Timbuktu

a) Inappropriate design and scale of new Ahmed Baba Cultural Centre in the vicinity of the Sankoré Mosque; lack of detailed drawings supplied to the Committee;

b) Inappropriate approaches to the restoration of the Djingareyber Mosque;

c) Urban development pressure;

d) Flooding and rubbish disposal;

e) Lack of building regulations and land use plan;

f) Lack of adequate maintenance of the buildings. 

Total amount provided to the property: USD 100,000 (Italian Funds-in-Trust)

On 2 February 2011, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property. The report gives a brief overview of the ongoing conservation and management operations.

a) Conservation of the three mosques

The report provides an update of the current state of conservation of the three mosques, Sankoré, Djingareyber and Sidi Yahia. The Sankore mosque continued to be subject of special attention by the local community, the Imams and the guild of traditional builders. It also received technical support from the Italian Government and the World Heritage Centre. The report also provides information about a future urban rehabilitation in the framework of which the restoration of the mosque is an important component. The project, which is executed by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) is part of a cooperation agreement between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the Government of Mali.

The restoration of Djingareyber mosquehas been finalized in July 2010 with the completion of paving in the vicinity of the mosque, and the provision of toilet facilities. Concerning the World Heritage Committee’s request for further information on the “possible project to demolish ruined houses northwest of the Djingareyber Mosque”, the State Party prefers to include these buildings into a proposed ‘pilot project for repairing and renovating houses’, although no details are provided. Only the restoration of the degraded structures of the Sidi Yahia Mosque remains for which architectural surveys have been undertaken in the framework of the same AKDN/Mali agreement.

The report does not provide information on the state of conservation of the 16 mausoleums, which form part of the property and are in need of urgent restoration works.

b) Conservation challenges of the urban context

The State Party notes the challenges to conserving the property in an urban environment: climate change and desertification, demographic change and visual influences of modern technology. The report mentions the development of detailed building regulations and a conservation manual, which are almost finalized. Also noted are development projects initiated by the Malian government and partners (including a bitumen road), the additional storey on the Institute of Ahmed Baba building, uncontrolled Medina building works and general preservation concerns. The State Party notes that the situation in Timbuktu is similar to global issues common to all World Heritage city sites. In this respect, the State Party optimistically hopes there will be an international colloquium for dialogue and engagement of technical partners, local population, elected representatives, potential financiers, etc. The State Party report mentions several organizations that have been, or still are, active in preservation issues, led by efforts of the AKTC, such as the elaboration of a Master Plan for Timbuktu and the urban rehabilitation of Sankoré neighbourhood. However, no further details are provided.

Furthermore, no details are provided on the development of a land use plan for the Old City and its buffer zone. Nor are details provided on any plan to address the need for waste removal or the proposed pilot project for renovating houses in the Old City.

c) Implementation of corrective measures requested by the World Heritage Committee:

The State Party has responded to only one of the corrective measures, namely the development of a Master Plan for the Old City of Timbuktu. It has not responded to the following: re-location of the amphitheatre away from the Sankoré Mosque, creation of an inter-ministerial coordinating committee for Timbuktu, a land-use plan for the property and buffer zones, a plan for the participation of the population in matters of heritage, extension of the boundaries of the World Heritage property to cover the whole of the Old City, and implementation of the short and medium term actions envisaged in the management plan. 

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies wish to highlight that the State Party’s report only provides information on some of the corrective measures agreed by the Committee at its 32nd session and only partially addresses the measures agreed by the Committee at its 34th session. Furthermore, the information provided does not adequately address the fundamental threats facing the property. Overall, very little progress has been made in site conservation and management, and in particular in addressing the continued disuse of the Ahmed Baba Cultural Centre and priority repair actions for Sidi Yahia Mosque.

The World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies welcome the proposed project with the AKDN and the Government of Mali that will encompass a Master Plan for Timbuktu and a project for rehabilitation of the Sankore neighbourhood, but considers that details of the project need to be provided to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies.