Georgia’s ancient capital of Mtskheta was placed back on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites after seven years of being included on a list of endangered due to uncontrolled urban sprawl.
The decision to place the historical monuments of Mtskheta back on UNESCO’s list was made at the World Heritage Committee’s 40th annual congress in Istanbul on July 13.
Georgia’s Culture and Monument Protection Minister Mikheil Giorgadze said the decision by UNESCO was made possible due to the work of Georgian government agencies and their colleagues in the UN.
Located 20km outside the Georgian capital Tbilisi, the historical core of Mtskheta includes three medieval churches, the Holy Cross Monastery of Jvari, Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, and Samtavro Monastery, as well as other significant archaeological remains.
Georgia’s Culture Ministry said they would continue to cooperate closely with UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and ensure the continued monitoring of the country’s most important historical buildings
