Ancient City in Mali Rankled by Rules for Life on UN Heritage List

By artappraiser on Sun, 01/09/2011 - 6:58pm |

By Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, January 8, 2011

Many residents of Djenné say they long for more modern homes, but Unesco preservation guidelines limit alterations to original structures.

DJENNÉ , Mali —......Mr. Maig'a 150-year-old mud-brick house is so culturally precious he is not allowed to update it — no tile floors, no screen doors, no shower. “When a town is put on the heritage list, it means nothing should change,” Mr. Maiga said. “But we want development, more space, new appliances — things that are much more modern. We are angry about all that.”....

URL:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/world/africa/09mali.html?ref=todayspaper