World Heritage Site and Related Topics

The rainforest in Fatu-Hiva, in the Marquesas Islands, is an example of an undisturbed natural resource. Forest provides timber for humans, food, water and shelter for the flora and fauna tribes and animals. The nutrient cycle between organisms form food chains and foster a biodiversity of species.

Natural heritage

Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, including flora and fauna, ecosystems and geological structures.

An important site of natural heritage or cultural heritage can be listed as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.

The Great Temple of Ramesses II (left) and the Small Temple of Hathor and Nefertari (right).

Abu Simbel

Historic site comprising two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel , Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan.

The statue of Ramses the Great at the Great Temple of Abu Simbel is reassembled after having been moved in 1967 to save it from flooding.

A scale model showing the original and current location of the temple (with respect to the water level) at the Nubian Museum, in Aswan

Nefertari offering sistrums to seated goddess Hathor, frieze inside the Small Temple

alt=Geneva architect, Jean Jacquet, a Unesco expert, makes an architectural survey of the Great Temple of Rameses II (1290–1223 B.C.).|Genevese architect Jean Jacquet, a UNESCO expert, makes an architectural survey of the Great Temple of Rameses II (1290–1223 BC)

View of the partially excavated Great Temple from the right, with a human figure for scale

Front view of the Great Temple before 1923

Interior of the Great Temple, before cleaning

Interior of the Great Temple, after cleaning

Human figures standing at the entrance to the Great Temple, sometime before 1923

The collapsed colossus of the Great Temple supposedly fell during an earthquake shortly after its construction. On moving the temple, it was decided to leave it as the face is missing.

A close-up of one of the colossal statues of Ramesses II wearing the double crown of Lower and Upper Egypt

The Small Temple from below and left, before 1923

Westernmost Colossus, 1850 by Maxime Du Camp

Earliest photo, 1854 by John Beasley Greene

Facade of the Temple of Ramesses II, photo taken in 2007

Close-up of the leftmost statue at the temple of Rameses II

Central, inset statue of Ra-Horakhty at the Great Temple

Baboon carvings above the heads of the statues of Ramses at the Great Temple

View of the Great Temple from the west, photo credited to William Henry Goodyear (before 1923)

Facade of the Great Temple from before 1923

View of the rightmost statue at the Great Temple, partially excavated, with a human figure (possibly William Henry Goodyear) for scale

View of the Great Temple's colossal statues from the right, partially excavated

Colour photo of the Great Temple from the right, partially excavated, from before 1923

The Great Temple from the right, from before 1923

Abu Simbel temple, four statues of divinities inside the inner sanctuary

Frieze inside the Great Temple of Abu Simbel

Earliest photo of Smaller Temple, 1854 by John Beasley Greene

The gods Set (left) and Horus (right) blessing Ramesses in the small temple at Abu Simbel

Stele adjacent to smaller temple, 1854 by John Beasley Greene

The Small Temple in its relocated context, 1999

Ramesses offering to seated god Ptah. Frieze inside the Small Temple.

Inscription at the entrance to the Great Temple. Hooper Brooklyn Museum Archives

The Small Temple in context, before relocation. Goodyear Brooklyn Museum Archives

Statues in the sanctuary of the Great Temple

Interior of Nefertari's (queen's) temple at Abu Simbel, with graffiti

View of the Nile from Abu Simbel, before 1923. Brooklyn Museum Archives

The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments", which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan), and include Amada, Wadi es-Sebua, and other Nubian sites.

Mohenjo-daro

Archaeological site in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.

Map showing the major sites and theorised extent of the Indus Valley Civilisation, including the location of the Mohenjo-daro site

Regularity of streets and buildings suggests the influence of ancient urban planning in Mohenjo-daro's construction.

View of the site's Great Bath, showing the surrounding urban layout

Excavation of the city revealed very tall wells (left), which it seems were continually built up as flooding and rebuilding raised the elevation of street level.

Boat with direction finding birds to find land. Model of Mohenjo-Daro seal, 2500-1750 BCE.

"The Priest-King", a seated stone sculpture at the National Museum, Karachi

Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

International Council on Monuments and Sites

Professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the world.

Now headquartered in Charenton-le-Pont, France, ICOMOS was founded in 1965 in Warsaw as a result of the Venice Charter of 1964, and offers advice to UNESCO on World Heritage Sites.

World Heritage Sites by country

As of July 2021, there are a total of 1,154 World Heritage Sites located in 167 States Parties (countries that have adhered to the World Heritage Convention, including the non-member state of the Holy See), of which 897 are cultural, 218 are natural and 39 are mixed properties.

Venice

City in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region.

Venice in autumn, with the Rialto Bridge in the background

Venice view from the Bridge Priuli a Santa Sofia, to the Bridge de le Vele

St Mark's Basilica houses the relics of St Mark the Evangelist

The Doge's Palace, the former residence of the Doge of Venice

The Republic of Venice and its colonial empire Stato da Màr.

Piazza San Marco in Venice, with St. Mark's Campanile.

View of San Giorgio Maggiore Island from St. Mark's Campanile.

Monument to Bartolomeo Colleoni (1400-1475), captain-general of the Republic of Venice from 1455 to 1475.

The Fra Mauro Map of the world. The map was made around 1450 and depicts Asia, Africa and Europe.

Venice viewed from the International Space Station

Venice and surroundings in false colour, from Terra. The picture is oriented with North at the top.

Acqua alta ("high water") in Venice, 2008

Like Murano, Burano is also a tourist destination, usually reached via vaporetto

Bridge of Sighs, one of the most visited sites in the city

Venetian Arsenal houses the Naval Historical Museum

Piazzetta San Marco with Doge's Palace on the left and the columns of the Lion of Venice and St. Theodore in the center.

Gondolas share the waterway with other types of craft (including the vaporetti)

Cruise ships access the port of Venice through the Giudecca Canal.

Cruise ship and gondolas in the Bacino San Marco

Aerial view of Venice including the Ponte della Libertà bridge to the mainland.

Giudecca Canal. View from St Mark's Campanile.

Sandolo in a picture of Paolo Monti of 1965. Fondo Paolo Monti, BEIC.

Cruise ships at the passenger terminal in the Port of Venice (Venezia Terminal Passeggeri)

Marco Polo International Airport (Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo)

An 18th-century view of Venice by Venetian artist Canaletto.

The Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti is an example of Venetian Gothic architecture alongside the Grand Canal.

The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious and publicized.

Francesco Guardi's Regatta in Venice, Guardi was a member of the Venetian School.

The Morning Chocolate, by Pietro Longhi. Hot chocolate was a fashionable drink in Venice during the 1770s and 1780s.

Luxury shops and boutiques along the Rialto Bridge.

The Doge Andrea Gritti, reigned 1523–1538, portrait by Titian.

Carlo Goldoni, the most notable name in Italian theatre.

thumb|The Grand Canal in Venice from Palazzo Flangini to Campo San Marcuola, Canaletto, circa 1738, J. Paul Getty Museum.

thumb|Francesco Guardi, The Grand Canal, circa 1760 (Art Institute of Chicago)

thumb|Morning Impression along a Canal in Venice, Veneto, Italy by Rafail Levitsky (1896)

thumb|View from the Bridge of Sighs (2017)

The whole comune (red) in the Metropolitan City of Venice

Palazzo Corner is the seat of the Metropolitan City of Venice

Palazzo Ferro Fini is the seat of the Regional Council of Veneto

The lagoon and a part of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Borobudur

9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang Regency, not far from the town of Muntilan, in Central Java, Indonesia.

Candi Borobudur viewed from the northwest. The monument was mentioned in the Karangtengah and Tri Tepusan inscriptions.

Straight-line arrangement of Borobudur, Pawon, and Mendut

Exposed Buddha image within the stupas of Borobudur upper terraces

A painting by G.B. Hooijer (c. 1916–1919) reconstructing the scene of Borobudur during its heyday

Borobudur stupas overlooking a mountain. For centuries, it was deserted.

Borobudur's main stupa in mid 19th-century, a wooden deck had been installed above the main stupa.

Borobudur after Van Erp's restoration in 1911. Note the reconstructed chhatra pinnacle on top of the main stupa (now dismantled).

The Unfinished Buddha from the main stupa of Borobudur at Karmawibhangga Museum, to which the Buddhists give offerings, along with the main stupa's chhatra on its back.

Embedding concrete and PVC pipe to improve Borobudur's drainage system during the 1973 restoration

A 1968 Indonesian stamp promoting restoration of Borobudur

Buddhist pilgrims meditate on the top platform

Location of Borobudur relative to Mount Merapi and Yogyakarta

Borobudur is surrounded by mountains, including twin volcanoes Mount Merbabu (left) and Merapi (right)

Borobudur ground plan taking the form of a Mandala

Aerial view of Borobudur, it took the form of a step pyramid and mandala plan

Half cross-section with 4:6:9 height ratio for foot, body and head, respectively

Stairs of Borobudur through arches of Kala

A narrow corridor with reliefs on the wall

The position of narrative bas-reliefs stories on Borobudur wall

The Karmavibangga scene on Borobudur's hidden foot, on the right depicting sinful act of killing and cooking turtles and fishes, on the left those who make living by killing animals will be tortured in hell, by being cooked alive, being cut, or being thrown into a burning house.

Queen Maya riding horse carriage retreating to Lumbini to give birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama

Prince Siddhartha Gautama became an ascetic hermit.

A relief of Jataka story of giant turtle that saving drowned sailors.

A relief of the Gandavyuha story from Borobudur 2nd level north wall.

A Buddha statue with the hand position of dharmachakra mudra

Head from a Borobudur Buddha statue in Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam.

Headless Buddha statue in Borobudur. Since its discovery, numbers of heads have been stolen and installed in museums abroad.

Sukarno and India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visiting Borobudur in June 1950.

Emblem of Central Java displaying Borobudur.

Musicians performing a musical ensemble, probably the early form of gamelan.

The scene of King and Queen with their subjects.

A weapon, probably the early form of keris.

Dancer dancing to orchestra of cymbals, chime cymbals and flutes.

World Heritage inscription of Borobudur Temple

The procedures signage for visiting Borobudur Temple

The inscription of Borobudur restoration in 1973 by the former Indonesian president Soeharto

The scattered parts of Borobudur Temple at Karmawibhangga Museum. People still can't locate their original positions.

The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, followed by the monument's listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dubrovnik

City on the Adriatic Sea in the region of Dalmatia, in southern Croatia.

Old Port and historical center of Dubrovnik, a view from the south

Medieval fortresses, Lovrijenac and Bokar, Dubrovnik

Trade routes and warehouses of the medieval Republic of Ancona

A 1900 photochrom of the Big Onofrio's fountain (1438)

Dubrovnik’s former Jesuit college and Jesuit stairs c. 1900

Stradun shelled during the Siege of Dubrovnik (1991)

View from the city wall of Old Town Dubrovnik, Dec 2019.

Domes of Dubrovnik Cathedral (center), Bell Tower (left) and St Blaise's church (right)

The Franjo Tuđman Bridge across the Rijeka Dubrovačka near Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik Airport is the third busiest airport in Croatia.

Saint Ignatius Church, part of former Jesuit Collegium Ragusinum

In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town.

International Union for Conservation of Nature

International organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Julian Huxley, the first Director General of UNESCO, took the initiative to set up IUCN.

Africa was the first regional focus of IUCN conservation action.

Soviet Stamp commemorating the 1978 IUCN General Assembly in Ashgabat

IUCN's relationships with local land users like the Maasai have caused controversy in the past.

Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). IUCN co-drafted the World Heritage Convention with UNESCO and has been involved as the official Advisory Body on nature from the onset.[8]

Cultural heritage

Heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations.

The Grandfather tells a story, by Albert Anker, ca. 1884.

Karl von Habsburg, on a Blue Shield International fact-finding mission in Libya

Plaque stating the designation of Carthage as a World Heritage Site.

Emblem used to clearly identify cultural property under protection of the Hague Convention of 1954, regarding cultural property during armed conflicts.

As of 2011, there are 936 World Heritage Sites: 725 cultural, 183 natural, and 28 mixed properties, in 153 countries.