Both Serbian and Bethlehem monuments on UNESCO list

The Palestinian National Authority has filed a request with UNESCO to put the church built on the site of Christ's birth in Bethlehem on its World Heritage List, making it the first such site on the Palestinian territory.

The list comprises 704 monuments with cultural properties, 180 with natural and 27 with mixed properties.

The monasteries Studenica (central Serbia), Stari Ras and Sopocani (southwestern Serbia) and four medieval monuments in Kosovo (Gracanica, the Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevisa, the Pec Patriarchate and Decani), together with the Roman palace Gamzigrad-Romuliana, near the eastern Serbian city of Zajecar, are on the list as Serbian heritage.

The Archive of Nikola Tesla, one of the greatest Serbian scientists, and Miroslav's Gospel, one of the oldest documents in Serbian history, are among the documents entered into the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Serbia wants the Yugoslav Film Archive on the Memory of the World list as well. It also advocates that the Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad, Velika Hoca monastery in Kosovo, Justiniana Prima in Leskovac (south Serbia), Rajacke Pivnice near Negotin (east Serbia) and the Smederevo fortress south-east of Belgrade be put on the World Heritage List.

UNESCO has also declared a part of the Golija Natural Landscape (southeastern Serbia) as the Golija-Studenica Biosphere Reserve within its Man and Biosphere program.

UNESCO introduced non-material world heritage in its lists in September 2006, which is managed by an international council for the preservation of world heritage.

Non-material heritage is made up of spoken traditions, artistic performances, customs, rituals, festivals, knowledge and skills in various types of craftsmanship.

Serbia is trying to put some of its traditions on the list, like the family custom of celebrating the patron saint and the way in which ceramic pots are made in the village of Zlakuse, near the western Serbian city of Uzice.

Source: Tanjug