09 September 2018
Dr. Bouchenaki was Honored, During his Participation in The Kazan Forum for Intercultural Dialogue
In recognition of his efforts to preserve and safeguard world heritage for more than 20 years and his expertise and books in this regard, World Heritage Affairs’ Consultant , at Bahrain Authority for culture & Antiquities, Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki was honoured also for his contribution and important role in inscribing Tatarstan’s three world heritage sites. This honour came during Dr. Bouchenaki’s participation at the Kazan UNESCO Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held in Kazan, Tatarstan 4-7 September under the auspices of UNESCO.
During the forum, attended by the president of Tatarstan republic, Mr. Rustam Minnikhanov, Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki had a very productive presence and inspiring speeches in three sessions, presenting in one lecture his book “ The Disfigured Heritage”, which was translated into Russian and reflects his long experience expertise in preserving and safeguarding world heritage since 1982.
During his lecture, Dr. Mounir Bouchenaki highlighted the pivotal role played by the Kingdom of Bahrain in World Heritage preservation and safeguard in the Arab world and globally, presenting Bahrain’s successful organization of the 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting, held in Manama, June-July 2018.
The forum was attended by special envoys of UNESCO, goodwill ambassadors, experts in the field of preservation of interethnic and interfaith concord, representatives of federal, republican authorities, clergy, scientists and the cultures of Russia discuss new forms of the international cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. Many honorable guests will attend the forum: goodwill ambassadors, coordinators of national programs from 25 countries, representatives of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).
Honourable guests talked about the special skill of Tatarstan to establish respectful and firm relations with representatives of different cultures and religions during the opening of the Kazan Forum for Intercultural Dialogue on 5 September. To confirm this, they provided achievements of the republic, which has been able to add some important sites for co-existing cultures on the Tatarstan land to the UNESCO World Heritage Site List –three UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Kazan Kremlin 2000, the Bulgarian Historical and Archaeological Complex, 2014, and the Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk in 2017. Dr. Bouchenaki also attended the opening ceremony of the first Russian “Wood Archaeology Museum” on the island of Sviyazhsk, in the presence of professor Mikhail Borisovich Piotrovsky, the Director of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
