In 2012, the Tomb of Askia was added to the African endangered heritage list as reported by African World Heritage Sites.  The Tomb of Askia which is located close to the banks of the River Niger was built in 1495 in Gao, Mali.  The structure stands about 17 meter high and was made from hardened mud. 

From the early 15^th century to the late 16^th century, the Songhai (or Songhay) empire not only controlled vast part of West Africa but it had also become a major trading center for gold and salt. Gao which was initially the capital of Gao empire then became the capital of Songhai empire.  The Tomb of Askia symbolizes a major period in the history of west Africa and its gradual destruction is a significant loss.

Since 1997, when the German police seized Cyprus religious treasures from the house of a Turkish official, these items are still the subject of major discussions and reports.  The German newspaper Abendzeitung Munich reported in Dec 2012 that the Turkish official Aydin Dikman, in question, in fact is claiming the treasures as a part of his wife’s dowry and has even asked for financial compensation. Many Cyprus religious treasures have been reported to have been stolen during and after the 1974 invasion and several people and organizations are working to create reports listing these stolen items.

The most recent report (http://climatechange.ir/tags/Urmia.html) shows that Lake Urmia is still in major danger of further shrinkage and drying up like the Aral Sea.  Lake Urmia is a salt lake in Northwestern Iran which was recognized and declared an internationally significant Wetland by the Ramsar Convention in 1971 and designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1976 (http://na.unep.net/geas/getUNEPPageWithArticleIDScript.php?article_id=79).  The lake is ecologically very significant as it is home to a unique shrimp species, Artemia urmiana, and (and along with surrounding areas) supports many species of reptiles, amphibians and mammals.

It is estimated that since 1995 (when the surface area was 6100 km²), the lake has considerably reduced in size and the satellite images (NASA satellite images) taken in August 2011 showed that the lake’s area had shrunken to about 2,366 km².  The report titled (and published online in Feb 2012) “The Drying of Iran’s Lake Urmia and its Environmental Consequences” by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) website outlined several causes, and listed studies looking at impacts and consequences.

An official report by the IRI Cultural Heritage News Agency clearly shows that there is an intentional policy not to pay any attention to the ancient sites belonging to the pre-Islamic era of Iranian history. It has been almost three decades since the Islamic Revolution of 1978 and such sites have been left to natural wear and tear and human-caused destruction mostly by religious zealots and un-scientific operations under the banner of “development”.
Every year, by the arrival of winter, Persepolis, the most important and worldly-known ancient sites of Iran, as well as other outstanding sites, suffer from more natural and human-caused destruction. The unprotected stone structures are exposed to rain and snow and many of them clearly show signs of fatigue and obliteration.
The report emphasizes that, against all the protests and advice of the experts, and after 33 years of Persepolis having been registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, nothing has been done to stop the deterioration of the structure. The same situation applies to Pasargad, the capital of Cyrus the Great and where his mausoleum is situated. This site was recognized as a World Heritage site 8 years ago and it has been exactly during this time-frame that a dam has been erected and operational near the site, with its obvious consequences.
The two ancient sites used to be a center of attraction for tourists from all over the world before the Islamic revolution. But since then, all tourist facilities are removed and even those who go for a visit despite the harsh political treatments find no usable facility.

The name of the exhibition is “Cyrus Cylinder in ancient Pars” and it also includes sixteen other artifacts of historical importance. The exhibit is meant to show the contribution of Iranians during the reign of Achmenians in the Middle and Near East from 550 BC onwards.