Center for Underwater Archaeology becomes institute under the auspices of UNESCO

The Center for Underwater Archaeology in Sozopol officially becomes a Category 2 Underwater Heritage Institute under the auspices of UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture has announced. An agreement, valid for a period of eight years, was signed by the Minister of Culture Marian Bachev and the Director-General of UNESCO Khaled El-Enany at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

With this act, Bulgaria strengthens its position as a leading country in the field of underwater archaeology and the preservation of underwater cultural heritage in the Black Sea and Lower Danube region, the ministry noted. Thanks to this recognition, the institute will play a key role in sustainable cultural heritage management, literacy related to ocean research, as well as scientific cooperation. It will also actively contribute to countering the illicit trafficking of cultural values.

Editor: Miglena Ivanova
Photo: Ministry of Culture