Armenia seeks UNESCO status for Tatev Monastery, Vorotan Gorge

PanARMENIAN.Net - Armenia has submitted a nomination to include Tatev Monastery and the Vorotan Gorge in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The announcement was made during a scientific-practical conference on integrated management of UNESCO World Heritage sites, held at the National University of Architecture and Construction.

According to Narine Tyutcheva, a professor at the International Academy of Architecture, member of ICOMOS, and head of the Re-School educational center, the initiative is not only about protecting cultural values but also reinforcing national identity, reports Sputnik Armenia.

“This is a comprehensive gesture aimed at affirming Armenia’s right to its historical legacy and recognizing cultural landscapes as foundations of stability,” she stated during the event.

The nomination is part of the interdisciplinary educational project Re-School, implemented in collaboration with the 301. Land of Wisdom and Amaryan foundations, and the Cultural and Historical Heritage Research Center of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports.

Preliminary data from the nomination dossier indicates the site spans 7,490 hectares, with a buffer zone exceeding 20,000 hectares. It features a layered landscape combining architectural landmarks, archaeological elements, natural environment, and cultural memory.

The dossier includes Tatev Monastery, a 9th-century example of medieval Armenian architecture, monastic structures, chapels, ancient churches, cemeteries, and the Vorotan Gorge, noted for its natural diversity and signs of human presence dating back to the Neolithic through the 19th century.

Also to be included are archaeological sites, old roads, bridges, water supply infrastructure, and caravanserais.

Tyutcheva noted that Tatev and Vorotan have been on UNESCO’s tentative list since 1995, but the renewed scientific, architectural, governmental, and civic collaboration now offers a new momentum to the process.

Approval of the nomination could open opportunities for international cooperation, sustainable tourism development, and socio-economic upliftment in Syunik Province.

“Armenia can offer the world more than ancient monuments or picturesque landscapes. It presents a model of interaction between culture, nature, and communities. In a time of global instability, this becomes a vital value linked to memory, stability, and heritage,” she added.

Vardges Edoyan, Vice-Rector of the National University of Architecture and Construction, emphasized that the conference was not limited to academia. It engaged students in real-world heritage practices and demonstrated how cultural assets become part of modern architecture, restoration, and urban development.

The event highlighted international best practices, identified key challenges like sustainable tourism planning and institutional cooperation, and stressed the importance of involving the younger generation in heritage preservation and awareness.