# 1996 World Monuments Watch

The World Monuments Watch is a flagship advocacy program of the New York–based private non-profit organization World Monuments Fund (WMF) and American Express aimed at identifying and preserving the world’s most important endangered cultural landmarks. It targets selected sites for immediate action, to call attention to the need for innovative approaches to protect threatened sites throughout the world.

## Selection process

Every two years, the program publishes a select list known as the Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites that is in urgent need of preservation funding and protection. The sites are nominated by governments, private organizations active in the field of heritage conservation, and concerned individuals. An independent panel of international experts then convene to evaluate and select 100 candidates from these entries to be part of the Watch List, based on the significance of the urgency of its situation, the viability of proposed remedies, and the site's overall significance. WMF and American Express award grants to sites included on the Watch List through the WMF Fund, which is composed of donations from corporate, individual and foundation sponsors. These grants are meant to support activities such as strategic planning, emergency and technical assistance, educational and local fund raising programs, and conservation treatment.

## 1996 Watch List

The 1996 World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites was launched on August 4, 1995.

### List by country/territory

| Number | Country/Territory | Site | Location | Period |
| 1 | Albania | Butrint Archaeological Site | Sarande | 8th century BC–18th century AD |
| 2 | Argentina | San Ignacio Miní | San Ignacio | 17th century |
| 3 | Austria | Belvedere Gardens | Vienna | 1700–1721 |
| 4 | Austria | Franciscan Church | Vienna | 1603–1742 |
| 5 | Barbados | Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill | St. Andrew | 18th century |
| 6 | Belgium | Tour and Taxis (transport hub) | Brussels | 1897–1907 |
| 7 | Belize | El Pilar Archaeological Reserve | Belize River Area | 5th century BC–10th century AD |
| 8 | Benin | Royal Palaces of Abomey | Abomey | 1645–1906 |
| 9 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Village of Počitelj | Počitelj | 1444–present |
| 10 | Brazil | Serra da Capivara National Park | Sao Raimundo Nonato, Piaui | Stone Age |
| 11 | Bulgaria | Madara Horseman | Kaspichan | 8th–9th century |
| 12 | Cambodia | Angkor Archaeological District | Siem Reap | 9th–13th century |
| 13 | Chile | Churches of Chiloe | Chiloe Archipelago | 17th–20th century |
| 14 | Chile | Elevators of Valparaiso | Valparaiso | 1883–1915 |
| 15 | Chile | Orongo | Easter Island | 15th–18th century |
| 16 | China | Liao Dynasty Site | Chi Feng City, Inner Mongolia | 916–1125 |
| 17 | China | Namseling Manor | Drachi, Tibet | 14th century |
| 18 | China | San Xing Dui Site | Guang Han City, Sichuan Province | 5th–3rd millennium BC |
| 19 | Croatia | Lopud Franciscan Monastery | Dubrovnik-Neretva County | 1400–1430 |
| 20 | Croatia | Old City Harbor | Dubrovnik | 13th–19th century |
| 21 | Croatia | Split Historic Center | Split | 295–present |
| 22 | Croatia | Village of Tvrđa | Osijek | 1730–present |
| 23 | Cuba | Convent of Santa Clara of Assisi | Santa Clara | 1638–1644 |
| 24 | Czech Republic | Český Krumlov Garden | Český Krumlov | 1550–1575 |
| 25 | Czech Republic | Kladruby Benedictine Monastery | Kladruby | 1115–1775 |
| 26 | Ecuador | Church of the Compañia | Quito | 1605–1765 |
| 27 | Egypt | Qa'itbay Sebil (Fountain House) | Cairo | 1477–1478 |
| 28 | France | Chateau Aqueduct | Castelnau-Pegayrolles | 11th century |
| 29 | France | Saint-Emilion Monolithic Church | Saint-Emilion | 11th–15th century |
| 30 | Georgia | Pitareti Monastic Complex | Tetritskaro District | 1216–1222 |
| 31 | Germany | Festspielhaus Hellerau | Dresden Hellerau | 1911 |
| 32 | Greece | Etz Hayim Synagogue | Hania, Crete | 15th–19th century |
| 33 | Guyana | Moruka-Waini Cultural Landscape | Warao Settlements | 5th millennium BC |
| 34 | Hungary | Royal Garden Pavilions | Budapest | 1875–1882 |
| 35 | India | Jaisalmer Fort | Rajasthan | 12th century |
| 36 | India | Taj Mahal | Agra | 1632–1643 |
| 37 | Indonesia | Borobudur | Central Java | 9th century |
| 38 | Ireland | Clonmacnoise New Graveyard | County Offaly | 6th–13th century |
| 39 | Israel | Gemeindehaus | German Colony, Haifa | 1869 |
| 40 | Israel | The White City | Tel Aviv | 1930–1939 |
| 41 | Italy | Ancient Pompeii | Naples | 1st century BC–AD 79 |
| 42 | Italy | Bartolomeo Colleoni Monument | Venice | 1488–1496 |
| 43 | Italy | Garden of Villa Medici at Castello | Florence | 1500–1799 |
| 44 | Italy | Grottos of San Michele | Salerno | 8th–9th century |
| 45 | Italy | Neopitagorica Basilica | Rome | 1st century |
| 46 | Italy | Nero's Palace (Domus Aurea) | Rome | AD 64 |
| 47 | Italy | Ruins on the River Centa | Albenga (Savona) | 1st century BC–1st century AD |
| 48 | Italy | San Giacomo Maggiore Portico | Bologna | 1477–1481 |
| 49 | Italy | Santa Maria in Stelle | Verona | 2nd–5th century |
| 50 | Italy | Sts. Ambrogio and Carlo al Corso | Rome | 1612–1685 |
| 51 | Italy | Temple of Hercules | Forum Boarium, Rome | 179–142 BC |
| 52 | Jordan | Petra Archaeological Site | Wadi Mousa | 1st–6th century |
| 53 | Jordan | Southern Temple | Petra, Wadi Mousa, Petra | 100–599 |
| 54 | Laos | Vat Sisaket | Vientiane | 1819–25 |
| 55 | Latvia | Abava Valley Cultural Landscape | Kurzeme | 13th–19th century |
| 56 | Lebanon | Ancient Tyre | Tyre | 3rd millennium BC–Present |
| 57 | Mali | Djenne-Djeno Archaeological Site | Djenne | 3rd century BC–13th century AD |
| 58 | Mexico | Church of Jesus Nazareno | Atotonilco, Guanajuato | 1740–1776 |
| 59 | Mexico | Modern Mural Paintings | various cities | 1920–1950 |
| 60 | Mexico | San Juan de Ulua Fort | Veracruz | 1535–1786 |
| 61 | Mexico | Yucatan Indian Chapels | Yucatan Peninsula | 16th–18th century |
| 62 | Mongolia | Bogd Khaan Palace Museum | Ulaanbaatar | 1893–1903 |
| 63 | Morocco | Medieval Sijilmassa | Rissani | 757–1393 |
| 64 | Morocco | Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Danan and Mansano Synagogues | Fez | 17th century |
| 65 | Mozambique | Mozambique Island | Nampula Province | 16th century – present |
| 66 | Nepal | Gombas of Upper Mustang | Lo Manthang, Mustang | 15th century |
| 67 | Nepal | Teku Thapatali Monument Zone | Kathmandu | 18th–19th century |
| 68 | Norway | Vaga Old Church | Vagamo, Oppland | 12th century, 1625–1630 |
| 69 | Pakistan | Tamba Wari | Indus River Delta, Sindh | 11th century |
| 70 | Peru | Cusco Historic Center | Cusco | 13th–17th century |
| 71 | Peru | Murals of Allauca Church | Rapaz | 17th century |
| 72 | Philippines | Angono Petroglyphs | Rizal | 3rd millennium BC |
| 73 | Poland | Debno Parish Church | Nowy Targ | 15th century |
| 74 | Poland | Our Lady's Assumption Basilica | Kraków | 13th–14th century |
| 75 | Poland | Prozna Street | Warsaw | 1881–1912 |
| 76 | Portugal | Côa Valley Petroglyphs | Vila Nova de Foz Côa | Stone Age |
| 77 | Romania | Constantin Brâncuși's Endless Column | Târgu Jiu | 1937–1938 |
| 78 | Romania | Roman Catholic Church | Ghelinţa | 13th century |
| 79 | Russia | Alexander Palace | Tsarskoye Selo, St. Petersburg | 1792–1796 |
| 80 | Russia | Kizhi Pogost | Kizhi Island, Lake Onega | 18th century |
| 81 | Russia | Paanajarvi Village | Kemi Province | 14th century – present |
| 82 | Spain | Moorish Houses of Granada | Granada | 14th–16th century |
| 83 | Suriname | Jodensavanne Archaeological Site | Redi Doti | 1660–1830 |
| 84 | Tanzania | Kilwa Kisiwani Portuguese Fort | Lindi Region | 13th–15th century |
| 85 | Thailand | Ayuttaya and other flooded sites along Chao Praya River | Central Thailand | 14th–18th century |
| 86 | Turkey | Ani Archaeological Site | Ocarli Koyu, Kars | 3rd–14th century |
| 87 | Turkey | Çatalhöyük | Cumra, Konya | 10th millennium BC |
| 88 | Turkey | Hagia Sophia | Istanbul | AD 532–563 |
| 89 | Ukraine | Ancient Chersonesos | Sevastopol, Crimea | 5th century BC–15th century AD |
| 90 | United States | Adobe Missions of New Mexico | New Mexico | 17th–20th century |
| 91 | United States | Chaco Culture National Historic Park | McKinley County, New Mexico | 900–1150 |
| 92 | United States | Eastern State Penitentiary | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1822–1836 |
| 93 | United States | Ellis Island | New York, New York | 1892–1954 |
| 94 | United States | Golden Gate Park Conservatory | San Francisco, California | 1876–1878 |
| 95 | United States | Holy Ascension Church | Unalaska, Alaska | 1826–1896 |
| 96 | United States | Lafayette Cemetery No. 1 | New Orleans, Louisiana | 1833–present |
| 97 | Vietnam | Minh Mang Tomb | Huế | 1840 |
| 98 | Vietnam | My Son Temple District | Duy Xuyen District | 3rd–12th century |
| 99 | Yugoslavia | Subotica Synagogue | Subotica | 1902 |
| 100 | Zimbabwe | Khami National Monument | Bulawayo | Mid-15th century – mid-17th century |

## Statistics by country/territory

The following countries/territories have multiple sites entered on the 1996 Watch List, listed by the number of sites:
| Number of sites | Country/Territory |
| 11 | Italy |
| 7 | United States of America |
| 4 | Croatia and Mexico |
| 3 | Chile, China, Poland, Russia and Turkey |
| 2 | Austria, Czech Republic, France, India, Israel, Jordan, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Romania and Vietnam |