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Bonn, Germany, 3 July—The World Heritage Committee inscribed three new cultural sites on the World Heritage List this afternoon: Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale in Italy; Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) in Jordan and Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia.

Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale (Italy)—Located on the northern coast of Sicily, Arab-Norman Palermo includes a series of nine civil and religious structures dating from the era of the Norman kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194): two palaces, three churches, a cathedral, a bridge, as well as the cathedrals of Cefalú and Monreale. Collectively, they are an example of a social-cultural syncretism between Western, Islamic and Byzantine cultures on the island which gave rise to new concepts of space, structure and decoration. They also bear testimony to the fruitful coexistence of people of different origins and religions (Muslim, Byzantine, Latin, Jewish, Lombard and French).

Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) (Jordan)—Situated on the eastern bank of the River Jordan, nine kilometres north of the Dead Sea, the archaeological site consists of two distinct areas: Tell Al-Kharrar, also known as Jabal Mar-Elias (Elijah’s Hill) and the area of the churches of Saint John the Baptist near the river. Situated in a pristine natural environment the site is believed to be the location where Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by John the Baptist. It features Roman and Byzantine remains including churches and chapels, a monastery, caves that have been used by hermits and pools in which baptisms were celebrated, testifying to the religious character of the place. The site is a Christian place of pilgrimage.

Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia—This site includes two components situated in a desert landscape: Jabel Umm Sinman at Jubbah and the Jabal al-Manjor and Raat at Shuwaymis. A lake once situated at the foot of the Umm Sinman hill range that has now disappeared used to be a source of fresh water for people and animals in the southern part of the Great Narfoud Desert. The ancestors of today’s Arab populations have left traces of their passages in numerous petroglyphs and inscriptions on the rock face. Jabal al-Manjor and Raat form the rocky escarpment of a wadi now covered in sand. They show numerous representations of human and animal figures covering 10,000 years of history.

The inscription of sites will continue through 5 July. The committee will end its 39^th session on 8 July.

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All the working documents of the World Heritage Committee are available

Live broadcast of the Committee’s work:

Media Contacts:

Isabelle Le Fournis, UNESCO Press Service, i.le-fournis@unesco.org,

+33 (0) 6 12 19 74 01 or +49 157 84 30 55 04.

Agnès Bardon, UNESCO Press Service, a.bardon@unesco.org, +33 (0) 6 80 24 13 56 or +49 157 84 58 39 48

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Video footage of some of the sites added to the World Heritage List will be available here as soon as they are inscribed:

Photos of new sites: