Zoe Profile

My rubric for each site:

  • 1 star: I personally could not see the value of the sight -- I don't think I have rated any site this so far! Perhaps if the site is closed to the public it would receive 1 star from me.
  • 2 stars: There are some major draws to visiting, perhaps there is no signage, or the sight itself is not accessible to see. Maybe I personally don't enjoy the site but I could see why it was made a WHS.
  • 3 stars: Average WHS. There should hopefully be some signage, and some indication of the importance of the site. It is interesting and enjoyable to visit, but maybe not worth an entire detour for.
  • 4 stars: Memorable! With some tweaks, it would be 5 stars. Maybe better facilities, renovations, etc.
  • 5 stars: What makes a WHS my favorite is when I feel the experience speaks for itself; even without researching about the site before hand, I can clearly see its importance through the infrastructure, design, and signage.

Countries so far: United States, Canada, Mexico, France, Thailand, Germany, Turkey, Georgia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta

United States Last Update 12.06.25 46 WHS Visited 12 Reviews 46 WHS Rated 24 TWHS Visited

Visited Sites Zoe

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Legend

  • ●● Cultural
  • ●● Natural
  • ●● Mixed

Recent Reviews Zoe

Megalithic Temples of Malta

Zoe United States - 12-Jun-25

Megalithic Temples of Malta

I managed to visit 4 of the 6 inscribed temples so I wanted to leave some short thoughts on them (and also some updated pricing info)! You can buy a pass to all museum sites in Malta (besides the Hypogeum) for 60 euros now as of 2025... but this is too expensive if you just want to see the WHS. So, instead I spent 26 euro seeing 4 temples.

Tarxien: only a 10 min walk from the Hypogeum! Tarxien has rock carvings, something I didn't see at the other 4 temples -- giving it a different "vibe" from the others. Hypogeum museum staff even gave me a map at the  specifically encouraging me to visit it so it's hard to pass up :) I think this is also the only site I visited that is completely wheelchair accessible, with paved ramps taking you in and around the temple. Cons: most of what was interesting there seemed to be reconstructions. Tarxien also doesn't stand as tall as the other sites

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Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe (T)

Zoe United States - 27-May-25

Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe (T)

Sardis was a great change of pace from the tourist-filled Ephesus and Pamukkale. The gymnasium alone is very impressive, and has a somewhat different visual weight to it from the other ancient sites in the region -- more red brick than white marble, for instance -- and it's much less crowded. The synagogue is the largest known synagogue from the ancient world. The mosaics throughout the WHS are also nice. A pet peeve of mine is ruins without any signage, but Sardis doesn't disappoint in this matter either; there is plenty of signage in Turkish & English to explain what you are seeing with out it being overbearing. 

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Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia

Zoe United States - 12-May-25

Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia

I recently visited Aslanhane Mosque (in Turkish, Arslanhane Camisi) in Ankara as I was already in the city for the day due to a flight connection. This Seljuk mosque, built in 1290 CE, seems to be a lot smaller and less interesting than the other locations of this WHS. Thus, I wouldn't recommend it as a stop to anyone besides WHS travelers. I have seen a lot of Seljuk mosques/madrasahs, of comparable age, that are more stunning and visually intriguing during my time in Turkey (the Çifte Minareli Madrasah in Erzurum, built 1265 CE, if you want a rec)! However, what makes these hypostyle mosques interesting are the wooden beams inside, thought to have originated from the Mongol invasions half a century prior, according to UNESCO

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Çatalhöyük

Zoe United States - 12-May-25

Çatalhöyük

I visited this site in May 2025. As mentioned, there is a brand new museum that is really well-done. There's interactive screens and buttons you can press to learn about the different reasons Çatalhöyük is important. For instance, Çatalhöyük showed evidence of a egalitarian society, with no difference in the treatment of men and women. No one home unit was more elaborate or larger than another, also seen as evidence towards this point. There is, additionally, a replica of the houses on site (pictured) that you can freely walk into and get a feel for what it might have been like thousands of years ago. Other facilities on site: cafe, bathrooms, gift shop, and lookout tower. I was a big fan of the museum and found it to be really interesting

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Göbekli Tepe

Zoe United States - 24-Apr-25

Göbekli Tepe

I visited Göbekli Tepe back in March 2025. As mentioned, you can take the bus from the stop outside the archeology museum. The archeology museum itself is a must-see; but you need to budget at least a couple hours for it. It's giant and covers a wide range of history in the region -- including, of course, Göbekli Tepe. Once you finish the museum, you can head outside for the bus, which leaves on the 45 of the hour (sharp, too, so don't get outside at 9:47 or you'll miss it!). The bus only takes contactless credit card or Urfa Kart, so don't bring cash. It's about 1 USD

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Profile Data

Name
Zoe
Country
United States
Ranking
1294

Recently Visited WHS

Update 12.06.25
  • Megalithic Temples of Malta
  • Valletta
  • Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

    • 10 Best Missing

    1. Volcanoes of Kamchatka
    2. Rapa Nui
    3. Galapagos Islands
    4. Angkor
    5. Machu Picchu
    6. Victoria Falls
    7. Petra
    8. Tikal National Park
    9. Rome
    10. Bagan

    2 Countries Complete

    Luxembourg . Malta .

    Rating Stats

    Reviewed TWHS