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Pasargadae was the capital of the first great multicultural empire in Western Asia. Spanning the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt to the Hindus River, it is considered to be the first empire that respected the cultural diversity of its different peoples. Particularly noteworthy vestiges in the 160-ha site include: the Mausoleum of Cyrus II; Tall-e Takht, a fortified terrace; and a royal ensemble of gatehouse, audience hall, residential palace and gardens. This was reflected in Achaemenid architecture, a synthetic representation of different cultures. It was inscribed on World Heritage List in 2004. The site has several risk factors including erosion resulting from various factors (physical, chemical, environmental, etc.); damage that may result from agriculture or from flooding; excavations that put the archaeological remains at increased risk and vandalism.

This text is partly or solely based on the information provided in the article “Pasargadae” on http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1106, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0.

The #Unite4Heritage movement aims to celebrate and safeguard cultural heritage and diversity around the world, calling on everyone to stand up against intolerance and sectarianism by promoting and rejoicing in cultural diversity.

Intentional destruction, public negligence, intensive tourism and economic development, ignorance and poor maintenance threaten much of our cultural heritage and diversity. UNESCO, Wikimedia Sverige and Wikimedia Italia decided to join forces to highlight the importance of preserving cultural heritage through photography, so people can be sensitized to protect heritage, preserve cultural identity and build a common future. UNESCO and Wikimedia believe that the valorization of heritage images and making information available to the public will reduce the risk of losing heritage and help people celebrate, better protect and be proud of their cultural diversity.

This exhibition showcases the fragility of our common cultural heritage in all its different forms – utilising the freely licensed images that are available. These images have been shared by a variety of sources including museums, archives and the general public on Wikimedia Commons, the media site for Wikipedia.

On Wikimedia Commons millions of images are under free license so that everyone has the opportunity to use and adapt them. The collection is maintained and improved by thousands of unpaid volunteers. The public can enter photography competitions related to different kinds of cultural heritage including Wiki Loves Monuments for built cultural heritage, Wiki Loves Africa for African intangible cultural heritage and Wiki Loves Earth for natural heritage. For more information, see tinyurl.com/wikiloves. You can get involved on Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Unite4Heritage.