https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1529Taputapuātea on Ra’iātea Island is at the centre of the ‘Polynesian Triangle’, a vast portion of the Pacific Ocean, dotted with islands, and the last part of the globe to be settled by humans. The property includes two forested valleys, a portion of lagoon and coral reef and a strip of open ocean. At the heart of the property is the Taputapuātea <em>marae</em> complex, a political, ceremonial and funerary centre. It is characterized by several marae, with different functions. Widespr... WHS Oct 1, 2024, 4:13 AM cowpoke
Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic [ˌtæləˈjɒtɪk] Menorca [meˈnoɾka] - Spain
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1528Located on the island of Menorca in the western Mediterranean Sea, these archaeological sites are situated in agro-pastoral landscapes. A testimony to the occupation of the island by prehistoric communities, these sites display a diversity of prehistoric settlements and burial places. The materials, forms and locations of structures dating from the Bronze Age (1600 BCE) to the Late Iron Age (123 BCE) show the evolution of a “cyclopean” architecture built with very large blocks of stone. Astronom WHS Oct 1, 2024, 4:12 AM cowpoke
Caves and Ice Age Art in the Swabian Jura [ˈsweɪbiən ˈdʒʊrə] - Germany
Swabian: relating to the medieval German duchy of Swabia or its inhabitants
Jura: a system of mountain ranges on the border of France and Switzerland. It has given its name to the Jurassic
period, when most of its rocks were laid down.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1527Modern humans first arrived in Europe 43,000 years ago during the last ice age. One of the areas where they took up residence was the Swabian Jura in southern Germany. Excavated from the 1860s, six caves have revealed items dating from 43,000 to 33,000 years ago. Among them are carved figurines of animals (including cave lions, mammoths, horses and bovids), musical instruments and items of personal adornment. Other figurines depict creatures that are half animal, half human and there is one stat WHS Oct 1, 2024, 4:11 AM cowpoke
Los Alerces [aˈleɾses] National Park - Argentina
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1526The Los Alerces National Park is located in the Andes of northern Patagonia and its western boundary coincides with the Chilean border. Successive glaciations have moulded the landscape in the region creating spectacular features such as moraines, glacial cirques and clear-water lakes. The vegetation is dominated by dense temperate forests, which give way to alpine meadows higher up under the rocky Andean peaks. A highly distinctive and emblematic feature is its alerce forest; the globally threa WHS Oct 1, 2024, 4:09 AM cowpoke
Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk [sˈvʲɪjæʐsk] - Russian Federation
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1525The Assumption Cathedral is located in the town-island of Sviyazhsk and is part of the monastery of the same name. Situated at the confluence of the Volga, the Sviyaga and the Shchuka rivers, at the crossroads of the Silk and Volga routes, Sviyazhsk was founded by Ivan the Terrible in 1551. It was from this outpost that he initiated the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. The Assumption Monastery illustrates in its location and architectural composition the political and missionary programme develope WHS Oct 1, 2024, 4:08 AM cowpoke
Churches of the Pskov (школы [pskof]) School of Architecture - Russian Federation
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1523This group of monuments is located in the historic city of Pskov, on the banks of the Velikaya River in the northwest of Russia. Characteristics of these buildings, produced by the Pskov School of Architecture, include cubic volumes, domes, porches and belfries, with the oldest elements dating back to the 12th century. Churches and cathedrals are integrated into the natural environment through gardens, perimeter walls and fences. Inspired by the Byzantine and Novgorod traditions, the Pskov Schoo WHS Sep 30, 2024, 3:51 AM cowpoke
Aphrodisias [afɾoˈdizjas] - Türkiye
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1519Located in southwestern Turkey, in the upper valley of the Morsynus River, the site consists of two components: the archaeological site of Aphrodisias and the marble quarries northeast of the city. The temple of Aphrodite dates from the 3rd century BC and the city was built one century later. The wealth of Aphrodisias came from the marble quarries and the art produced by its sculptors. The city streets are arranged around several large civic structures, which include temples, a theatre, an agora WHS Sep 30, 2024, 3:51 AM cowpoke
Archaeological Site of Ani [ˈɑni] - Türkiye
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1518This site is located on a secluded plateau of northeast Turkey overlooking a ravine that forms a natural border with Armenia. This medieval city combines residential, religious and military structures, characteristic of a medieval urbanism built up over the centuries by Christian and then Muslim dynasties. The city flourished in the 10th and 11th centuries CE when it became the capital of the medieval Armenian kingdom of the Bagratides and profited from control of one branch of the Silk Road. La WHS Sep 30, 2024, 3:50 AM cowpoke
Archaeological Site of Philippi (Φίλιπποι [ˈfi.li.pi]) - Greece
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1517The remains of this walled city lie at the foot of an acropolis in north-eastern Greece, on the ancient route linking Europe and Asia, the<span> </span><em>Via Egnatia</em>. Founded in 356 BC by the Macedonian King Philip II, the city developed as a “small Rome” with the establishment of the Roman Empire in the decades following the Battle of Philippi, in 42 BCE. The vibrant Hellenistic city of Philip II, of which the walls and their gates, the theatre and the funerary he... WHS Sep 30, 2024, 3:50 AM cowpoke
Khangchendzonga [kʰəŋtʃəndˈzoŋɡɑ] National Park - India
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1513Located at the heart of the Himalayan range in northern India (State of Sikkim), the Khangchendzonga National Park includes a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular, snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga. Mythological stories are associated with this mountain and with a great number of natural elements (caves, rivers, lakes, etc.) that are the object of worship by the indigenous people of WHS Sep 30, 2024, 3:49 AM cowpoke
Mbanza Kongo [mbaːnza ˈkoŋɡo], Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo - Angola (speaks Kongo)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1511The town of Mbanza Kongo, located on a plateau at an altitude of 570 m, was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest constituted states in Southern Africa from the 14th to 19th centuries. The historical area grew around the royal residence, the customary court and the holy tree, as well as the royal funeral places. When the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century they added stone buildings constructed in accordance with European methods to the existing urban WHS Sep 29, 2024, 4:48 AM cowpoke
Archipiélago de Revillagigedo - Mexico
[ar.tʃiˈpje.la.ɣo ðe re.βi.ʝa.xiˈxe.ðo]
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1510Located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, this archipelago is made up of four remote islands and their surrounding waters: San Benedicto, Socorro, Roca Partida and Clarión. This archipelago is part of a submerged mountain range, with the four islands representing the peaks of volcanoes emerging above sea level. The islands provide critical habitat for a range of wildlife and are of particular importance for seabirds. The surrounding waters have a remarkable abundance of large pelagic species, such a WHS Sep 29, 2024, 4:47 AM cowpoke
Hubei Shennongjia 湖北神农架 - China
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1509Located in Hubei Province, in central-eastern China, the site consists of two components: Shennongding/Badong to the west and Laojunshan to the east. It protects the largest primary forests remaining in Central China and provides habitat for many rare animal species, such as the Chinese Giant Salamander, the Golden or Sichuan Snub-nosed Monkey, the Clouded Leopard, Common Leopard and the Asian Black Bear. Hubei Shennongjia is one of three centres of biodiversity in China. The site features promi WHS Sep 29, 2024, 4:46 AM cowpoke
Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape 左江花山岩画文化景观 - China
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1508Located on the steep cliffs in the border regions of southwest China, these 38 sites of rock art illustrate the life and rituals of the Luoyue people. They date from the period around the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century CE. In a surrounding landscape of karst, rivers and plateaux, they depict ceremonies that have been interpreted as portraying the bronze drum culture once prevalent across southern China. This cultural landscape is the only remains of this culture today. 2024-09-29 WHS Sep 29, 2024, 4:45 AM cowpoke
The Persian Qanat - Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Qanat [kəˈnɑt]: (in the Middle East) a gently sloping underground channel or tunnel constructed to lead water from the interior of a hill to a village below.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1506Throughout the arid regions of Iran, agricultural and permanent settlements are supported by the ancient qanat system of tapping alluvial aquifers at the heads of valleys and conducting the water along underground tunnels by gravity, often over many kilometres. The eleven qanats representing this system include rest areas for workers, water reservoirs and watermills. The traditional communal management system still in place allows equitable and sustainable water sharing and distribution. The qan WHS Sep 29, 2024, 4:45 AM cowpoke
Lut [luːtˤ] Desert - Iran (Islamic Republic of)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1505The Lut Desert, or Dasht-e-Lut, is located in the south-east of the country. Between June and October, this arid subtropical area is swept by strong winds, which transport sediment and cause aeolian erosion on a colossal scale. Consequently, the site presents some of the most spectacular examples of aeolian yardang landforms (massive corrugated ridges). It also contains extensive stony deserts and dune fields. The property represents an exceptional example of ongoing geological processes. 2024-0 WHS Sep 28, 2024, 7:08 AM cowpoke
Stećci [ˈstɛt͡ɕtsi] Medieval Tombstone Graveyards - Bosnia and Herzegovina [ˈbɑzniə ənd ˌhɜrtsəɡoʊˈvinə], Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro
“Stećci” in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1504This serial property combines 28 sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, western Serbia, western Montenegro and central and southern Croatia, representing these cemeteries and regionally distinctive medieval tombstones, or stećci. The cemeteries, which date from the 12th to 16th centuries CE, are laid out in rows, as was the common custom in Europe from the Middle Ages. The stećci are mostly carved from limestone. They feature a wide range of decorative motifs and inscriptions that represent i WHS Sep 28, 2024, 7:07 AM cowpoke
Nan Madol [nan maˈdɔl]: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia [ˌmaɪkroʊˈniʒə] - Micronesia [ˌmaɪkroʊˈniʒə] (Federated States of) (speaks Pohnpeian)
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1503Nan Madol is a series of more than 100 islets off the south-east coast of Pohnpei that were constructed with walls of basalt and coral boulders. These islets harbour the remains of stone palaces, temples, tombs and residential domains built between 1200 and 1500 CE. These ruins represent the ceremonial centre of the Saudeleur dynasty, a vibrant period in Pacific Island culture. The huge scale of the edifices, their technical sophistication and the concentration of megalithic structures bear test WHS Sep 28, 2024, 7:05 AM cowpoke
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara [nɑːlən̪d̪ɑː məɦɑːʋɪɦɑːɾə] at Nalanda, Bihar [bɪˈɦɑːɾ] - India
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1502The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the State of Bihar, in north-eastern India. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes <em>stupas</em>, shrines, <em>viharas</em> (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmis... WHS Sep 28, 2024, 7:03 AM cowpoke
Antequera Dolmens [anteˈkeɾa ˈdolmens] Site - Spain
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1501Located at the heart of Andalusia in southern Spain, the site comprises three megalithic monuments: the Menga and Viera dolmens and the <I>Tholos</I> of El Romeral, and two natural monuments: La Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal mountainous formations, which are landmarks within the property. Built during the Neolithic and Bronze Age out of large stone blocks, these monuments form chambers with lintelled roofs or false cupolas. These three tombs, buried beneath their original eart... WHS Sep 28, 2024, 7:02 AM cowpoke
