Treasure of World Heritage in India

About the Book Treasure of World Heritage in India is a book composed with the intention to promote and propagate the cultural heritage of this country. The book is a humble effort to explain the structure of cultural properties that have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage, with its architectural beauty & constructional sources, so that a clear and correct position could be ascertained to the readers.

There are about six main chapters in this book, in which the Story of Man, Birth of Civilization, various religions and their impact in the formation of Indian Society, Culture &Architecture has been discussed. The fourth and fifth chapters are most important where all such cultural and natural properties have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list or expected to be inscribed. The sixth chapter, as usual is the conclusion of the book.

The book has complete and detailed information about the World Heritage Properties from 1983 to 2018 with amazing illustrations and authentic text.

About the Author Atiq R. Siddiqui (b. 1950) also known as Atiq Anwar Siddiqui is a well known scholar in the field of Islamic art and architecture, culture and archaeology. He has contributed his services with the Archaeological Survey of India and National Museum as Archaeologist/ Museologist for more than 35 years.

Dr Siddiqui is well educated scholar, achieved his higher education from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh; University of Delhi, Delhi and further awarded the degree of Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Dr Siddiqui is well versed in the classical languages such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu and English. He is the author of nearly a dozen books in English and Urdu. One of his book got translated in Arabic language by Islamic thought foundation, Beruit.

Dr Siddiqui has visited countries such as Germany, Russia, France, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and UAE to deliver lectures on Islamic art and architecture.

After his retirement, Dr Siddiqui is a member of expert advisory committee in National Museum and Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi.

Foreword The idea of creating an international movement for protecting heritage emerged after World War-I. The event that aroused particular international concern was the decision, to build the Aswan High Dam in Egypt which would have flooded many archaeological sites including Abu Simbal temples.

In 1959, after an appeal from the Governments of Egypt and Sudan, UNESCO launched an international safeguarding campaign and archaeological research in the areas to be flooded was initiated and accelerated and India also responded to the UNESCO's campaign and sent a team which excavated Afyeh and Tumas archaeological sites in Egyptian Nubia in 1961-62. Subsequently, UNESCO initiated with the help of ICOMOS (International Council on Monuments and Sites), the preparation of a draft convention on the protection of cultural heritage. In 1968, the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) developed similar proposals for its members. The proposals were presented to the 1972 United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm. Eventually, a single 'text was agreed upon by all parties concerned.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages