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H@R! : Heritage at Risk |
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Mexico is a country with an extraordinarily rich cultural heritage, ranging from famous archaeological sites such as Teotihuacan to urban districts, for example the historic centres of Puebla or Tlacotalpan.
In Puebla, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987, there is also the danger that only the listed monuments, especially the religious buildings, will be properly maintained, whereas the great number of privately owned houses will be either neglected or severely altered. Besides, there are many examples of heritage places at risk from all periods, among them the pre-Hispanic cave dwellings of the Paquiné in Madera, adobe buildings at the foot of mountain cliffs, threatened by vandalism and treasure hunting. For our Heritage @ Risk Report, ICOMOS Mexico sent us a list (established by INAH, Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia) indicating the damage and necessary repair work for the religious buildings of the 16th to 18th centuries in the Puebla and Oaxaca region, seriously affected by the earthquake of June 1999, which were at first only provisionally secured: monasteries, churches and chapels in Ahuehuetitlan de Gonzáles, Atlatlauhcan, Huamantla, Huamuxtitlán, Ixhuan de Los Reyes, Jojutla, Jonacatepec, Oaxaca de Juárez, Ocuituco, Olinalá, Orizaba, Puebla, San Andrés Cholula, San Juan Bautista Coixtlahuaca, San Pedro Cholula, San Pedro y San Pablo Teposcolula, Santa Catarina Juquila, Santa María Tittepec, Santo Domingo Yauhuitlán, Santiago Chilixtlahuaca, Taxco de Alarcón, Tecamachalco, Tepeyanco, Tetela Del Volcán, Tlaxcala Tlayacapan, Tochimilco, Totolapan, Villa de Tejupam de la Unión, Yautopec, Zacualpan de Amilpas.