Published: 20 July 2005
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
Hadrian's Wall has become the first part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site, following a decision by the World Heritage Committee.
Hadrian' Wall, a UK World Heritage Site in its own right since 1987, has been joined by the Upper German-Raetian Limes to form the first section of a major trans-national World Heritage Site, Frontiers of the Roman Empire, newly inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List by the World Heritage Committee at its 29th Session in Durban this month.
Sir Neil Cossons, Chairman of English Heritage, added:
"English Heritage welcomes and supports this move towards a trans-national World Heritage Site for Roman frontiers, encouraging international co-operation and a proper recognition of the Roman contribution to Western civilisation.
English Heritage are pleased that this development is based on the existing Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site and that the tried and tested method of site management and co-operation developed on Hadrian's Wall are being used as the basis of wider initiative."
The Roman Empire was one of the greatest empires the world has ever known, protected by a network of frontiers stretching for over 5,000 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean in the West, to the Black Sea in the east, from central Scotland in the north to the Sahara Desert.
The Roman frontiers are part of a common heritage of the countries circling the Mediterranean Sea.
Remains of Roman frontier installations survive and can be seen in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania within Europe. East and south of the Mediterranean, there are remains in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Iraq, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
In recent years a number of countries have sought to recognise this outstanding heritage by nominating Roman Frontier Sites in their territory for World Heritage status.
The Upper German-Raetian Limes, a Roman Frontier Site in Germany was nominated as an extension to Hadrian's Wall and the second element of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire.
Initially it is planned that the site would include Roman frontiers in Europe but it is hoped to extend it to cover Africa and Asia in due course.
Further information
Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site
Upper German-Raetian Limes
Frontiers of the Roman Empire
The UK's World Heritage Sites are currently:
Cultural
- Ironbridge Gorge
- Stonehenge, Avebury & Associated Sites
- Durham Castle & Cathedral
- Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
- Castles & Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynned
- Blenheim Palace
- City of Bath
- Hadrian's Wall
- Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey & St Margaret's Church
- Tower of London
- Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey & St Martin's Church
- Old and New Towns of Edinburgh
- Maritime Greenwich
- Heart of Neolithic Orkney
- The Historic Town of St George & Related Fortifications, Bermuda
- Blaenavon Industrial
Landscape
- Derwent Valley Mills
- Saltaire
- New Lanark
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City
Natural
- Giant's Causeway
- St Kilda
- Henderson Island
- Gough and Inaccessible Islands
- Dorset and East Devon Coast
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