• The construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt in the late 1950s threatened to inundate the
valley containing Temples of Abu Simbel, a treasure of the ancient-Egyptian civilisation.

By BRIDGET MVULA –
THIS year Zambia joins the rest of Africa in celebrating the first African World Heritage Day.
Africa World Heritage Day falls on May 5 and as such, there is need to first look at world heritage in general and explore a few World Heritage sites around the world.
The idea of world heritage emerged after the end of the First World War.
The construction of the Aswan High Dam in Egypt in the late 1950s threatened to inundate the valley containing Temples of Abu Simbel, a treasure of the ancient-Egyptian civilisation.
This Great Temple Complex was a 19th Dynasty pharaoh of Egypt. Its construction which lasted for 20 years was started in approximately 1284 BC.
Known as the “Temple of Ramses, beloved by Amun”, it was one of six rock temples erected in Nubia during the long reign of Ramses (the founding Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt).
Their purpose was to impress Egypt’s southern neighbours, and also to reinforce the status of Egyptian religion in the region.
With the passing of time, the temples were covered in sand and forgotten until 1813, when Swiss Orientalist J.L. Burckhardt found the top frieze (wall painting) of the main temple.
Burckhardt talked about his discovery with Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni, who travelled to the site, unable to dig out an entry to the temple. Belzoni returned in 1817, this time succeeding in his attempt to enter the complex.
As a result of the threat arising from the flooding of the valley due to Aswan High Dam construction, Unesco in 1959 launched an international campaign to safeguard this important cultural heritage.
Together with the Egyptian government, Unesco instituted research to determine the extent of archaeological resources that was to be affected by the flooding.
An archaeological salvage operation was then launched to save the pyramids and the temples.
UNESCO then launched a campaign to raise funds for the operation with many countries participating. An estimated US$80 million raised to save these gems of ancient mankind.
The Abu Simbel and Philae Temples were dismantled, and then moved to dry grounds and reassembled.
Half the amount for this operation was donated by some 50 countries, showing the importance of solidarity and nations’ shared responsibility in conserving cultural sites which they held in outstanding significance.
The success of the Abu Simbel Temples operation led to other campaigns to safeguard sites such as saving the city of Venice in Italy, Moenjodaro in Pakistan and the restoration of Borobodur in Indonesia.
Consequently, UNESCO, with the help of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), initiated the preparation of a draft Convention on the Protection of Cultural Heritage which it was considered of great importance to all humanity.
On the other hand, there was a realisation that natural places linked to culture were equally important and required to be safeguarded by all concerned nations.
In 1965, the White House hosted a conference where it was called for the creation of a ‘World Heritage Trust’ that would stimulate international cooperation to protect the world’s superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and future entire world citizenry.
In 1968, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was tasked to develop similar proposals for convention for its members.
These proposals were presented to the 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. Eventually, a single text called the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was agreed upon by all member states and was later adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on November  16, 1972.
Otherwise called the World Heritage Convention (WHC), this international treaty is one of the globally accepted international agreement and boasts of well over 190 State parties.
The convention came into force in 1975 and Nigeria, Zaire (present-day Congo DR) and Niger were among the first countries in Africa to ratify the Convention.
The underlying philosophy of the convention is the notion that certain natural and cultural sites constitute the “Common Heritage” of all humankind and are worthy of international support in their protection.
Therefore, all sites or places which are considered to be of Outstanding Universal Value and are worth protection by the entire world are put on a list called the World Heritage List.
Currently, this is the most prestigious listing any cultural or natural heritage site can enjoy and it is a list every country is running after for recognition. Presently, there are 962 sites with Africa having 131 while most of them are found in Europe. At 50, Italy has the highest number followed by China with 47 and Spain at 43. While these are the top three in the World, at 8 Morocco has the highest number of World Heritage sites in Africa seconded by South Africa and Tunisia who are currently at 8. Zimbabwe has 5 while Zambia only has one.
World Heritage sites or places are a must-see tourist attractions and it is no wonder that they are the most visited tourist destinations in the world.
In Africa, take a moment and see how many people flock to the Table Mountain and the Robben Island in South Africa, Tsodilo and Okavango Delta in Botswana, the Mana Pools and Great Zimbabwe Ruins in Zimbabwe, the Island of Goree in Senegal, Slave Castles in Ghana, the Lexor and Pyramids in Egypt, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Mosi-ao-Tunya/Victoria Falls, but to mention just a few!