Greece’s Ministry of Culture and Sports has submitted Zagori, Epirus to UNESCO as the country’s first candidacy in the category of cultural landscape.

According to a ministry announcement, the drafting of the cultural landscape application was the result of systematic cooperation between the relevant services of the Ministry of Culture and the Region of Epirus, following the requirements of the UNESCO Convention (Paris, 1972) for the protection of world cultural and natural heritage. Specialists from many different fields, including archaeologists, historians, foresters, biologists, environmentalists, architects, economists and ethnologists worked on the preparation of the file.

According to the same announcement, the dossier highlighted the outstanding ecumenical value of the cultural landscape of Zagori, as well as detailed information on its biodiversity, fauna and flora, rivers, and Vikos Gorge, with its unique geological formations.

It also includes sections on the historical background of the area, with emphasis on the 17th and 18th centuries, its rich architectural heritage in harmony with the natural environment, and monuments from different periods, and contains the necessary information for the responsible protection bodies. The file also includes the wealth of intangible cultural heritage in the area, such as music, festivals and local traditions. Part of the file is the management plan, which outlines plans for the preservation and promotion of the area.

The application will be evaluated by the Advisory Bodies mandated by the World Heritage Convention, and a decision on the inclusion of Zagori as a cultural landscape will be taken by the World Heritage Committee.

Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni commented, “Zagori, a region of unique beauty and special value and importance for our country, is the first Greek candidacy submitted to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of cultural landscapes. The preparation of the dossier was long and complex. It required close collaboration with the Region of Epirus, with which we always have a very good cooperation, as well as with a large number of scientists of different specialties. The participation of the local community in the composition of the dossier was particularly important, as a candidacy in the field of cultural landscape is very different from the candidacy of a monument. It requires the involvement of the citizens of the region.”

“We expect positive results from the evaluation of the candidacy, as the inclusion of Zagori adds value to the region. I thank the governor Alexandros Kachrimanis, as well as the executives of the Region and the Ministry of Culture for the huge effort they have made, in order to meet the special requirements of the candidacy file,” she added

This article was previously published in Greek at kathimerini.gr.