthieri ManorVipava
73South AfricaRichtersveld Cultural LandscapeRichtersveld, Northern Cape Province
74SpainPazo de San Miguel das PeñasMonterroso, Lugo, Galicia
75SyriaBosra Ancient CityBosra, governorate of Deraa
76SyriaAmrit Archaeological SiteAmrit
77TaiwanJungshe VillagePenghu, Wangan
78Trinidad and TobagoBanwari Trace Archaeological SiteWard of Siparia
79TurkeyTemple of AugustusAnkara
80TurkeyLittle Hagia Sophia Mosque Istanbul
81TurkeyCentral İzmir SynagoguesKonak, İzmir
82TurkeyEphesus Archaeological SiteSelçuk, İzmir
83TurkeyKariye MuseumIstanbul
84TurkmenistanOld NisaBagir settlement
85UgandaKampala Historic BuildingsKampala
86UkraineTyras-Belgorod FortressBelgorod-Dnestrovsky, Odessa
87UkrainePanticapaeum Ancient CityKerch, Crimea
88United KingdomStowe HouseStowe, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire
89United KingdomBattersea Power StationLondon
90United KingdomStrawberry HillLondon
91United KingdomSaint Vincent’s Street ChurchGlasgow, Scotland
92United States of AmericaSt. Ann And The Holy Trinity ChurchBrooklyn Heights, New York
93United States of AmericaHistoric Lower ManhattanNew York, New York
94United States of AmericaEnnis Brown HouseLos Angeles, California
95United States of AmericaNorth Family Shaker SiteNew Lebanon, New York
96United States of AmericaIglesia San JoseSan Juan, Puerto Rico
97United States of AmericaPlum Orchard Historic DistrictCumberland Island, Georgia
98VenezuelaReal Fuerza de Santiago de ArroyoAraya
99VenezuelaLa Guaira Historic CityVargas
100YugoslaviaPrizren Historic CenterKosovo, Prizren

Statistics by country/territory

The following countries/territories have multiple sites entered on the 2004 Watch List, listed by the number of sites:
Number of sitesCountry/Territory
6United States of America
5China, Mexico and Turkey
4India, Peru and United Kingdom
3Egypt and Russia
2Argentina, Brazil, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Palestine, Paraguay, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela