BAM, IRAN.- The inscription of Bam and its Cultural Landscape, the ancient Silk Road landmark, on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and on the World Heritage List in Danger will be celebrated in a ceremony on December 27, marking the first anniversary of the earthquake that destroyed much of the site and killed more than 26,000 people.

The Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hossein Marashi, who also heads the country’s Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), will be among those attending the ceremony at the Citadel of Bam, the Arg-e Bam, which was severely damaged in the quake. Assistant UNESCO Director-General for Culture Mounir Bouchenaki, will also take part on behalf of the Director-General, as will representatives of other United Nations Organizations working on the site (UNDP, UNIC, FAO, WHO, UNICEF) and representatives of the governments of France, Italy and Japan. Mohammad Khatami, the President of Islamic Republic of Iran, may also attend the event.

UNESCO, which is spearheading international efforts for the cultural preservation of Bam, began assisting the Iranians in safeguarding the remains of the site and providing relief to the population, particularly in education, immediately after the earthquake. UNESCO and the Iranian authorities, in consultation with other international organizations and donors, have defined priorities for the preservation of the site’s “outstanding universal value” that warranted the decision, taken by the World Heritage Committee in July this year, to inscribe it on the World Heritage List. Priority will be given to studying the archaeological remains, which have been made accessible by the quake, and the population’s strong attachment to the site will be mobilized in programmes for its preservation.