Every two years, the World Monuments Fund publishes a list of the most endangered places on Earth, and this year, one site even surpassed that list. The watchlist aims to raise awareness and funds to help protect the sites it focuses on.

Some of the choices aren't surprising. Climate change threatens 66 historic lighthouses along the Swahili coast of Africa and the coast of Maine. The historic city of Antakya in Türkiye was hit by natural disasters, with an earthquake in 2023 causing severe damage to the city.

Human conflict forms another category on the WMF list, and Kyiv’s creamy modernist building “Teacher’s House”, a symbol of Ukrainian independence, falls into this category. In 2022, after a Russian missile blast shattered its doors, windows and glass dome, WMF asked the U.S. State Department to help restore the building with the assistance of local government agencies.

"This is one of thousands of Ukrainian cultural sites that have been restored since the start of the war with Russia in 2022," WMF noted on its website.

Another war-torn place on the list is Gaza. The area has been under tight siege by the Israeli military since October 7, 2023, when Hamas forces invaded southern Israel.

Bénédicte de Montlaur, President and CEO of WMF, said: “We all know that the Middle East is the cradle of civilization. In Gaza, you can see the diverse communities that once lived there and their heritage. example."

She highlighted the ancient Turkish baths built by Samaritan communities. This thousand-year-old building was destroyed by Israeli bombing in 2023. Another example, she said, is the Church of St. Porphyrius in Gaza City.

"This is the oldest active church in Gaza, a Greek Orthodox church built in the 1100s," she said.

In 2023, the church was partially destroyed by an Israeli airstrike and hundreds of people took refuge inside the church. A dozen of them died. The Israel Defense Forces told washington post It targets militants, not the church.

"We hope that when peace and the ceasefire are restored, we will be able to work with all parties to restore this heritage and provide opportunities for the people there," de Montlaur said.

Other places on the list are also threatened by overtourism. The ancient Buddhist grottoes located in China's Maji Mountains and Yungang Mountains have seen a surge in visitors, with the number of visitors expected to reach 3 million in 2023, compared with 2 million in 2019. According to the National Tourism Administration, the number of tourists has increased significantly. South China Morning Postdue in part to the depiction of the shrine in a popular video game called Black Myth: Wukong. But one of the endangered sites this year has only been visited by about a dozen people: the moon.

“This is unprecedented and very timely,” DeMonroll said. "Because we are entering a new era of space exploration, there is a renewed interest in the moon. Of course, you take your first steps on the moon, and they are very, very fragile and need protection."

Lunar heritage sites have long been recognized by NASA. More than 90 of them commemorate the places where spacecraft landed, such as Tranquility Base and the Apollo 11 landing site. The institution preserves artifacts such as flags and plaques. But it’s unclear how effective international law is in enforcing protections.

"These sites represent some of humanity's most extraordinary achievements in science, ingenuity and courage," WMF said in its statement. "However, in our new era of space exploration, exploitative visits, looting and crash landings may have a profound impact on our collective irreversible damage to the legacy."

Countries such as China, Russia and India are planning ambitious moon missions in the space race, and billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have lucrative contracts with the U.S. government.

The full 2025 World Monuments Watch List (with WMF explanation) is as follows:

• Monastery in Drino Valley, Albania The Orthodox monastery complex, once vital to Albania's social fabric, needs reinvestment after decades of abandonment, but through conservation could become a model for sustainable tourism.

• Namibe Film Studios, Angola Fifty years after its construction was abruptly halted, this modernist cinema is in a state of decay, but a community effort could breathe new life into the unfinished landmark.

• Andean Highway System, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru The extraordinary pre-Hispanic road network is facing development pressures and environmental degradation, but local and international advocacy can achieve socially sustainable management.

• Maiji Mountain and Yungang Buddhist Grottoes in China Two stunning rock cave temples are feeling the effects of mass tourism, highlighting the need for innovative visitor management strategies.

• Swahili Coast Ruins, Comoros, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania East Africa's unique heritage reflects centuries of cultural exchange between Africa, Arabia and Europe, but storm surges and coastal erosion are threatening these sites and the communities that sustain them.

• Sorbonne University Chapel, France This French architectural gem located in the Latin Quarter of Paris, the Sorbonne, has experienced decades of conservation issues that had to be resolved before it could be reopened after being closed for many years.

• Historic mining landscape in Serifos, Greece The rising Cycladic beach destination Serifos holds an irreplaceable record of Greece’s industrial past, but requires comprehensive protection and preservation to prevent imminent loss.

• Historical water supply system in Bhuj, India Ingenious rainwater harvesting systems have fallen out of use, replaced by modern infrastructure – but as India’s water crisis deepens, revitalizing this traditional technique could boost resource security.

• Historic buildings in Musi river, India Hyderabad's Musi River corridor is steeped in history and faces growing pollution challenges, but heritage can provide a sense of continuity and other community benefits as the city pursues revitalization.

• Japan's Noto Peninsula Heritage Following the devastating earthquake in January 2024, restoring historic buildings in this hard-hit area can stimulate cultural, social and economic recovery.

• Erdeni Buddhist Temple in Mongolia One of the few Buddhist sites to have survived decades of anti-religious repression in Mongolia, addressing climate impacts could help train the country's future heritage experts.

• Jewish heritage in Deboudou, Morocco In Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, documentation and advocacy are crucial to the survival of Jewish historical sites that testify to an inspiring tradition of interfaith respect and coexistence.

• Chief Ojimien's House, Nigeria The thousand-year-old earthen structure faces an uncertain future due to the loss of critical maintenance skills, highlighting the need to preserve local building traditions.

• Gaza historical urban texture, Palestine The unprecedented destruction of heritage sites has severed vital links between the people of Gaza and its urban fabric.

• Farmland in Varuvaru, Peru As local communities face drought and migration caused by climate change, ancestral farming systems offer a path to resilience and food security in the Lake Titicaca floodplains.

• Terracotta sculptures at the Monastery of Alcobaca, Portugal As environmental changes harm traditional clay sculptures, training local craftsmen to preserve these Baroque masterpieces could help revive local ceramic traditions.

• ruins of old belch, spain Preserving a historic village that was left in ruins during the Spanish Civil War and neglected for decades ensures the enduring presence of its remains as a site of memory and reconciliation.

• Tunis Medina Reservoir Protecting Tunisia's traditional water supply infrastructure, much of which has been forgotten or destroyed in favor of modern pipelines, could help the country withstand increasingly severe droughts.

• Türkiye's historical city Antakya The ancient city of Antakya urgently needs conservation work to cope with the damage caused by the 2023 earthquake and to support displaced residents to return home.

• Teachers' House in Kyiv, Ukraine The former legislative seat of newly independent Ukraine, this national icon was severely damaged in a missile blast in 2022, highlighting the impact of war on heritage and the power of conservation to promote healing.

• Assembly Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK Local advocates aim to restore and repurpose one of Belfast's oldest municipal buildings into a museum that will encourage reflection on Northern Ireland's Troubles.

• great trade routes, america Preserving historic trails can strengthen First Nations’ connections to their ancestral lands, although a lack of recognition of their importance and the need for more meaningful participation in decision-making leaves the area vulnerable.

• Maine Historic Lighthouse In the face of rapidly increasing coastal climate threats, Maine’s historic lighthouses can facilitate the development of coastal adaptation strategies.

• Barotse Floodplain Cultural Landscape, Zambia Western Zambia is home to stunning landscapes where local residents have built their culture around seasonal river flooding, but erosion, drought and other climate impacts are threatening these living traditions.

• moon As a new era of space exploration dawns, international cooperation is needed to protect the physical remains of the early moon landings and preserve these lasting symbols of humanity's collective achievement.