Acropolis, Athens

Brief Description

The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the fifth century bc, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, built by Ictinus, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles and the small temple Athena Nike.

Greece

Prefecture and Region of Attica

N37 58 15.132 E23 43 34.248

Date of Inscription: 1987

Criteria: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)

Property : 3.04 ha

Buffer zone: 117 ha

Ref: 404

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems

Brief Description

This serial site comprises six marine clusters that represent the main diversity of coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the French Pacific Ocean archipelago of New Caledonia and one of the three most extensive reef systems in the world. These Lagoons are of exceptional natural beauty. They feature an exceptional diversity of coral and fish species and a continuum of habitats from mangroves to seagrasses with the world’s most diverse concentration of reef structures. The Lagoons of New Caledonia display intact ecosystems, with healthy populations of large predators, and a great number and diversity of big fish. They provide habitat to a number of emblematic or threatened marine species such as turtles, whales or dugongs whose population here is the third largest in the world.

France

S20 24 43 E164 33 59

Date of Inscription: 2008

Criteria: (vii)(ix)(x)

Property : 1,574,300 ha

Buffer zone: 1,287,100 ha

Ref: 1115

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains

Brief Description

The palaces and temples which form the nucleus of this group of secular and religious buildings exemplify the architectural and artistic achievements of China's Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Situated in the scenic valleys and on the slopes of the Wudang mountains in Hubei Province, the site, which was built as an organized complex during the Ming dynasty (14th–17th centuries), contains Taoist buildings from as early as the 7th century. It represents the highest standards of Chinese art and architecture over a period of nearly 1,000 years.

China

Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province

N32 28 0.012 E111 0 0

Date of Inscription: 1994

Criteria: (i)(ii)(vi)

Ref: 705

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne

Brief Description

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands. In its present form it is an outstanding example of a medieval fortified town, with its massive defences encircling the castle and the surrounding buildings, its streets and its fine Gothic cathedral. Carcassonne is also of exceptional importance because of the lengthy restoration campaign undertaken by Viollet-le-Duc, one of the founders of the modern science of conservation.

France

Department of Aude, Languedoc-Roussillon Region

N43 12 38 E2 21 32

Date of Inscription: 1997

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Property : 11 ha

Buffer zone: 1,358 ha

Ref: 345rev

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic Centre of Telč

Brief Description

The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded by walls and further strengthened by a network of artificial ponds. The town's Gothic castle was reconstructed in High Gothic style in the late 15th century.

Czech Republic

Vysocina Region

N49 10 59.988 E15 26 60

Date of Inscription: 1992

Criteria: (i)(iv)

Property : 36 ha

Buffer zone: 297 ha

Ref: 621

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic Centre of Český Krumlov

Brief Description

Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding example of a small central European medieval town whose architectural heritage has remained intact thanks to its peaceful evolution over more than five centuries.
 

Czech Republic

South Bohemian Region

N48 49 0 E14 19 0

Date of Inscription: 1992

Criteria: (iv)

Property : 52 ha

Buffer zone: 1,073 ha

Ref: 617
Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

Brief Description

The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces with their ancillary buildings, is built on Red Mountain in the centre of Lhasa Valley, at an altitude of 3,700m. Also founded in the 7th century, the Jokhang Temple Monastery is an exceptional Buddhist religious complex. Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, constructed in the 18th century, is a masterpiece of Tibetan art. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest.

China
Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region
N29 39 28.512 E91 7 1.812
Date of Inscription: 1994
Extension: 2000, 2001
Criteria: (i)(iv)(vi)
Property : 61 ha
Buffer zone: 199 ha
Ref: 707ter

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Aachen Cathedral

Brief Description

Construction of this palatine chapel, with its octagonal basilica and cupola, began c. 790–800 under the Emperor Charlemagne. Originally inspired by the churches of the Eastern part of the Holy Roman Empire, it was splendidly enlarged in the Middle Ages.

Germany
State of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)
N50 46 28 E6 5 4
Date of Inscription: 1978
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)(vi)
Property : 0.20 ha
Ref: 3

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Speyer Cathedral

Brief Description

Speyer Cathedral, a basilica with four towers and two domes, was founded by Conrad II in 1030 and remodelled at the end of the 11th century. It is one of the most important Romanesque monuments from the time of the Holy Roman Empire. The cathedral was the burial place of the German emperors for almost 300 years.

Germany
State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)
N49 19 0 E8 26 35
Date of Inscription: 1981
Criteria: (ii)
Ref: 168

Source: http://whc.unesco.org