The World Heritage Committee (UNESCO) in its 30th session in Vilnius Lithuania has nominated the Kondoa Rock Art Site, covering an area of 2,330km, to be a World Heritage Site within the framework of the UNESCO 1972 Convention concerning the protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage by the United Republic of Tanzania in November, 1997.

This very important and well known site is located in Kondoa District (northern Dodoma region) in central Tanzania on the western side of the Great Rift Valley.

Somewhat similar to the San/bushman rock art of southern Africa, Kondoa contains numerous rock art sites of exceptional quality. Within the area, one finds outstanding examples of two major different styles of rock art, the 'Red Paintings' made by late stone-age hunter-gatherers and the so- called 'Late White' paintings that represent farming communities that arrived in Kondoa around 1500 years ago.

Rock art is considered to have important values at international, national and at local community levels. The site derives some of its primary values from the continuous interaction of human with the natural environment over a period of at least 6,000 years and perhaps longer, i.e. given the evidence of early man in the areas shown in the physical evidence of rock art and archaeological remains. The site was nominated because it has universal values. Its exceptional values include:-

	The quantity and quality of paintings, both red and white;
	The location and diversity of the subject matter;
	The style and aesthetic qualities of the work;
	The unique combination of the different traditions superimposed over each other, and
	The evidence of continuity in the tradition and cosmology of the inhabitants.

The Kondoa rock art site became the 7th World Heritage Site in the United Republic of Tanzania preceded by Ngorongoro Conservation Area (1979), Serengeti National Park (1981), Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara (1981); Selous Game Reserve (1982); Kilimanjaro National Park (1987); and Zanzibar Stone Town (2000). The World Heritage sites are sites equivalent to places recognized as 'Wonders of the World'. The United Republic of Tanzania and in particular the local communities in Kondoa should therefore be proud of being custodians of such 'Wonders'.

The Kondoa rock art site has been described under the following criteria:-

	Is a unique or, at least, exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition and to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
	Is directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions with ideas or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.

The nomination process is very involving and needs both financial and professional involvement. The Kondoa rock art site preparation for listing started in the year 2000. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism acknowledges all those who were involved in this process particularly ICCROM, ICOMOS, the Kondoa District Council, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement and all others the Ministry cannot mention individually.