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World Heritage

Fyrkat viking ring fortress in Denmark. Source: dudlajzov/Adobe Stock

Over 40 New Sites Added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List

This week, anticipation and excitement filled the air at a prestigious conference held in Saudi Arabia as UNESCO, the vanguard of global cultural preservation, proudly expanded its prestigious list...
Myanmar Violence Spreads to Ancient Temples of Bagan

Myanmar Violence Spreads to Ancient Temples of Bagan

Police in Myanmar have opened fire on protesters in Bagan, the former ancient capital and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, bringing even more destruction to one of the world’s oldest religious centers...
Fire services fought to save the Budj Bim site.

Fires Reveal More of the 6,000-Year-Old Budj Bim Site

UNESCO has given a 6,000-year-old Aboriginal cultural landscape called the Budj Bim archaeological site in Victoria, Australia the status of a World Heritage Site. They have acknowledged the national...
Mir Castle Complex, Belarus

Mir Castle - The Beauty, the Atrocities, and the Restoration

The modern nation of Belarus has had a dramatic and often bloody history because of its strategic location. Like many other European nations, it has a rich heritage in military architecture . While...
Entrance to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, USA

Mammoth Cave: An Underground Attraction That Sparked a War in Kentucky

No remains of mammoths have been found in the underground maze called Mammoth Cave - the name refers to the sheer size of its entrance. Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, USA, is a remarkable...
The oldest city, El Atteuf

M'Zab Valley: A Pentapolis That Has Inspired Many Celebrated Architects

M’Zab valley is a deep, oasis located within the Sahara, consisting of five fortified towns 600 km (370 miles) south of Algiers, the capital of Algeria. M’Zab achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in...
Royal tombs in Neungsan-ri

The Little Known Ancient Korean Sites of the Baekje Kingdom Finally Receive Worldwide Recognition

Eight areas in Korea that used to be part of ancient Baekje Kingdom were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. They were registered at Number 12 on the list, which covers over 1000...
Tombeau de la chretienne, Tipasa. (tomb of the Christian Woman – an alternate name of the Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania).

The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania: Deadly Wasps Once Prevented its Destruction

In almost any culture, an ancient royal couple would have been expected to have provided themselves with a superior, monumental, or otherwise unique final resting place. Such was the case with Juba...
Castillo de San Felipe del Morro (El Morro), Puerto Rica

El Morro: The Great 16th Century Fort That Saved Puerto Rico from British and Dutch Invasions

Castillo de San Felipe del Morro is a fort that sits majestically on the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico in the capital city of San Juan. In 1983, the fort was declared a world heritage site by the...
View of Palmyra in 2010 showing the Temple of Bel.

The Ancient City of Palmyra: The Pearl of the Desert

Palmyra is an ancient city located in modern Syria which served as the capital of the Palmyrene Kingdom during the 3rd century AD. In May 2015, this city made the headlines and grabbed the attention...
The ancient city of Susa in Iran

The ancient city of Susa in Iran is a worldwide treasure

The Biblical city of Shushan, now the modern Iranian city of Shush, has been added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage List along with six...
A photo of an ancient geoglyph in the shape of a llama found by Yamagata University researchers on the Nazca Plateau in Peru.

Twenty Four more Ancient Geoglyphs Discovered in Nazca, Peru

In a surprising new discovery, researchers from the University of Yamagata in Japan have spotted 24 previously unknown geoglyphs in Peru’s famous Nazca Plateau, adding to the collection of hundreds...
Hatra temples

Grave concerns for 2,000-year-old Hatra temples as ISIS take control of territory

The Hatra complex, a World Heritage site which features 200-ft high temples, now stands in territory claimed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) group, and UNESCO fears the precious...
Beit Guvrin Caves

Beit Guvrin, The Land of 1,000 Caves

The Beit Guvrin-Maresha caves have been used for thousands of years as quarries, burial sites, storerooms, stables, hideouts, dovecotes, cisterns, baths, and places of worship. They are comprised of...
Qhapaq Nan - Inca Trail

Qhapaq Nan, the Grand Route of the Incas, wins World Heritage Status

An ancient Inca trail spanning six countries has just been awarded World Heritage Status, UNESCO announced on Saturday. Qhapaq Nan, as the trail is known, is a huge network of roads once used by the...
Neolithic site of Burzahom

Protection sought for mysterious Neolithic site of Burzahom

An ancient settlement in India is among the list of sites expected to get World Heritage status at a two-week UNESCO meeting currently being held in Doha. The Neolithic site of Burzahom is a story...
Qhapaq Nan - Incas

Qhapaq Nan, the Grand Route of the Incas, expected to get World Heritage Status

An ancient Inca trail is among the list of sites expected to get World Heritage status at a two-week UNESCO meeting currently being held in Doha. The listing of the Qhapaq Nan – a huge network of...
The Ancient Complex of Koguryo Tombs in North Korea

The Ancient Complex of Koguryo Tombs in North Korea

The Complex of Koguryo Tombs is a spectacular ancient site, which became the first UNESCO World Heritage Site to be listed in North Korea when it was inscribed in July 2004. The complex consists of...
The Ancient Silk Road

New Project seeks World Heritage status for Ancient Silk Road

A major project is underway by China , Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to get dozens of heritage sites established on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, according to a news report in CCTV. The sites are all...
Mohenjo Daro

Fragile Mohenjo Daro threatened by festival plans

Dating back at least 5,000 years, Mohenjo Daro, which is located in what is now Pakistan, is the world’s only surviving Bronze Age metropolis and is considered to be the most important site of the...
Neolithic flint mines of Spiennes

Icon of Neolithic technology given enhanced protection by UNESCO

The Neolithic flint mines at Spiennes in Belgium, which cover more than 100 hectares, are the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe and reflect an extremely high level of...