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UNESCO Adds Tunisia’s Djerba on World Heritage List

This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)
This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)
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UNESCO Adds Tunisia’s Djerba on World Heritage List

This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)
This photograph shows the logo of UNESCO during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the organization at its headquarters in Paris, Nov. 12, 2021. (AP Photo)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added the Tunisian island of Djerba on the list of World Heritage Sites, a move that was welcomed by the Tunisian people.

UNESCO took the decision at its 45th session in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Tunisian Culture Minister Hayat Guettat Guermazi said “the Island of Djerba is a witness on a culture that embraces the world at these historic moments, and sends the humanity inspirational messages hailing differences and diversity as a real revolution. With this decision, the dreams of Djerba, the centerpiece of the Mediterranean, have become true.”

Located in the Mediterranean Sea, Djerba is also known as the “Island of Dreams” and symbolizes coexistence among religions.

It is located 500 kilometers south of the capital, Tunis, and includes the Ghriba Synagogue, the oldest Jewish synagogue in North Africa, dating back to about 2,500 years, and hosting thousands of Jewish pilgrims every year.

The island is also famed for its unique architectural designs, such as the “Housh al-Jerbi” and underground mosques.

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UN Rights Office Warns of Israel’s Threat to Baalbek, Other Archaeological Sites in Lebanon

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area on the outskirts of the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley on October 31, 2024. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area on the outskirts of the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley on October 31, 2024. (AFP)
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UN Rights Office Warns of Israel’s Threat to Baalbek, Other Archaeological Sites in Lebanon

Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area on the outskirts of the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley on October 31, 2024. (AFP)
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted an area on the outskirts of the eastern Lebanese city of Baalbek in the Bekaa valley on October 31, 2024. (AFP)

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday expressed alarm over “the continuing grave impact” of Israeli military operations on civilians and civilian targets in Lebanon, including the destruction of places of worship and risks posed to invaluable archaeological sites.

The office said that since Israel’s air force ordered the northeastern Lebanese city of Baalbek evacuated, airstrike that followed have “come perilously close” to the ancient Roman-era temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Destruction of cultural heritage “depletes the historical and cultural identity of the communities it represents,” it said.

The sites destroyed or severely damaged so far include mosques in the southern villages of Yaroun, Maroun el-Ras, Blida, and Kfar Tibnit, OHCHR said, adding that a Melkite Greek Catholic church in the port city of Tyre was also damaged in early October.

Civilian objects, buildings dedicated to religion and other sites of cultural significance are protected from attack under international humanitarian law unless they become military objectives, the office said.

It stressed that should the sites lose their protection, any attacks upon them must still comply with the principles of proportionality and precaution, and that all parties to the conflict should take special care to avoid damage to buildings dedicated to religion or other sites of cultural or historical significance.