Sziget festival’s island in Budapest taken off World Heritage recommended list

Not long before the UNESCO voted about World Heritage, the government took Hajógyári Island off the list of recommended places to earn World Heritage status, revealed Magyar Közlöny on Friday.

The decree signed by Viktor Orbán does not account for why out of the borders of the Roman Empire’s — the part on the Danubian Limes in Hungary — sites recommended for UNESCO protection the onetime lower-Pannonia province’s centre’s — Aquincums’ — most important location, the Hajógyári Island (in Óbuda) is getting taken off the list, reports Népszava.

The 32 hectare island is under archaeological protection. The most valuable relic of the island is a still 1.5-2 meters deep in the ground; an enormous 8,000-10,000 square metres palace, which — according to some opinions — was built at the beginning of the 2nd century, at the time of Emperor Hadrianus’s reign.