Dubai: The Heart of Sharjah has made it to the tentative list of World Heritage Sites by Unesco, officials announced on Saturday.

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and the Department of Culture and Information in Sharjah on Saturday said that the Heart of Sharjah has been registered in the tentative list of World Heritage Sites, which comes in line with Sharjah Islamic Cultural Capital 2014 celebrations.

The inclusion on the list is important because nominations to the World Heritage List will not be considered unless the nominated property has been included on the Tentative List. Currently, there are seven sites in the UAE that are on Unesco’s Tentative List.

From the Tentative List, Unesco will conduct a number of visits and assessments of a proposed site over a period of two years before recommending the Heart of Sharjah’s official inclusion on the World Heritage List.

To be considered on the list, a nominated site must be a place of outstanding natural importance such as a forest, mountain, island or manmade structures of cultural significance such as buildings or a city. Once listed as the Unesco World Heritage Site, the international organisation will protect the site and help with maintenance when needed.

“The Heart of Sharjah has a multitude of historical and heritage sites which have outstanding historical value, as Sharjah served as a point of convergence of civilisations, a transit road for trade caravans on sea and land, and a meeting point between people and tribes,” Shaikha Bodour Al Qasimi, chairperson of Shurooq, said.

Abdullah Mohammad Al Owais, Board Member of the National Council of Tourism and Antiquities, said that inclusion of the Heart of Sharjah in the list demonstrates that the UAE’s glorious present is based on a deep-rooted history.

The Heart of Sharjah is the region’s largest historical preservation and restoration project. It contains large and small architectural buildings and religious structures like mosques and markets that saw the emirate’s development and evolution through time.

Scheduled for completion in 2025, the first of five phases of the Heart of Sharjah is already under way.