UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization, and they work to protect World Heritage Sites
like the Great Wall of China, the pyramids and Stonehenge. Established
in 1945, its purpose is to “protect and conserve places of special
cultural or physical significance to the common heritage of humanity”.
In 1954, the Egyptian government were preparing to build the Aswan Dam,
which would flood a valley destroying the Abu Simbel and Philae temples.
UNESCO raised funding and paid to have the temples disassembled and
moved to a safer location and rebuilt exactly as they were, thereby
preserving it for future generations. As of the end of 2010, there were
911 sites that are listed by UNESCO as world heritage sites. Below is a
list of some of my favorite, lesser know sites.
15. Aldabra Atoll
Aldabra is the world’s second biggest coral atoll, it is uninhabited,
isolated and virtually untouched by humans. The atoll is the home to
the world’s largest population of giant tortoises, which makes it an
extremely valuable conservation site. During the 1700s, the islands were
used by the French to hunt giant tortoises, as they were considered a
delicacy at the time, but by the 1900s they had been hunted to the brink
of extinction. The tortoises also share this atoll with the Aldabra
Rail, the endangered Malagasy Sacred Ibis, Green and Hawksbill turtles
and two species of bats found only on Aldabra. The atoll was declared a
world heritage site in 1982, as it is home to so many rare and unusual
creatures.
14. Leshan Giant Buddha
This Maitreya Buddha was carved from a cliff face where the Minjiang,
Dadu and Qingyi rivers meet, in southern Sichuan, China. It was
constructed by a Chinese monk named Haithong in 713, his followers
worked on and off for 90 years to complete it and, today, it is still
the largest stone Buddha in the world, at 71m tall and 28m wide. Where
the three rivers meet, the water currents were dangerous and would often
sink shipping vessels, Haithong thought if he carved the Buddha there
it would help to calm the waters. The stone removed to carve the Buddha
was dumped into the river, unintentionally altering the currents and
calming the waters. Today the Buddha is threatened by pollution, and the
wear and tear caused by the thousands of tourists who come each year to
visit the site. The Chinese government has closed factories nearby, in
an effort to reduce the damage being inflicted on the Buddha.
13. Hatra
Hatra is located to the northwest of Baghdad in Iraq, you may
recognize it from the opening scenes in the film, The Exorcist. It was
constructed during the 3rd century BC, by Arabs under the Iranian
Parthian Empire. The city became the capital of the first Arab kingdom
and became an important border fort against roman invasion. The city was
ruled by Arabian princes who would have paid a yearly tribute to the
rulers of the Iranian empire, until the Iranians took the city by force
in 241. Hatra is recognized as one of the best preserved Parthian
cities, with many of its structures still standing, including the inner
and outer defensive walls and towers, and a range of temples dedicated
to a different Gods from many different cultures. Some of the temples
found have been dedicated to the Babylonian and Akkadian God Nergal, the
Greek God Hermes, the Aramaean Gods Atargatis and Ba’al Shamayn, the
Arabian Gods Allat and Shamiyyah and the Mesopotamian God Shamash,
showing the cultural differences and tolerance that was once prevalent
in this area.
12. Rietveld Schröder House
The Rietveld Schröder House is a modern family home built in the
Netherlands in 1924, so why is it a UNESCO site? The house was designed
by architect Gerrit Rietveld, who had been commissioned to create a
house for Mrs Truus Schröder-Schrader and her 3 children. This house is
one of the best examples of De-Stijl design, or modern open plan living
to me and you. The down stairs is a fairly traditional layout but
upstairs none of the internal walls are static, they are all moveable
panels giving a changeable open plan area. Externally the building is
strikingly different from the brick terrace to which it’s attached. With
stark, clean lines, dramatic use of colors, cleverly placed balconies
and large open windows which connect the interior of the building to the
exterior. UNESCO chose this site as “it is an icon of the Modern
Movement in architecture… With its radical approach to design and the
use of space, the Rietveld Schröder house occupies a seminal position in
the development of architecture in the modern age.” I have to say, I
completely agree.
11. Krak des Chevaliers
Built in a defensive position atop a large hill in 1031, by the Emir
of Aleppo, this castle in western Syria guards the route from Antioch to
Beirut. It was a strategically important fort during the crusades, and
was taken in 1099, by Raymond IV of Toulouse, after which it changed
hands a few times until 1142, when it became the headquarters of the
knights Hospitaller. During the Crusades, it housed a garrison of 2,000
soldiers as well as up to 60 knights. The Hospitaller knights rebuilt
much of the castle, including strengthening the walls, which are up to
100ft thick in places, they also rebuilt a lot of inner wards in a
gothic style including a meeting hall, chapel, cistern, aqueduct,
storage facilities and two stables which held up to 1000 horses. In the
cliff below the castle the Hospitaller knights dug further storage areas
to hold supplies that could have lasted them up to 5 years, if they
were besieged. This site is also one of the few places in the world
where crusaders art frescos can be seen.
10. Alcobaça Monastery
The Alcobaça Monastery in central Portugal was founded by king Afonso
Henriques in 1153, and took 99 years to complete. This was the first
building of the gothic style in Portugal, and is still the largest
church in the country, it is of no surprise it went on to become one of
the most important medieval monasteries in Europe. The monks of the
monastery spent their lives meditating on religion and producing
manuscripts, until it was pillaged by the French in 1810, it had one of
the largest medieval libraries recorded. This monastery was the chosen
burial place for many royals during the 13th and 14th centuries, their
elaborate tombs are some of the best surviving examples of medieval
engraving and sculptures in Europe. The tombs of Pedro I and his
mistress, Ines de Castro, are particularly intricate, both feature
relief of the occupant on the lid of the tomb, the kings tomb rests on
carved lions while Ines is supported by carvings of creatures which are
half man – half animal, and are covered in engravings showing angels and
biblical scenes. The best known tomb is Queen Urraca’s, a Romanesque
tomb engraved with an image of the Queen on the top, while around the
body of the tomb are reliefs of the Apostles, the King and their
children. This building is truly a showcase for the skills and
dedication of the medieval craftsmen of Europe.
9. Monte Albán
Monte Albán can be found on a low mountain range in southern Mexico.
The site is one of the earliest pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sites ever
found, dating back to at least 500BC, the valley it is situated within
also shows signs of inhabitancy from as early as 2000BC. The site offers
a unique glimpse into the Zapotec history and culture. At the centre of
the site is the main plaza surrounded by civic and ceremonial buildings
as well as the elite homes. The site also features two ball courts,
monumental stairs, hundreds of tombs and over 300 Danzante carved stone
monuments. Most of them are of male war prisoners, tortured and
sacrificed, with many being leaders of competing villages. The site also
contains over 40 conquest slabs within the walls of buildings, these
slabs give the names and sometimes details of places conquered by Monte
Albán. From these it has been possible to confirm Cañada de Cuicatlán
was conquered by the Zapotec.
8. Lalibela
Lalibela is a rural town in the north of Ethiopia. It is also one of
the countries holiest cities and a centre for pilgrimage. The 13
churches in the town have been carved completely from rock directly into
the ground. It was under the instruction of Saint Gebre Mesqel Lalibela
during his reign as Emperor of Ethiopia, that these churches were
constructed, the layout and names of the buildings in Lalibela are a
representation of Jerusalem. This has helped to date the churches to
around the 1200s, after the 1187 capture of Jerusalem by Saladin. The
largest monolithic church in the world, Bet Madhane Alem, is also home
to the Lalibela Cross: a 12th century processional cross. Bete Maryam is
thought to be the oldest of the churches, and Bete Golgotha is where it
is believed King Lalibela is entombed. These churches are very unusual
in that they are carved into the ground instead of into a cave or a
cliff face, as most other rock carved buildings are. This process must
have been very slow work and each church is carved with painstaking
detail and stands as testament of the dedication of these people to
their religion.
7. Ellora caves
Ellora is the site of monumental, rock cut, cave temples representing
Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religions, built from 400AD in close proximity
to each other to show the religious harmony in the area. The structures
are multi level buildings, carved directly from caves within the
mountain face, and include monasteries, shrines and places of worship.
Many of the buildings have vaulted ceilings and are all intricately
carved, with most of the shrines containing large carved deities. During
construction, 200,000 tonnes of rock had to be removed from the site by
generations of workers. Some notable caves are: the Buddhist shrine
Vishvakarma, which features a multi-storied entrance, a large hall with
vaulted ceilings and a 15ft carving of Buddha in a preaching pose; The
Indra Sabha is a two level Jain cave with a monolithic shrine, like all
of the Jain caves it once had richly painted ceilings, part of which are
still visible today. It also has fine carvings of lotus flowers, Yaksha
Matanga on an elephant and Ambika sitting on a lion under a mango tree.
Kailasanatha is the centerpiece of Ellora, made to resemble mount
Kailash, the home of lord Shiva, this Hindu shrine was built by Krishna I
in around 760AD. The structure is covered in detailed and intricate
carvings, including sacred bulls and life-sized elephants supporting the
shrines.
6. Wudang Building Complex
The Wudang Mountains are a small mountain range found in eastern
China, which have been inhabited since at least 250 AD. The area is
known for its Taoist monasteries, which were renowned as centers for
meditation, martial arts, agriculture and medicines. People traveled to
this area to research, learn and practice these skills. The palace and
temple complex was constructed in the Ming Dynasty and within it are
buildings dating from the 7th century. One of the more famous temples is
the Golden Hall; built in 1416, the hall is constructed from gilded
copper. It consists of 20 tons of copper and over 300kgs of gold, and
was supposedly forged in Bejing, then moved to Wudang. The Nanyan Temple
perches precariously on top of a cliff, in legend it is known as the
place from which Emperor Zen Whu flew to heaven. The entire temple,
including beams, gates and windows, is carved from rock and within the
temple are gilded bronze statues of dozens of Taoist deities. Scattered
across the cliffs are 500 gilded iron statues of heavenly officials.
Another notable building, the Purple Cloud Temple is made up of several
halls, the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Purple Sky Hall, the East Hall,
the West Hall and the Parent Hall. This temple contains shrines to Zhen
Wu throughout his life. It also houses relics including the Green Dragon
Crescent Blade which dates back to the 7th century.
5. Wadi Al-Hitan
The Whale Valley is found in a desert in Egypt, the site contains
fossils showing the evolution of whales from land mammals to the ocean
going creatures we are familiar with today. Fossils of the Archaeoceti
suborder such as Basilosaurus and Dorudon are common, but the skeletons
of sea cows Sirenia, elephants Moeritherium, crocodiles, sea turtles and
sea snakes have also been found at the site. The sheer number and
quality of these fossils found in such a high concentration make this
site unique. The quality of preservation is so good that stomach
contents have been found preserved, while the combination of other
species found at the site make it possible to reconstruct the
environmental and ecological conditions. The site has produced hundreds
of high quality fossils showing the earliest sub-species of whales which
are helping to unravel the mystery of the evolution of whales.
4. Tropical Rainforest Sumatra
The Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra is made up of three national parks
on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, and was chosen due to its
outstanding scenic beauty and natural habitats for in-situ conservation.
The three parks all contain different habitats, allowing for a large
diversity in both flora and fauna. The parks are home to Rafflesia
Arnoldi, the world’s largest flower, and Amorphophallus Titanum, the
worlds tallest flower, as well as 174 species of mammals and 380 species
of birds. Of these specimens, 16 are endemic and 73 are currently
threatened. Species such as Orang-utans, Sumatran rhinoceros, bornean
clouded leopards, Asian tapirs, Sumatran elephants and the leather back
turtles are all found within this site, making it one of the most
diverse and important conservation sites in the world. The sites main
threat is residential expansion and encroaching human occupation, both
of which is being battled by a number of different preservation groups.
3. Lascaux Cave
Lascaux is group of caves in southwest France which were decorated
over 17,300 years ago, with Paleolithic cave paintings. The public were
allowed to view the caves in 1948, but by 1955 the carbon dioxide
exhaled by the visitors had damaged the paintings causing the cave to be
closed, the art was restored and is now monitored on a daily basis. The
images are mostly of animals known to have lived in the area at the
time, but images of humans and abstract signs are also present. Some of
the images have been carved into the cave but the majority of art has
been painted on using mineral pigments. A large portion of the paintings
are of horses, but stags, cattle, aurochs, felines, birds, bears and
rhinoceros’s are also represented. There are many theories on why this
cave was decorated in this manor: it is thought that some of the art may
represent star charts, as the constellations of Taurus and Pleiades can
be found within the cave. There are also theories that this would have
been a scared space to communicate with deities, a gathering place to
plan a hunt together or even a record to celebrate the success of a
hunt. We will probably never know but these images give us a fascinating
look into our past.
2. Takht-e Jamshid
More commonly known as Persepolis, it is located in the south of Iran
and was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Construction was started
around 515BC by Cyrus the Great, but the most impressive works were
completed by Darius the Great and Xerxes the Great (yes the bad guy from
300) in around 470BC. One of the most awe inspiring structures on this
site is the Apadana palace which was the main hall of the kings, where
the tributes from nations within his Empire would have been received.
The building was supported by columns 20m high, topped with a brace
carved to the shape of lions or bulls. I have seen an example of these
braces in the Louvre and it gives you an amazing idea of the size and
scale of Persepolis. The site also contains the gate of nations, the
hall of 100 columns, the imperial treasury, council halls, military
quarters, reception halls, cisterns, drainage, sepulchers, royal tombs,
royal stables, chariot houses and a number of palaces and royal
residences, all covered in engravings and mosaics. The city was
destroyed in 330BC, by Alexander the Great, possibly in revenge for the
destruction of the acropolis in Athens, but the ruins still contain many
beautiful carvings and are testament to the wealth and power of the
Persian empire.
1. Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein
More commonly known as The Cradle of Humankind, this site is a
complex of over 36 limestone caves in South Africa, not far from
Johannesburg. Within these caves scientists have found a huge number of
hominid fossils dating back over 3.5 million years, with one cave alone
containing over a third of all hominid fossils ever found. The caves
also show signs of occupation as well, including the first ever in-situ
hominid stone tools, and the oldest controlled fire dated to over 1
million years ago. Scientist believe prompt burials, along with the
unusual conditions within the caves, allowed for the bodies within to
become fossilized, which in itself is an extremely rare occurrence. Some
of the better known finds include Mrs Ples, the most intact skull of an
Australopithecus Africanus ever found, although the sex is not
definitely female, x-rays of the teeth seem to show that this was a
sub-adult. Another famous find is Little Foot, an amazingly complete
hominin skeleton which is believed to be between 2.5 to 3.3 million
years old. This site shows us not only where our species came from but
how we evolved over millennia, earning it top spot on my list.
source : http://listverse.com/2011/05/08/top-15-lesser-known-unesco-world-heritage-sites/
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