The problems with UNESCO’s ‘Eurocentric’ World Heritage site selection

Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem
Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Image: Wilson44691 (wikimedia)

On the same day the Notre-Dame burned, the 1,000-year-old Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was also partly damaged by a fire. However, both the media coverage and the public reaction to both events are incomparable. Victoria Reyes, Assistant Professor at the University of California shows us that not all heritage sites are considered equal, UNESCO status or not.

According to Reyes’ research, UNESCO disproportionately reveres the cultural legacies of former European empires.

UNESCO’s European bias is probably not intentional. Nonetheless, it has serious implications for the future of world heritage.

Read the full article at The Conversation.

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