City of Cuzco

Situated in the Peruvian Andes, Cuzco developed, under the Inca ruler Pachacutec, into a complex urban centre with distinct religious and administrative functions. It was surrounded by clearly delineated areas for agricultural, artisan and industrial production. When the Spaniards conquered it in the 16th century, they preserved the basic structure but built Baroque churches and palaces over the ruins of the Inca city.

 Peru

City of Cuzco

S13 31 19.992 W71 58 59.988

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Property : 142 ha 

Buffer zone: 285 ha

Ref: 273

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

Miraculously preserved in the beautiful setting of an Alpine valley, the Church of Wies (1745–54), the work of architect Dominikus Zimmermann, is a masterpiece of Bavarian Rococo – exuberant, colourful and joyful.

Germany

Town of Steingaden, District of Weilheim-Schongau, Region of Upper Bavaria, State of Bavaria (Bayern)

N47 40 52.6 E10 54 0.5

Date of Inscription: 1983

Minor modification inscribed year: 2011

Criteria: (i)(iii)

Property : 0.10 ha

Buffer zone: 8.40 ha

Ref: 271bis

Source:  http://whc.unesco.org

Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon

 Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon

Standing at the entrance to Lisbon harbour, the Monastery of the Hieronymites – construction of which began in 1502 – exemplifies Portuguese art at its best. The nearby Tower of Belém, built to commemorate Vasco da Gama's expedition, is a reminder of the great maritime discoveries that laid the foundations of the modern world.

Portugal

City of Lisbon

N38 41 30.984 W9 12 56.988

Date of Inscription: 1983

Minor modification inscribed year: 2008

Criteria: (iii)(vi)

Property : 2.66 ha

Buffer zone: 103 ha

Ref: 263bis 

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Abbey of St Gall

Abbey of St Gall

The Convent of St Gall, a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery, was, from the 8th century to its secularization in 1805, one of the most important in Europe. Its library is one of the richest and oldest in the world and contains precious manuscripts such as the earliest-known architectural plan drawn on parchment. From 1755 to 1768, the conventual area was rebuilt in Baroque style. The cathedral and the library are the main features of this remarkable architectural complex, reflecting 12 centuries of continuous activity.

Switzerland

Canton of St Gall, Town of St Gall

N47 25 23.988 E9 22 40.008

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (ii)(iv)

Ref: 268

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Pirin National Park

Pirin National Park

Spread over an area of over 27,000 ha, at an altitude between 1008 and 2914 m in the Pirin Mountains, southwest Bulgaria, the site comprises diverse limestone mountain landscapes with glacial lakes, waterfalls, caves and predominantly coniferous forests. It was added to the World Heritage List in 1983. The extension now covers an area of around 40,000 ha in the Pirin Mountains, and overlaps with the Pirin National Park, except for two areas developed for tourism (skiing). The dominant part of the extension is high mountain territory over 2000m in altitude, and covered mostly by alpine meadows, rocky screes and summits.

Bulgaria

N41 44 33.8 E23 25 49.7

Date of Inscription: 1983

Extension: 2010

Criteria: (vii)(viii)(ix)

Property : 38,350 ha

Buffer zone: 1,078 ha

Ref: 225bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Ajanta Caves

Ajanta Caves

The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.

India

Maharashtra State, Aurangabad District , Soyagon Taluka, Lenapur Village

N20 33 11.988 E75 42 0

Date of Inscription: 1983

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

Property : 8,242 ha

Buffer zone: 78,676 ha

Ref: 242

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Srebarna Nature Reserve

Brief Description

The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake adjacent to the Danube and extending over 600 ha. It is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of birds, many of which are rare or endangered. Some 80 other bird species migrate and seek refuge there every winter. Among the most interesting bird species are the Dalmatian pelican, great egret, night heron, purple heron, glossy ibis and white spoonbill.

Bulgaria

Village of Srebarna, Province of Silistra; 16 km west of the town of Silistra and 1 km south of the Danube

N44 6 51.984 E27 4 41.016

Date of Inscription: 1983

Minor modification inscribed year: 2008

Criteria: (x)

Property : 638 ha

Buffer zone: 673 ha

Ref: 219bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Agra Fort

Brief Description

Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.

India

Uttar Pradesh, Agra District

N27 10 60 E78 1 60

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (iii)

Ref: 251

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Taj Mahal

Brief Description

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

India

Uttar Pradesh, Agra District

N27 10 27.012 E78 2 31.992

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (i)

Ref: 252

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Rila Monastery

Brief Description

Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site and were transformed into a monastic complex which played an important role in the spiritual and social life of medieval Bulgaria. Destroyed by fire at the beginning of the 19th century, the complex was rebuilt between 1834 and 1862. A characteristic example of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th–19th centuries), the monument symbolizes the awareness of a Slavic cultural identity following centuries of occupation.

Bulgaria

On the slopes of Rila, the highest Balkan Peninsula Mountain, in the valley of the Rilska River, 29 km east of the Sofia-Thessaloniki Highway. Rila, Kyustendil Province

N42 7 0 E23 23 60

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (vi)

Property : 11 ha

Buffer zone: 1,290 ha

Ref: 216

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

 

Ancient City of Nessebar

Brief Description

Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning of the 6th century BC, the city became a Greek colony. The city’s remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period.

Bulgaria

Burgas Province

N42 39 21.996 E27 43 48

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (iii)(iv)

Property : 27 ha

Buffer zone: 1,246 ha

Ref: 217

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

 

Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park

Brief Description

The location of this unique site in Central America, where Quaternary glaciers have left their mark, has allowed the fauna and flora of North and South America to interbreed. Tropical rainforests cover most of the area. Four different Indian tribes inhabit this property, which benefits from close co-operation between Costa Rica and Panama.

Costa Rica

Panama

Provincias de Bocas del Toro y Chiriqui, Panama; San Jose, Cartago, Limon and Puntarenas Provinces, Costa Rica

N9 24 25.5 W82 56 19.7

Date of Inscription: 1983

Extension: 1990

Criteria: (vii)(viii)(ix)(x)

Property : 570,045 ha

Ref: 205bis

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

 

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Brief Description

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinarily beautiful setting. It was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca Empire at its height; its giant walls, terraces and ramps seem as if they have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. The natural setting, on the eastern slopes of the Andes, encompasses the upper Amazon basin with its rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Peru

S13 7 0 W72 34 60

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (i)(iii)(vii)(ix)

Ref: 274

Source: http://whc.unesco.org

Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores

A Beautiful Postcard from Ulla Bonora, send from France:: Through FB SWAP: Thank you very Much

Brief Description

Situated on one of the islands in the Azores archipelago, this was an obligatory port of call from the 15th century until the advent of the steamship in the 19th century. The 400-year-old San Sebastião and San João Baptista fortifications are unique examples of military architecture. Damaged by an earthquake in 1980, Angra is now being restored.

 

Portugal

Région autonome des Açores

N38 39 18 W27 13 12

Date of Inscription: 1983

Criteria: (iv)(vi)

Ref: 206

Source: http://whc.unesco.org