Coup in Turkey Disrupts UNESCO World Heritage Session

Key facts

• The 40th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session was held in Istanbul from July 10 to July 20, 2016.
• A failed coup on July 15 interrupted the session, which continued until July 17 and was then postponed to Paris in October.
• 21 new sites were inscribed out of 29 proposals: 12 cultural, 6 natural, and 3 mixed.
• Le Corbusier's architectural works in Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan, and Switzerland were inscribed.
• The ancient city of Philippi in Greece was inscribed for its archaeological and architectural heritage.
• Italy remains the country with the most UNESCO sites (51), but none were added this session.
• Five sites in Libya, one in Uzbekistan, and one in Mali were added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.
• Mtsketa in Georgia was removed from the danger list due to preservation efforts.
• The Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia was inscribed on both the World Heritage List and the danger list.
• The 41st session will be held in Krakow, Poland, in July 2017.