There are monuments, buildings and cultural works and unique natural sites, whose exceptional value deserves to be protected, a work carried out by UNESCO. Having the World Heritage seal granted by this organization gives it per se an “exceptional universal value.”
There are currently 1,199 places in almost 170 countries around the planet classified as such. They are wonderful places that must be preserved from destruction and deterioration. Among them are the pyramids of Giza, the Taj Mahal, the Alhambra, the Great Wall, the Great Barrier Reef and the Teide National Park, but there are countless virtually unknown sites. We wanted to share some of them. Can you come with us?
Ocher, blue, reddish, green and purple. The color range of the landscape of the Danxia Mountains, a vast 300 km2 expanse of China’s Gansu province, is endless. The area, with little rainfall, has seen how erosion has sculpted original shapes in the sandstone over 24 million years, and the natural pigments on the strata that the tectonic movements have brought to the surface have dyed them with color.
The Daxia Mountains – their name means pink clouds – have for centuries been a crossing point of the Silk Road, the historic trade route that has linked the Asian and European continents. Its inclusion in the UNESCO catalog dates back to 2010.
Located on the banks of the Saraswati River, Rani Ki Vav, or the Queen’s Stepwell, was built in the 11th century as a reservoir for collecting and storing groundwater and to honor the memory of King Bhimdev I. In the Maru-Gurjar architectural style , stands out for its great beauty and its richness in details.
It was designed as an inverted temple with seven levels, 500 main sculptures and another thousand secondary pieces of religious, mythological and profane themes, with frequent references to literary works. It was declared a world heritage site in 2014.
This unique, practically intact wetland ecosystem in the world is also one of the few inland delta systems on the planet that lacks an outlet to the sea. Located in the northwest of the country, during the river’s floods, which take place in the dry season, it can reach 22,000 km2.
This vast territory is home to numerous animal species, including giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, lions, jackals and birds. A decade ago it was declared a world heritage site.
Since 1999, Robben Island has been part of the list of UNESCO sites. Located off the coast of Cape Town, it served as a leper hospital, military base and prison between the 18th and 20th centuries. But today it is above all a testimony to apartheid, the system of racial segregation that prevailed in South Africa for more than four decades.
It is possible to visit the buildings that housed the high security prison for political prisoners. The political leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, spent 18 of his 27 years in prison there.
Shibam, nestled in the Hadramout Valley in the southeast of the country, is famous for its clay skyscrapers, in a landscape reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Known as the Manhattan of the desert, this 16th century walled city of tower-shaped buildings that seem to emerge from the cliffs, constitutes one of the best and oldest examples of urban planning based on the principle of vertical construction.
Some of the buildings rise up to eleven levels high, offering a spectacular image. A visit allows you to get closer to the way of life of the area and the traditional Arab and Muslim culture. Since 1982 it has been part of the UNESCO catalogue.
Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit Australia’s most famous red monolith, in the arid heart of the country, can consider themselves lucky. Uluru National Park, a sacred place for the Anangu Aboriginal people, is closed to the public today.
Recognized by UNESCO in 1987, this site has spectacular geological formations that rise 350 meters high, dominating the Australian plain. Watching it at dawn, when the red transforms into an intense purple, is priceless.
UNESCO included the panoramic landscape of Mount Emei and the Great Buddha of Leshan on the list in 1996. And it is in this corner of the province of Sichuan – a true microcosm in the great Asian country – the first temple was built in the 1st century. Chinese Buddhist.
The Leshan Giant Buddha is a massive sculpture carved into a 71-meter-high stone cliff that dates back to the year 803 (it took nine decades to complete). Erected at the confluence of the Min, Dadu and Qingyi rivers in order to make it a safe place for ships sailing through this water, it is currently the tallest Maitreya Buddha in the world.
Its name means “the cotton castle” and perfectly describes the limestone formations and turquoise hot springs that make up an almost supernatural place. And the natural pools of Pamukkale, located next to the historic city of Hierapolis, in the province of Denizli, in the southwest of Turkey, are considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet.
It was here that the Attalid dynasty of Pergamum created the Hierapolis spa at the end of the 2nd century BC, in order to use the thermal waters. The site, a world heritage site since 1988, is home to the ruins of Greek baths, temples and other monuments.
The church of Atlántida, the work of Eladio Dieste, a Uruguayan civil engineer recognized throughout the world for the use of what he called reinforced ceramics, was inaugurated in 1960 and was added to the UNESCO list in 2021. Inspired by religious architecture medieval and early Christian Italian, the temple in the town of Estación Atlántida, 45 kilometers from Montevideo, is an example of the innovative use of exposed and reinforced brick.
Its cylindrical bell tower and its underground baptistery stand out, having a single room with undulating walls and ceiling. Its construction embodies the search for social equality with a sober use of resources, but with a great aesthetic effect.
