UNESCO just revealed 29 brand new World Heritage Sites

Jul 10 2019, 11:26 pm

As we traipse the globe, we often come across sites that are labelled as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We generally understand that this is a cool place to check out, and will probably post a picture of it on Instagram.

But what does this really mean?

The United Nations Educations, Scientific, and Culture Organization (UNESCO) strives to identify, protect, and preserve culture and natural heritage around the world.

 

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The organization is working to preserve our planet one heritage site at a time, by identifying landmarks or areas with cultural or natural significance that deserve a little extra love.

This love comes in the form of global recognition, increased tourism to the site and surrounding area, access to global resources, potential for restoration funds, and the prestige of being associated with the United Nations. It’s a source of national pride for locals and a draw for tourists.

 

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Our planet is home to incredibly diverse sites such as East Africa’s Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Baroque cathedrals in Latin America, and so much more, and UNESCO aims to maintain the heritage of these places as a legacy for future generations.

 

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In order to be categorized on the UNESCO World Heritage list, the site must be considered to have outstanding universal value. The list considers the importance of protection, management, authenticity, and integrity of all properties.

Sites must meet at least one of the following selection criteria:

  1. To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius
  2. To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning, or landscape design
  3. To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared
  4. To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates a significant stage in human history
  5. To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change
  6. To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria)
  7. To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance
  8. To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features
  9. To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals
  10. To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

 

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The planet is constantly surprising and delighting all of us, as we discover new hidden gems, and new significance in old gems. UNESCO has recently revealed 29 new properties that are inscribed as World Heritage Sites around the globe.

The new inscribed properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 are as follows:

Cultural properties

  • Australia: Budj Bim Cultural Landscape
  • Azerbaijan: Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace
  • Bahrain: Dilmun Burial Mounds
  • Burkina Faso: Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites of Burkina Faso
  • Canada: Writing-on-Stone/Áísínai’pi
  • China: Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City
  • China: Migratory Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China, Phase I
  • Czech Republic/Germany: Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region
  • Czech Republic: Landscape for Breeding and Training of Ceremonial Carriage Horses at Kladruby nad Labem
  • Germany: Water Management System of Augsburg
  • France: French Austral Lands and Seas
  • Iceland: Vatnajökull National Park — dynamic nature of fire and ice
  • India: Jaipur City, Rajasthan
  • Indonesia: Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto
  • Iran: Hyrcanian Forests
  • Iraq: Babylon
  • Italy: Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano a Valdobbiadene
  • Japan: Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan
  • Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang — Plain of Jars
  • Myanmar: Bagan
  • Poland: Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region
  • Portugal: Royal Building of Mafra — Palace, Basilica, Convent, Cerco Garden and Hunting Park, Tapada
  • Portugal: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga
  • Republic of Korea: Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies
  • Russian Federation: Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture
  • Spain: Risco Caido and the Sacred Mountains of Gran Canaria Cultural Landscape
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Jodrell Bank Observatory
  • United States: The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright

Mixed property

  • Brazil: Paraty and Ilha Grande — Culture and Biodiversity

Read all about these incredible new UNESCO World Heritage sites here.

Share your favourite heritage sites around the globe using #dailyhivemapped.

Kellie PaxianKellie Paxian

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