This is the third of three descriptions of the 24 sites of “outstanding
universal value”, that have been designated world heritage sites
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
These are as follows:
- Franciscan Missions in the Sierra Gorda of Querétaro, Mexico:
Built during the last phase of the conversion to Christianity of the
interior of Mexico in the mid-18th Century. The richly decorated church
façades are of special interest as they represent an example
of the joint creative efforts of the missionaries and the Indios. - Wooden Churches of Southern Little Poland, Poland: The churches
represent outstanding examples of the different aspects of medieval
church-building traditions in Roman Catholic culture. - Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent, Russian
Federation: Part of the northern limits of the Sassanian Persian
Empire, which extended east and west of the Caspian Sea. The town of
Derbent has retained part of its medieval fabric. - Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, South Africa: An open, expansive
savannah landscape situated on the northern border of South Africa joining
Zimbabwe and Botswana. Mapungubwe developed into the largest kingdom
in the sub-continent before it was abandoned in the 14th Century. The
almost untouched remains of the palace sites, a settlement area and
two earlier capital sites survive. - Ubeda-Baeza: Urban duality, cultural unity, Spain: The urban
morphology of the two small cities of Ubeda and Baeza in southern Spain
dates back to the Moorish 9th Century and to the Reconquista in the
13th Century. In the 16th Century, the cities were renovated along the
lines of the emerging Renaissance. - Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region, Sudan: Includes
several archaeological sites, over more than 60 km (37 miles) in the
Nile Valley, of the Napatan (900 to 270 BC) and Meroitic (270 BC to
350 AD) cultures, of the second kingdom of Kush. Tombs, with and without
pyramids, temples, living complexes and palaces are also found on the
site. - Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom: The historic landscape
garden illustrates the art of gardens from the 18th to the 20th Centuries.
The gardens house botanic collections (conserved plants, living plants
and documents) that have been considerably enriched through the centuries. - Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe: Distinctive rock land forms associated
with human occupation from the early Stone Age to early historical times,
and intermittently since. They also feature an outstanding collection
of rock paintings. - Central Amazon Conservation Complex, Brazil: Comprises the
largest protected area in the Amazon Basin and one of the planet's
richest regions in terms of biodiversity. - Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, China: These
tombs were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000. The property
inscribed this year as an extension consists of two distinct burial
sites of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Xiaoling, the first emperor of that
dynasty is buried there, as are 13 others. - Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo and the Historic District
of Panama, Panama: Panama Viejo covers the location and ruins of
the first European settlement on the American mainland and pre-Hispanic
remains. It features impressive ruins. Moreover, older remains, dating
to up to 1,000 years before the arrival of the Europeans, were excavated
on this site.
Source: BBC News