Latest Community Reviews

Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala

Shandos Cleaver Australia - 03-Mar-24

Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala

After booking cheap flights to the southern India city of Tiruchirappali (or Trichy for short), we were disappointed that we didn't have quite enough time to visit Kochi. However, I realised that with our spare day, we could visit one of the temples comprising the recently inscribed Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala, just outside of Mysore.

Keshava Temple is located in the village of Somanathapura, a 45 minute drive outside of Mysore. It was quite easy to get there - we asked at the taxi stand opposite the main bus station and close to our hotel, and were immediately offered 1500 rupees for the afternoon trip (only slightly more than the 1200 rupees listed in the 2023 Lonely Planet). Lonely Planet also lists the option of taking a bus to Bannur and then a tuktuk to the temple. 

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Old Town of Lijiang

J_neveryes Canada - 29-Feb-24

Old Town of Lijiang

Memories are fickle beasts.  When I look at my photos from my 2019 trip to Lijiang, I see that it was a beautiful city with intriguing narrow water channels and narrower streets.  However, what I remember - at least on an emotional level - is that Lijiang was an old town that once had a soul, but it is now a fiction, a mere pretty setting for a sanitized version of Chinese history.  Lijiang is not a city; it is a souvenir shop.  

There are other cities in the world that long ago pushed [...]

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Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape (T)

Clyde Malta - 27-Feb-24

Orheiul Vechi Archaeological Landscape (T)

I visited what can be described as Moldova's best tWHS (much better than its sole WHS Struve location for sure!) in 2023. The Archaeological Landscape of Old Orhei or Orheiul Vechi in Romanian is a perfect half day trip from Moldova's capital Chisinau, approximately 60 kilometres away.

The ancient city of Orheiul Vechi is a natural and historical complex located on a narrow bend of the Raut River. It is best visited by car as the different components are quite far from each other on foot. The natural landscape of limestone rock, eroded by the river, is combined with archaeological vestiges of the ancient Trypillian civilization. As a result of archaeological excavations, cultural layers were discovered from different epochs, such as the Paleolithic, Eneolithic, and Iron Age, so it really has potential as a Cultural Landscape. In theory, a ticket must be paid once you approach Orheiul Vechi, but this is only applied for its main component, the Orthodox monastery and the several caves with inscriptions

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Rila Monastery

Clyde Malta - 26-Feb-24

Rila Monastery

I visited this WHS in 2023 as a full day trip between Sofia and Pirin. Since I was convinced to leave my car outside the monastery overnight, I decided against sleeping at the monastery, so I drove out of Sofia very early on purpose and I arrived at the monastery before the parking officials on duty (after around an hour and a half of exploring the place practically on my own, I went back outside to pay for a parking ticket when they arrived) and well before the improvised security officials who make sure tourists don't climb upstairs in the monastery or take photos inside) - well I obeyed them since I had already took more than enough photos from every angle possible

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Corfu

Hubert Austria - 04-Mar-24

Corfu

Most of the previous reviewers visited Corfu as a day trip from Albania or arrived directly by plane. This is reasonable, as the Old Town of Corfu is a remote site for WHS travelers in Greece. For a long time, it was the only WHS in the northwest, the sites in Albania are much closer. But since Zagori Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the list in 2023, more visitors may be heading to Corfu from mainland Greece.

I visited Corfu as a day trip from Ioannina. I left Ioannina early in the morning by rental car to catch the first ferry from Igoumenitsa at 7am. The drive to Igoumenitsa takes an hour, the ferry to Corfu takes about an hour and twenty minutes

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Tropical Rainforest Sumatra

Timonator Germany - 02-Mar-24

Tropical Rainforest Sumatra

The Gunung Lauser National Park is special as it is one of the few places on earth where you can see the Orang Utan (ind. for Man of the Forest) live wild. However due to the rehabilitation program the Orang Utans seen very adapted to humans and because tourist groups leave their fruit snacks along the hiking paths there is a natural attraction for the apes to come close. We saw eleven in total incl. male with typical face and many mother/ child duos. On day 2 and 3 of our hike we were also alone with two orang utans each which was amazing. Of course it's not all about Orang Utan in this tropical rainforest, but it surely is the highlight

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The Ancient Plovdiv (T)

Clyde Malta - 27-Feb-24

The Ancient Plovdiv (T)

As mentioned in my previous review of the tWHS of Plovdiv's Roman mosaics, that tWHS combined to this tWHS in my opinion would make more sense and would stand a better chance at getting inscribed as a positive cultural representation of a city with 8,000 years of history. I covered the Roman mosaics quite extensively in the review of Plovdiv's other tWHS. Instead, in this review I'll focus on the various Ottoman houses worth visiting and on the Church of St. Constantine and Helena and the Metropolitan Church of St. Marina.

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Bishop's Basilica and Late-Antique Mosaics of Philippopolis, Roman Province of Thrace (T)

Clyde Malta - 27-Feb-24

Bishop

I visited this tWHS in 2023. It is made up of 3 fine locations quite close to each other, each with its own modern museum setting, information panels and ongoing research labs attached: the Domus Eirene, the Small Basilica and the Bishop's Basilica of Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv).

Situated on three hills by the Maritsa River, Philippopolis had already existed for millenia when the Romans included it into their empire in 45 AD. Under the Romans, the city quickly transformed itself. Settlers, imperial administrators and investments flocked into it. Its population reach up to 100,000 people, including Thracians, Greeks, Jews, Roman army veterans, craftsmen from Asia Minor and merchants from the Middle East. In the 4th century, when Christianity became the official religion, Philippopolis turned into a major religious centre, with its own bishop. New churches were built to cater for the increasing number of Christians

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Grand Pré

J_neveryes Canada - 23-Feb-24

Grand Pré

In 1907, John F. Herbin, a jeweller from the nearby town of Wolfville, bought 5.5 hectare (13.6 acres) of land on which the original Grand Pré community had stood.  Herbin's mother was Acadian, and he knew the importance of the land to the Acadian diaspora, who treated it as a pilgrimage site.  When Herbin sold the property to the Dominion Atlantic Railway in 1917, he did so under two conditions: (1) that the site be developed as a memorial park to the deported Acadians, and (2) that a parcel of land be deeded to the Acadian people on which a memorial would be built.  After keeping its promise, the Railway sold the land to the Canadian government in 1957.  Great-great-grandchild of Herbin (fifth generation) still operates the Herbin Jewellers in Wolfville.

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Yuso and Suso Monasteries

Caspar Dechmann Switzerland - 02-Mar-24

Yuso and Suso Monasteries

I visited this site in 2006 when I didn't think a lot about WHSs yet and hadn't seen many sites. Even then we found it surprising if not ridiculous that this site should be a WHS. The site consists obviously of two sites: Suso the upper monastery is tiny but has a certain charme with visigothic and mozarabic elements that I would certainly appreciate today though they have hardly any OUV on their own. Yuso, the lower monastery, on the other hand, lacks any special character or beauty. There are dozens of more interesting monasteries in Spain alone. 

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Ville de Lixus (T)

Argo France - 02-Mar-24

Ville de Lixus (T)

Lixus is claimed one of the oldest settlements of the western Mediterranean antique world – although just “off” the Gibraltar straight, facing the Atlantic Ocean. It was first a Phoenician trade city and was later occupied by Romans and then successive civilisations until Middle-Age. Though as often with this kind of sites, the remains you get to see are mainly from the Roman period. The archaeological site lays on a hillside and top above one of the last meanders of the Loukkos river, overlooking both the plain and the Atlantic Ocean, which makes an enjoyable and strategic location

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Nessebar

Clyde Malta - 25-Feb-24

Nessebar

I visited this WHS in 2023 and to make sure I could get the best out of my visit (as well as have safe parking) I booked a hotel just in front of star attraction of this site, the Church of St. Stephen inside the old town proper in the middle of the peninsula, away from the infamous Sunny Beach area. I was allowed access via the main gate to unload my luggages and then I was allowed a private spot in the outdoor parking at the marina.

Undoubtedly Nessabar's forte are its medieval churches, which is why it earned its nickname as "the Bulgarian Ravenna" and "the pearl of the Orthodox world". According widespread local legend there once were more than 40 churches existed only on the small territory of the peninsula and nowadays 10 of them have been preserved and restored. More than the number of churches, what is important is the overall picture they gives us today about the nature and achievements of medieval church architecture. Some are remains such as those of the basilica church of St. Sophia or the basilica church and tower of the Holy Mother of Eleusa, which are important remains of the bishop's residence and part of a monastery complex

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Thracian tomb of Kazanlak

Clyde Malta - 24-Feb-24

Thracian tomb of Kazanlak

I visited this WHS in 2023. Unlike the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak is right in the middle of a very urban setting, almost like Malta's Hypogeum of Hal Saflieni, although at least it has a small park area as a buffer zone. This contains the closed original tomb with a dome and the latest protective structure, rightly marked as the original tomb. Like at the original Lascaux cave in France's Vezere Valley, there's nothing much to see here apart from the UNESCO WHS inscription plaque which is proudly displayed here.

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Srebarna Nature Reserve

Clyde Malta - 24-Feb-24

Srebarna Nature Reserve

I visited this WHS in 2023. Knowing that this was one of the lowest ranking WHS in our community, I made sure to visit it first before the Danube Delta in Romania and I decided to spend two nights here to be able to explore more of the reserve at appropriate times of the day (i.e. sunrise and sunset) for more birdlife activity, as opposed to a touch-and-go experience.

Getting here by car in the summer months means visiting when the landscape is dominated by never-ending sunflower fields and the only hazard you'll meet on the road are the several huge harvesters. Srebarna is a very sleepy village, so much so that there is no grocer or an ATM! We stayed at a very low key B&B just next to the Natural Science/History Museum or Srebarna Nature Reserve Visitor Centre (free entrance on Thursdays) is too far to appreciate the best bird activity'; in fact it is best suited for a panoramic view (with binoculars and telescopes) of the nature reserve and to at least see any birds you missed out in the field ..

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Cueva de las Manos

Els Slots The Netherlands - 28-Feb-24

Cueva de las Manos

The general visitor experience of this remote site has already been well-described by the previous reviewers, but I’d like to add information about what it is like to go there with your own (rental) car.

The site has no less than 4 entrance roads, of which 2 are officially recommended

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Pirin National Park

Clyde Malta - 26-Feb-24

Pirin National Park

I visited this WHS in 2023 using Bansko as my base for 2 nights. From there we woke up early and drove straight to the Vihren Hut, stopping en route to see the impressive Baikushev's Pine, Bulgaria's oldest tree. It was really great to appreciate the changing scenery with the first bright rays of sunlight, from meadows in low altitude, to woodlands full of different kinds of coniferous trees in mid-high altitude, to low coniferous trees, streams, rock and some ice at high altitude. Knowing that the Vihren Hut parking (free) would likely be crowded throughout the day, we parked a couple of metres away along one of the few wider sides of the mountain road to avoid getting blocked by double parking

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Pirin National Park

J_neveryes Canada - 26-Feb-24

Pirin National Park

Selective Background

Despite being declared a national park in 1962 and an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, this biodiverse hotspot was under attack by its own government in 2017.  The Bulgarian government planned to open up 66% and 48% of Pirin National Park's area to construction (for example, ski resorts) and logging respectively.  The Association of Parks in Bulgaria and other environmental organizations sued the government, and the Bulgaria's Supreme Administrative Court suspended the constructions and logging in 2020.

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Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo

Clyde Malta - 24-Feb-24

Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo

I visited this WHS in 2023 as a side trip from Ruse. The Roussensky Lom River is the last deep tributary of the Danube river on its right side. It creates a fan-shaped network in the Danube Plain with picturesque canyons and vertical rocks. Seen from a distance, this landscape reminded me of the landscape of India's Ajanta Caves, however, the overall atmosphere is more comparable to the rock churches of Turkey's Goreme National Park or Greece's Meteora (without the monastery buildings though). It is believed that after Joachim I's return from Mount Athos, he cut out a small church in the rocks in the Lom River valley and later created a large rock monastery close to existing natural caves that were used as monk cells.

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Tiwanaku

J_neveryes Canada - 22-Feb-24

Tiwanaku

Tiwanaku is a site with fascinating elements, but the sum of those elements do not result in a fascinating site. 

The individual elements, such as the Gate of the Sun, the monoliths, and the heads in the semi-subterranean temple (photo) are striking artifacts.  For some visitors, the Gate of the Sun, with a crack in its lintel that adds to its mysterious allure, alone may be worth the price of the admission.  However, other than the few interesting elements still standing (or fallen), the site is monotonous.  

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Mission Ruins of Venn's Town (T)

Mihai Dascalu Romania - 27-Feb-24

Mission Ruins of Venn

We just visited a few hours ago on February 27, 2024. We asked for a taxi at the reception of our hotel in Victoria, it was going to be a lot of money, 600 rupees just to get there so the receptionist called a friend who was willing to take us there for 400. It was a nice ride of 20 minutes once we got out of the afternoon traffic. When we got there we noticed that they now have a lot of signs, a gate, a schedule (they close at 5 pm!). There is an admission fee, we could pay by credit card. 100 Seychelles Rupees, which is just over $7 today, per person. Our driver was curious so he got in for free

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Thracian tomb of Sveshtari

Clyde Malta - 24-Feb-24

Thracian tomb of Sveshtari

I visited this WHS in 2023. Although it certainly is less colourful than the Thracian tombs of Kazanlak and Alexandrovo, not only is it once again intact (its restoration reminded me a lot of Seokguram in South Korea) but it is also possible to visit its interior, which is most definitely its highlight (even though photography isn't allowed). Apparently the tomb is closed in winter and in summer it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I drove pretty early to the area, well ahead of the opening hours, so I had some time to kill which I spent exploring the nearby 4th and 3rd century BC razed Getic fortification and citadel remains, which together with the Sveshtari tomb make up what is called the Sboryanovo Archaeological Reserve. No matter how diverse and interesting Thracian heritage might be, time, destruction and rebuilding in times of war and peace, continual habitation, and treasure-hunting have wiped out a lot of it, reducing it to a set of tombs and shrines here, a treasure there, and a shrine in what today appears to be the middle of nowhere (a stark contrast when compared to the Kazanlak tomb!)

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Le Havre

Ian Cade UK - 27-Feb-24

Le Havre

Come on Kids, lets explore …. Prefabricated concrete structural classicism!!

Le Havre for a rainy weekend in February probably doesn’t scream “Family Holiday” but this was perhaps our most successful attempt to combine World Heritage Sites with something a 4 year old will enjoy.

There were multiple reasons why this was enjoyable, but at the heart of all of them was how successful this rebuilding project was in creating a livable city. There is a bit of an academic pursuit in pointing out how every block of concrete pillars along ave

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Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca

J_neveryes Canada - 19-Feb-24

Santa Ana de los Rios de Cuenca

Despite its small size, Ecuador boasts a large number of sights.  Even setting aside Galapagos Islands, mainland Ecuador possesses many natural attractions, especially for birdwatchers and hikers.  Ecuador also has a number of cultural or human-made sights, and Cuenca is one of its better urban destinations.  Although I would not say that Cuenca was the highlight of my 2016 Ecuador trip (hiking the mountain villages of Quilotoa wins that distinction), I do think of the attractive city as a noteworthy part of my itinerary.

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Madara Rider

Clyde Malta - 23-Feb-24

Madara Rider

I visited this WHS in 2023 as part of the northeastern Bulgaria hotspot. Of the inscribed lot in this hotspot, the Srebarna Nature Reserve seems to be rated as the worst, probably owing to its poor state of upkeep of any trails or tourist infrastructure but also because to the non-birder (and not only) it pales when compared to the Danube Delta nearby.

To me, however, Madara Rider ranked the lowest. It is an interesting site to visit while visiting Bulgaria, but its only highlight, the Madara rider relief, in my opinion lacks OUV and is more of an interesting niche national site. It isn't unique either as similar carbon images have been found in Saltovo, Soulek, Pliska and Veliki Preslav.

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Workers’ Assembly Halls (Argentina) (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 24-Feb-24

Workers’ Assembly Halls (Argentina) (T)

A visit to Argentina’s contribution to the Workers' Assembly Halls serial nomination at the moment is mostly about what you do NOT get to see. The building of the CGT at 802 Azopardo Street itself is a mildly interesting example of modernist architecture. On its façade it features a mural depicting Eva Peron at a young age, which symbolizes the relationship Juan and Eva Peron had with this labour organization and the building. It’s very much a symbol of the Peronist era, and one wonders what Argentina’s current right-wing government thinks of it and whether they hate it enough to oppose a WH nomination.

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Workers’ Assembly Halls (Argentina) (T)

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 23-Feb-24

Workers’ Assembly Halls (Argentina) (T)

I see a lot of potential in this nomination. The CTG is the biggest syndicate in Argentina, a country that loves (and is probably partially ruined by) syndicates. This topic is not represented on the list, so it would fill a gap. The building itself was inaugurated 1950 by Juan Perón and was built in Rationalism style. It survived the military dictatorship and is still in use. Unfortunately, it is currently not open to public, but this could change in case of a successful inscription.

I passed the building on a walk through the city centre. It’s just a few blocks from the Casa Rosada (the Argentinian White House) and close to the interesting Mercado San Telmo, the fancy Perto Madero and Siga La Vaca, the one restaurant that every Uber driver recommended to us

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Fell and Pali Aike Caves (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 07-Mar-24

Fell and Pali Aike Caves (T)

As (T)WHS Travellers, we are blessed that we ‘have to’ visit several sites spread across the Argentinian and Chilean parts of Patagonia. In 11 days, I travelled the area from North to South, covering Los Alerces, Cueva de las Manos, Los Glaciares, and Torres del Paine. Along the way, the landscape changes from forests to glaciers to barren steppe. I finally ended up at Pali Aike NP, the southernmost of the Patagonian (T)WHS. Here windy and cold weather is said to be the norm, but I was lucky to get there on a slightly sunny day, with 11 degrees Celsius and no strong winds.

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ESMA Site Museum

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 23-Feb-24

ESMA Site Museum

Frederic and Joel covered the site pretty well, so I will try to add a few information from my side as the first reviewer after that visited the site after the inscription.

Important to mention is, [...]

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The Architectural Works of Muzharul Islam: an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement in South Asia (T)

Kurt Lauer USA - 22-Feb-24

Muzharul Islam is a 20th Century Bangladeshi architect.  I never heard of him until I saw that Bangladesh had added a number of his buildings to the TWHS list.  Three of these buildings are on the campus of Dhaka University.  Dhaka University was an enjoyable place to visit.  It is quite spread out and is a mixture of buildings from the British era built in the 1920's and more modern buildings built in the 1960's when Bangladesh was East Pakistan. The three buildings by Islam were built in the 1950's and 1960's.  It is hard for me to make an informed judgement of these buildings as I tend to find modern 20th century architecture not that exciting and my least favorite WHS tend to be these modern 20th century architectural sites

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Gros Morne National Park

J_neveryes Canada - 17-Feb-24

Gros Morne National Park

In a country that boasts numerous stunning national parks, Gros Morne ranks among Canada's best.  The Park - with its varied grand landscapes that overlook the immense Gulf of St. Lawrence - beckons you to explore it over multiple days.

While Gros Morne is located in a remote region, once you get there, the Park itself is well organized for all types of travellers.  There are at least 14 well-marked hiking trails that are easily accessible from the road, ranging from an easy 250 metres loop walk to a more challenging 17 kilometres return hike. 

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La Rambla (promenade maritime) de la Cité de Montevideo (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 21-Feb-24

La Rambla (promenade maritime) de la Cité de Montevideo (T)

The occurrence of Montevideo’s Rambla on Uruguay’s Tentative List is an easy object of ridicule – haven’t we all seen Ramblas/Corniches/Promenades before at various places around the world? The List may even have enough already of them to warrant a (new) connection, depending on the criteria used: the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, Marine Drive in Mumbai (partly inscribed), the pedestrian-only Paseo del Morro in San Juan and the Terrasse Dufferin in Quebec are candidates. Havana’s Malecon I believe is outside of the core zone.

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Architecture Moderne du XX siècle de la Ville de Montevideo (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 21-Feb-24

Architecture Moderne du XX siècle de la Ville de Montevideo (T)

Twentieth-century architecture is the main strength of Uruguay’s capital. Noteworthy examples of building styles from the 1920s to the 1950s can be found across the city. I visited a selection of them on a self-designed walking tour, divided into three clusters.

Cluster 1: Old City

The Old City isn’t the nicest part of town, especially outside of office hours. It does hold some fine buildings though:

Edificio Centenario: its form fits its position on a street corner

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Potosi

J_neveryes Canada - 17-Feb-24

Potosi

It was already dark as my bus from Tupiza entered Potosi's bus terminal, a busy place where ticket sellers' loud sales announcements reverberated around the circular hall like monks' chants.  The scene outside the bus terminal was even less impressive with busy traffic and vernacular buildings.  First impressions of Potosi were not great.

Once the taxi entered the historic part of the city, however, the mood - both mine and the city's - changed.  I remember how seeing the columns of Plaza 6 de Agosto being illuminated by lights made me feel happy.  Going for a walk in the night, I found areas that were peacefully calm but also areas that were lively with people going out for drinks (or bubble tea) or had a musical parade going through it.  

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Sucre

J_neveryes Canada - 16-Feb-24

Sucre

Sucre feels like a de jure capital city, that is to say, a city of civil servants and white-collar professionals.  "Laid back" is a phrase you often hear to describe Sucre, and of the four larger cities (Santa Cruz, La Paz, Potosi, and Sucre) that I visited in Bolivia in 2023, I would certainly agree that it felt the most, well, pasteurized.  To compare it to the other three cities that I visited, it's prettier than Santa Cruz, less dynamic than La Paz, and less interesting than Potosi.  In summary, I liked it much better than Santa Cruz, but little less so than La Paz and Potosi.

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Santo Domingo

Els Slots The Netherlands - 17-Feb-24

Santo Domingo

I hadn’t planned on doing a review for Santo Domingo, but after my visit in February 2024, there are two things I’d like to highlight.

The first is the widespread restoration works. Several beautification projects are going on at the same time, causing monumental facades to be covered, the Calle Las Damas broken up for street repairs and the Ozama fort to be closed. I don’t know when it all will be finished, but given the scale of it I’d say it will last at least til the end of 2024 (they started early 2023). A visit is still worthwhile, but the Cathedral is about the only place you will be allowed to enter. The colonial center ( "a diamond that needs polishing") was already upgraded as a whole in 2017 and looks quite neat and safe already.

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Boyana Church

Clyde Malta - 23-Feb-24

Boyana Church

I visited this WHS in 2023 just before entering Sofia. Parking is free at the park nearby and it can get quite busy in the summer months, so calling in advance and booking a spot is recommended if you want to be on the safe side. Every last Monday of the month after 15:00 there's free admission too. Small groups of around 10-15 people are allowed inside and "locked" in for around 20 minutes to view the frescoes inside.

While waiting for your time slot, there isn't much to do. The church exterior's best view is towards its nave and southern facade

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Dinosaur Provincial Park

J_neveryes Canada - 11-Feb-24

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Travellers who visit the province of Alberta, understandably flock to the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, e.g., Banff and Jasper.  Many may not realize that Alberta is graced with a varied landscape and that southern Alberta has a different type of natural beauty than the Rockies.  Dinosaur Provincial Park, located in the badlands, is a highlight of this region.  The park is immense, looks like another planet, and the views are fantastic.

A word of warning that while a small portion of the the Dinosaur [...]

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Wooden Churches of Maramures

Clyde Malta - 13-Feb-24

Wooden Churches of Maramures

I visited all 8 locations of this WHS in 2023. Unlike the Painted Churches of Moldavia, the 8 locations are not that easy to cover as a loop. I used Desesti and Baia Mare as my base and covered Ieud, Poienile Izei, Barsana, Budesti and Desesti (in that order) after an early departure from Suceava, and Rogoz and the 2 wooden churches of Sisesti the following day from Baia Mare. Make sure to save the churches' names and locations on Google Maps as finding their entrances and/or small parking spaces/lots sometimes can be quite challenging and not always that obvious due to similar but newer churches built close to them. Data roaming or a Romanian sim is a must to be able to contact the "holders of the key" in most locations

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Blue and John Crow Mountains

Els Slots The Netherlands - 16-Feb-24

Blue and John Crow Mountains

68 people so far claim to have visited this WHS, but this has resulted in only one generic review and a (since replaced) funny main site photo of a marker essentially saying “You’re in the National Park but not in the WHS core zone”.

It’s hard to visit Jamaica and not ‘see’ the Blue Mountains in some way, but is that enough to ‘tick’ this site? Let me share what is possible to visit and what you should look out for.

The OUV The OUV of both the cultural and natural side of this mixed WHS lies in the rugged, inaccessible terrain. The maroons used it to hide away from colonial oppression, while the island’s native flora managed to survive here while much of the rest of the island was cultivated. These two features don’t mix well, which becomes clear on the official map (best seen in map #4 of the nomination dossier): the descendants of the maroons live in villages that are clearly not in pristine nature and so they’re mostly outside of the National Park (they're considered ‘satellite sites’ by ICOMOS)

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Art and Architecture in the Prehistory of Sardinia. The domus de janas. (T)

Tony0001 - 14-Feb-24

Yesterday and today I visited some sites of the "domus de Janas" sites.

1) Anghelu Ruju near Alghero. This site is rather big with some 40 graves. There is entrance fee, and good explanation. 

2) Su Crucifissu Mannu near Porto Torres. This site is near a farm. You can free visit. No entrance fee, no explanation. Not so many graves.

3) Altar of Monte d' Accoddi between Porto Torres and Sassari. This one is not similar at all to the other ones, but in my opinion most interesting site from the ones I saw. It is build in third millennium before Christ. 

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Churches of Moldavia

Clyde Malta - 13-Feb-24

Churches of Moldavia

I visited all 8 components of this WHS by car in 2023 and if you have the time all are worth a visit for their interior as well as their exterior paintings. Apart from the one in Probota (road was still being paved when I visited), all locations are easily reachable by car on newly paved roads.

The Painted Church of Probota is not visible from outside as it is within a very high fortified monastery so make sure to check the opening hours before you visit

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L'Anse aux Meadows

J_neveryes Canada - 11-Feb-24

L

Even I don't know why I have such an affection for this site, which is really just a number of grassy mounds and depressions on the ground.  Perhaps it is due to nostalgia because I, like most Canadians who grew up with TV rather than internet, watched Heritage Minutes during commercial breaks.  Or perhaps it is due to the idea that near here, two groups of people encountered each other again after migrating away from each other 16,000 to 20,000 years earlier.  Due to L'Anse aux Meadows's remote and wild setting, perhaps one can easily visualize that encounter from these mere mounds and depression.

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Tombs of Buganda Kings

Solivagant UK - 12-Feb-24

Tombs of Buganda Kings

I provide a photo of our visit to the Kasubi tombs taken in 2005 (I.e before the great fire of March 2010) to “support” my “right” to review it!  I can fully understand the somewhat dispiriting experience which Zoe recently ran into. There were elements of it for us and they possibly led to my decision not to do a review at the time. However, the "imminent" reopening (but repeatedly delayed - its last promised date was Dec 2023 and is still only "90% Complete" in Jan 24 - with no promise!) of the tombs, together with Zoe's review, have stimulated me to catch up on the memory of our visit and to fill in some gaps in my "understanding". 

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Everglades

Els Slots The Netherlands - 13-Feb-24

Everglades

In early February I spent a full day exploring the Royal Palm and Flamingo areas of Everglades National Park. It felt like a holiday: it was warm and sunny, signage and interpretation were perfect, no rush, no crowds.

It may be telling that all reviewers so far chose a picture of an alligator or a water bird to accompany their story. Probably that’s because the landscape views aren’t that great. Especially when you have arrived from a flat country covered in wetlands like me, the scenery superficially will be very familiar, including the many egrets and herons. It often reminded me of De Biesbosch National Park in the Netherlands.

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Los Alerces National Park

Els Slots The Netherlands - 26-Feb-24

Los Alerces National Park

It’s hard to get all that you want from Patagonia. There was too much demand for bus tickets so I couldn’t go all the way from North to South by public transport. There also was too little demand for a ‘Safari Lacustre’ so I could not get on a boat tour inside the Los Alerces National Park to see the Alerces in a forest setting (they seem to run only on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday but the schedule is highly variable). And then on January 25, a devastating bushfire broke out affecting 6,924 of the 188,379 ha of the park. Only a few days before my visit in late February, it was all under control. I did not see any smoke, firemen or scorched ground – the fires were much further north than the area usually accessed by tourists,

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Sian Ka'an

Randi Thomsen Norway - 05-Feb-24

Sian Ka

There are several reviews from this site, but the focus is on daytrips from Tulum. We opted for “the long drive” and an overnight stay at “the end” – at Punta Allen. This turned out to be a great choice. Our plan for the two weeks in Mexico included several dirt roads for instance this one, thus we rented a high clearance car.

The drive from Tulum to Punta Allen turned out to be an interesting one

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Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (T)

Ilya Burlak USA - 07-Feb-24

Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (T)

Only Yoros Castle and Galata Tower were included on my itinerary of Istanbul and Marmara in October of 2023. Furthermore, although I stayed literally around the corner from Galata Tower, I never actually set foot in it. There are so many other elevated perspectives that you can find in Istanbul and the lines to enter Galata Tower are so long throughout the day that I expressly decided to skip it. So beyond agreeing that it is a very impressive building - arguably, one of the emblematic sights of Istanbul - I have very little to say about it.

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Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)

Alikander99 Spain - 12-Feb-24

Mdina (Citta Vecchia) (T)

I'm gonna go against the current and actually discourage inscription. I know this IS a very popular tentative site and it's indeed a really nice fortified city. My issue is its OUV.

Mdina IS the old capital of malta, and It has been inhabited since the bronze age. Despite this It has little more than its layout to show for Its old age. There's nothing phoenician, or Roman, or islamic and there's only a couple of medieval components in the city (which are not really that remarkable). As such its strong suit IS actually its well preserved fortified baroque ensemble. And that I see as a problem

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Jesuit Missions of Trinidad and Jesus

J_neveryes Canada - 10-Feb-24

Jesuit Missions of Trinidad and Jesus

Poor Paraguay - overlooked by many who visit South America.  It has no world-class sightseeing site, and its only major city - Asuncion - is too gritty and unpolished for many tourists.  Jesuit Missions of Trinidad and Jesús de Tavarangue are probably the highlight of Paraguay's sights, but you will likely have these UNESCO world heritage sites to yourself.

I took a bus from Asuncion to Encarnación for a two-night stay.  Encarnación is a small tranquil city that is best known for its annual Carnival.  There is not much to see in the city itself.  In one museum, the staff took a photo of me and promptly posted on their Facebook page that they had a visitor from Canada.

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Bursa and Cumalikizik

Ilya Burlak USA - 06-Feb-24

Bursa and Cumalikizik

In October of 2023, on a brief road trip from Istanbul, I spent an afternoon and stayed overnight in Bursa, while also visiting Cumalıkızık the next morning.

My time in Bursa allowed me to visit four of the WHS components, the central Orhan Ghazi Külliye, the nearby mausoleum of Orhan Gazi in Tophane Park, and Yesil Külliye and Yildirim Külliye. Visiting other components felt a bit of an overkill, but covering all locations looks possible within a full day or maybe a day and a half; distances are not insurmountable on foot but also not trivial away from the central cluster of sights; taxis are inexpensive.

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The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex, Sarawak, Malaysia (T)

Randi Thomsen Norway - 05-Feb-24

The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex, Sarawak, Malaysia (T)

Having visited the Niah Caves complex same year as Els we have almost “the same story” although with a few differences. The similarities were the Borneo Cultures Museum in Kuching, the Mulu site, the short river crossing with the 3 km hike om the slippery walkway before reaching the Traders Cave and the Great cave, but then some differences.

We rented a car at Miri airport round noon and arrive the visitor center at 1:15

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Gedeo Cultural landscape

Thomas Buechler Switzerland - 07-Feb-24

Chelba-Tututi was the cemetery we visited after reading Woijtek’s recommendations. It is in the tiny village of Koti, about 40 minutes south of Dila. The guide was excellent; only men are buried here under phallus shaped stellas, they were recording 1506 pieces scattered allover, very few have inscriptions. British and a German anthropologist have unearthed in 1994 and 2011 gold bracelets and pottery. For circumcised men, it was customary to be buried with two. 

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Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis

J_neveryes Canada - 10-Feb-24

Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis

I visited Santa Ana and San Ignacio Mini on my way from Posadas to Iguazu Falls.  Posadas, a city across the river from Paraguay, is a fine but unspectacular city, and I used it as a base to explore the worthwhile Parque Nacional Ibera, where you will see oodles of capybaras.

San Ignacio Mini, which sits in middle of the small town, boasts beautiful carvings.  Although San Ignacio Mini is the most popular of the three Argentinian Jesuit missions among the Guaraní sites, I did not find it to be very crowded (July 2019).  The visit itself can be done in an hour, unless  you come across - as I did - a rolling swarm of caterpillars for the first time in your life and squat in middle of the ruins to observe it for longer than most people would.

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Yakushima

Randi Thomsen Norway - 05-Feb-24

Yakushima

Having spent the last three weeks travelling “mainland Japan” we arrived Yakushima mid July 2023. The same means of transport (ferry) as everybody else took us from Kagoshima to Miyanoura Port and we started the visit by renting a small car at the harbour.

We drove immediately towards the Yakasugi Museum close to Anbo harbour. We had already decided that we wanted to do the long hike to Jomon Sugi the next day. At the bus stop close by there was a small kiosk that sold tickets for the hike.

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Fasil Ghebbi

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 26-Jan-24

Fasil Ghebbi

Gondar is the third permanent capital of the Ethiopian Empire (the first was Aksum, the second was Lalibela, after which there was a period in which the capitals changed very often). Finally, Emperor Fasilides, who reigned from 1632 to 1667, moved the capital to the high-lying Gondar and built the first palace there, still named after him today. Subsequent rulers had no less ambitions, each of them added their own palace next to it, of which there are four in the complex of Fasil Ghebbi. In addition, there is a library, a steam sauna and cages of Ethiopian lions, animals that were the symbol of emperors.

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Hal Saflieni Hypogeum

Ralf Rotheimer Germany - 11-Feb-24

As the previous reviews already cover the most relevant facts about visiting the Hypogeum, I would like to focus on the experience of buying the Last Minute tickets and share some tips and observations that might be beneficial to other visitors.

We were visiting Malta over New Year's Eve and as we were not sure yet on which date we could visit the Hypogeum, all of the online tickets were already gone. Worthwhile to note: In the less busy winter season the urge to book weeks or even months in advance did not seem to be that bad. Whenever I was looking up if by chance a ticket slot might open online, you could normally buy entry tickets 2-3 weeks in advance. This timeframe was unfortunately not working for us, as we were staying only slightly more than a week.

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Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town

J_neveryes Canada - 07-Feb-24

Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town

If you spend some time to explore Hebron, you will find a city where its resident do their best to live a life of normalcy despite Israeli military control and restriction on freedom of movement and economic activities.

We visited the city of Hebron by public bus from Jerusalem - you can find the buses that go to the West Bank at a bus station near [...]

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Aksum

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 25-Jan-24

Aksum

Site visited in January 2024. Aksum is well covered by the previous reviewers, but since 8 years have passed since the latest review, I decided to add a new one.

Aksum is treated as the true cradle of Ethiopia, both in terms of state and religious power. State, because it was the first great kingdom in these areas, stretching from today's eastern Sudan to the footholds on the Arabian Peninsula. Religious, because Aksum in the 4th century adopted Christianity, which is still the dominant religion in Ethiopia. Aksum is home to the most important church in Ethiopia - the Church of Our Lady of Zion. In fact, there are two churches of this name - the old one, from the 17th century, and the new one, built on the orders of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1965. The old one is located within the monastery, so only men can enter it. The new one is available for women and men

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Kilifi Caves (Panga Ya Saidi, Mawe Meru and Chasimba Caves) (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 18-Jan-24

Kilifi Caves (Panga Ya Saidi, Mawe Meru and Chasimba Caves) (T)

I visited all three components although Mawe Meru appears to be just the black rocks on top of Chasimba Caves which is even marked so on the map. Also I don't see ANY cave. Maybe 70,000 years ago this was a cave system and has now been eroded to just have rocks. Both cave sites are taken care of by the local family (unofficially?) and they'll be happy to take you on a small tour. By tour it means you walk over sharp karst and maybe fall if you aren't careful - honestly this is so not recommended to visit. My advice is to save you some money (not that it cost a lot to tip them) and just take a picture of the wall rock as you drive past it

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Shirakami-Sanchi

Svein Elias Norway - 04-Feb-24

Shirakami-Sanchi

Our first “mainland” Japanese whs in our Japanese quest July '23 was Shirakami-Sanchi. The shinkansen took us from Hokkaido to Aomori Honshu and a local train further on to Hirosaki where we picked up a rental car and then spent the night. The next morning, we drove the 40-50 min to Shirakami-Sanchi Information Centre near Aqua Village Anmon. The map shows that road 28 could take us somehow into the core zone if we just went far enough, but we assumed correctly that driving was impossible. Road 28 has been totally closed since 2020 – probably due to avalanches and broken-down bridges. The remaining option was the hike to Anmon Falls.

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The Cultural Heritage of Yeha (T)

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 25-Jan-24

The Cultural Heritage of Yeha (T)

Yeha is the remainings of the most ancient kingdom of present Ethiopia, which dates back to the 8th century BC. The Kingdom of Yeha maintained active contacts with Yemen and used the Sabaic language. In Yeha there is the oldest building still standing in Sub-Saharan Africa - the Great Temple once dedicated to Almaqah, the god of the moon (see photo). The temple was destroyed in the 6th century AD, when Christianity already reigned supreme in these areas, which, as we know, until recently did not like competition and actively suppressed it. The Christians did not turn the entire temple into a church, but partially demolished it to build their own place of worship nearby

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Le parc national de la Kibira (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 18-Jan-24

Le parc national de la Kibira (T)

A natural extension to Rwanda’s Nyungwe NP, boasting the same floral and fauna. That park has already got a great review so I won't bump it down with my scribblings. Instead I can focus on the Burundi side which is easier to reach than the loooong drive from Kigali.

I dropped my bag off in town and took a bus from COTEBU market to Bugarama. It's a single road so you can't do much wrong. Just ask the drivers for Bugarama and they'll advice you. My empty bus departed soon and took 90 minutes, costing me 10k francs

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Sacred Landscapes of Tigray (T)

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 24-Jan-24

Sacred Landscapes of Tigray (T)

Of the places proposed by the state party, I visited only one, although probably the most spectacular - Abuna Yemata Guh, part of the Gheralta Sacred Landscape.

The Eastern Churches were fond of building temples in difficult places, but Abuna Yemata Guh was probably the most inaccessible of those I had ever seen (a few hours later I visited Debre Damo, which is even more inaccessible). To get there, you have to climb an almost vertical rock wall. Fortunately, local residents make money by helping visitors and in this case they offered harnesses, rope support and personal assistance in the most difficult parts. Without this help from our family, only I would be able to climb, but I wouldn't feel good without any protection. This is definitely not a place for people afraid of heights, you walk along a narrow ledge where you can't even put two feet next to you, and a false move ends with you falling several meters lower

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Amsterdam Canal Ring

Hubert Austria - 06-Feb-24

Amsterdam Canal Ring

The Netherlands should be praised for limiting its Amsterdam nomination to the most beautiful part of the city, the Canal Ring. It is great fun to walk along the canals and admire the façades and details of the architecture. No two gables look the same. This is of course well known and has already been highlighted by previous reviewers. So why another review? The answer is: just to recommend also taking a look behind the façades of these impressive canal houses.

In June 2023 I had a scientific meeting at Amsterdam University and I was able to extend my stay to the following weekend. I had visited Amsterdam several times before, including the obligatory canal cruise and non-WHS stuff not to be missed like the Rijksmuseum and van Gogh Museum

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Mana Pools

Svein Elias Norway - 04-Feb-24

Mana Pools

Zimbabwe has been on our radar since we started visiting sub-Sahara Africa some years ago. Late September '23 we realized the trip.

Our trip was a road trip starting in Lusaka Zambia southbound and our first goal was (except secondary goal of Chirundu twhs in Zambia) Mana Pools National Park. It’s the site that really drives the cost on this trip. The park is a valley hosting the Zambezi River on the northern border to Zambia and is famous for its dry season wildlife gatherings. The WHS consists of three areas (Mana Pools, Sapi and Chewore), but we were told that Mana is by far the best area - for wildlife encounters.

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Forth Bridge

Patrik Netherlands - 30-Jan-24

Forth Bridge

I took a regular 747 stagecoach bus straight from Edinburgh Airport that dropped me at the slip road to the south of old road bridge. I crossed the road under the pedestrian passage and climbed the viewpoint arriving there just after sunset. This is also the site where the Unesco plaque is displayed these days. 

I walked around admiring the bridge from several viewpoints in South Queensferry, then walked accross the old road bridge to the north side. Luckily the railway bridge is illuminated at night so it was still worthwhile to do this in the dark. On the north side one can appreciate the cantilever construction better as on the south side it starts further offshore.

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Belize Barrier Reef

Patrik Netherlands - 30-Jan-24

Belize Barrier Reef

I wanted to point out here one possibility that has not yet turned up in the reviews so far.

I took an afternoon snorkeling excursion from Placensia to the Laughing Bird Caye. The excursion took about 3.5 hours, including a 35 minute choppy boat ride, a short stay on the tiny island and a round of snorkeling and came at a cost of 85 USD.

When our small tour group of three arrived at the tiny island, it was very busy with a big boat moored nearby. It was a strange contrast with the quiet beach in Placensia where we arrived from.

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The Underwater City of Port Royal (T)

Els Slots The Netherlands - 14-Feb-24

The Underwater City of Port Royal (T)

We saw confirmation in December 2023 that Jamaica planned to submit The Underwater City of Port Royal as its 2025 nomination; whether they did so in time I could not verify. It will be their fourth attempt to get this site inscribed. It was rejected in 1988 (only the terrestrial area, deemed of national importance only), deferred in 2019 (more focus on the 17th century needed and worries about a cruise ship pier) and had an incomplete dossier last year. In 2019 ICOMOS did find some potential OUV though (“a possibly unrivalled illustration of an English colonial town in the 17th century”) and Jamaica may now have taken the right path of approach that will lead to an inscription

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The Historic Town of Gedi (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 19-Jan-24

The Historic Town of Gedi (T)

Gedi is to be nominated very soon and I wouldn't be surprised if it slides through even though the visitor centers are all "Kenyan style" half built and then left forgotten. It can do without so just seeing the ruins is enough.

You arrive at the main gate where you can pick 3 tickets. If you are into snakes and butterflies stolen from the nearby forest then be my guest. They also guilt you into thinking you are supporting the local community this way. What you could do it hire a guide for the Gedi ruins alone. I chose not to because Gedi is like Angkor Wat and you explore overgrown ruins on your own. Zoe Croft was not going to miss out on this one!! (Don't want a sidekick for that!)

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Dreams in Stone - the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee (T)

Hubert Austria - 29-Jan-24

Dreams in Stone - the palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria: Neuschwanstein, Linderhof and Herrenchiemsee (T)

It seems I'm going to be the party pooper here with my "thumbs down". But now that Palaces of King Ludwig II have been nominated for decision in 2025, one critical view may be appropriate. The nomination was controversial among the local population. In a ballot in the municipality of Schwangau in June 2023, 56% of citizens voted in favour of the nomination (with a turnout of 56%), so not really overwhelming. The residents near Neuschwanstein are mainly concerned about a further increase in visitor numbers. Those in favour of the nomination argue that the number is already 1.5 million per year and that more can hardly be expected.

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Lower Valley of the Awash

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 19-Jan-24

Lower Valley of the Awash

I'm pleased to announce that another blank spot on the review map on this site is being erased. Although this WHS has its reviews, they come from people who have not visited it. Still, they were useful - thanks in particular to Solivagant for the tips.

Seeing the place where Lucy's remains were discovered takes quite an effort. The permit is still necessary, but obtaining it in Semera, according to my guide, is not difficult. Getting to the excavation site is a bit more complicated. To get there, in the village of Eli Wiha, turn towards the Awash River. A local guide is absolutely necessary (they assign him with a policeman at the police checkpoint in Eli Wiha). After exactly 44 kilometers, we reach a place that is about 200 meters from the 'road' paved by 4WD cars. People live in the area, but it is extremely inhospitable. Even in January - the coldest month - it was over 30 degrees and almost no shade

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Moidams (T)

Szucs Tamas Hungary - 21-Jan-24

Moidams  (T)

Assam - and the whole of north-east India - is not only now a fairly remote corner of the subcontinent, it always has been. None of the great Indian empires reached here - neither Asoka nor the great Mughals conquered this region. From the 13th century until the beginning of the British Raj in 1828, the Ahom dynasty ruled over large and small parts of the tea belt.Traditionally and culturally the Ahoms are member of the Great Tai (Tai-Yai) group of peoples. In the year 1215 CE, the Ahoms migrated from Mong-Mao or Mong-Mao-Lung (present Dehong Dai Jingpho autonomous prefecture of South-Western Yunan province of Peoples Republic of China)

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Tombs of Buganda Kings

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 18-Jan-24

Tombs of Buganda Kings

As of 2024 the main building is still under renovation. You arrive in the busy area of Kampala to be taken to a mandatory guide who explains mostly well until you get to the main building. I wasn't really impressed and I find 4 generations of kings hardly an impressive feat in the world. It is mildly interesting to hear how cultures works around here but no way would I recommend it. In fact after the first building, the drum building and the view from the large center one is taken around graveyards and SLUMS that are actually housing of the king's wives

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Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi (T)

Carlo Sarion Philippines | New Zealand - 21-Jan-24

Bahá

Despite having the flu that was worsened by the awful smog, I decided to visit the Lotus Temple on the morning of our last day in Delhi in December 2023. I knew that I was going to regret not visiting it since it was close to our hotel (we were staying in Friend's Colony). My visit turned out to be quite wonderful, contrary to what Ralf had unfortunately experienced. Some notes about my visit:

1. The Information Centre - the centre is at the opposite end of the walkway leading to the temple. It contains heaps of information about the Baha'i faith: its origin, contemporary history, basic teachings and philosophy, religious sites around the world, social work, and community service projects

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Harar Jugol

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 18-Jan-24

Harar Jugol

It's been 17 years since Solivagant visited Harar and wrote about it in a review that was so comprehensive that no one added a new one after that. Bowing to the previous reviewer, I will try not to repeat myself and add a few new elements, current as of January 2024.

Not much seems to have changed in these 17 years. We were surprised by the fact that Harar is a very lively urban center, both inside and outside the old city. We were lucky enough to sleep in a traditional Harari house and the scenery was indeed fantastic (see photo #1).

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VIKING MONUMENTS AND SITES / Vestfold Ship Burials and Hyllestad Quernstone Quarries (T)

Jarek Pokrzywnicki Polska - 23-Jan-24

VIKING MONUMENTS AND SITES / Vestfold Ship Burials and Hyllestad Quernstone Quarries (T)

Visited in August, 2023 during long Scandinavian tour (Sweden, Norway, Denmark). Original nomination comprise of 4 components but one of them (Hyllestad Quernstone Quarries) is inconveniently located on the western coastal part of Norway (north of Bergen, more than 500 km from Oslo, including ferry crossing) I decided to focus on 3 other locations that are placed near Oslo.

The Gokstad Mound (Gokstadhaugen, different name: Kongshaugen) lies on the outskirts of Sandefjord, google coordinates 59.14027233638874, 10.253360500311365. It is a big burial tumulus (5 meters high, 50 meters in diameter) where one of Viking kings / chieftains was buried together with his boat and other equipment. The ship was constructed in late IX century and discovered in late XIX century during excavations. Tumulus seemed to be plundered in ancient times as no gold or silver artefacts were found but still archaeologists discovered remnants of riding equipment, sledge, tent as well as human and animal bones. The site currently is open free of charge, fenced and looked as well maintained

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Jingkieng jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes (T)

Szucs Tamas Hungary - 21-Jan-24

Jingkieng jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes (T)

Although our tour operator first suggested the Double Decker bridge, it became clear to me that the seven-hour round-trip trek, which reviewers usually describe as "gruelling", "steep" or even "moderately difficult", was probably unfeasible for me. The two options left besides Cherrapunjee are the semi-destroyed bridge, which can be accessed by a concrete road, and the one in the village of Riwai. We chose the latter and did well. I don't know how to get to the bridge by public transport - but in India, this is not really an issue, I don't think there are any tourists who want to travel around North-East India by public transport

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Rwenzori Mountains

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 16-Jan-24

Rwenzori Mountains

I can't add much new to this site. I did even less hiking than Els doing only 4.75km to the first camp and then back to the main gate. It is easy to add this to any itinerary but not usually offered by your agencies by default as they don't expect tourists wanting to visit. The road from Kasese is long and rough though. You won't experience anything special on your hike as the exclusive flora is deep in the range which means a 7 day trek is required. It's mainly done by hardcore trekkers. The camps will be cold, no shower, tough hiking if it's raining. The best part of my journey was the scenery around me. Surrounded by lush forest butterflies, birds, a monkey here and there is good, but the peaks in the near distance make you believe this is Jurassic Park. No road, people in sight

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Dirre Sheik Hussein (T)

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 18-Jan-24

Dirre Sheik Hussein (T)

When planning a family trip to Ethiopia (January 2024), I wanted to see as many places from the tentative list as possible. Dire Sheikh Hussein seemed like the perfect stop on the way from the Bale Mountains to Harar. In practice, however, something different turned out. The town is located in the middle of nowhere, but it has the mausoleum of Sheikh Hussein, the 13th-century scholar from Somalia who introduced Islam to eastern Ethiopia and founded the Bale Sultanate. The mausoleum is considered one of the most important sites for Muslims in Ethiopia and is a pilgrimage site commemorating the day of Sheikh Husein's birth and death.

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Archaeological site of Ancient Messene (T)

Geo.Mav - 21-Jan-24

I live in the area. I have to say that the Ancient Messene Archeological Site is the equivalent of what you would like to visit and see in Ancient Sparta. The monuments from Spartans have been destroyed or stolen during the centuries. Now there's almost nothing left in Sparta. On the other hand, the Messinians have not been "famous" like Spartans, so there is much to see. The poor people of Messinia had to endure the constant wars with Spartans. So, instead of visiting Sparta you can visit the Archeological site of Ancient Messene and learn both for Spartans and Messinians. The Archeological Site has many ancient buildings (theaters, stadium, etc). The site is a 20-30 minutes drive from the small Kalamata International Airport or 40 minutes drive from Kalamata.

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Maasai Mara Game Reserve (T)

Solivagant UK - 20-Jan-24

Maasai Mara Game Reserve (T)

Wildebeest crossing the Mara River......  Undoubtedly one of the great “mass gathering” wild-life “experiences” of the World, up there with e.g the butterflies of Mexico and the penguins of S Georgia. I use the word “experiences” because it is so much more than a mere “sight” - I particularly remember the chaos and noise! The Maasai Mara Game Reserve (MMGR) offers fine wildlife viewing in other ways too with all those animals out on the plains and the resulting very visible carnivore population

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Nyandarua Mountains (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 11-Jan-24

Nyandarua Mountains (T)

The site is still called Aberdares Range no matter what the description says. It could be be that only certain mountains are to be inscribed but the waterfalls are definitely the highlight of your trip through the range 

I entered at the Mutubio West Gate which isn't far from Lake Nakuru although the road can be a bit tough. It gets surprisingly better as you get closer to the gate. Ensure you have your eCitizen ticket ready because there is no data connection in the range.

Your first stop from here will be Karuru Waterfall which is a bumpy ride but well wirh it. From the parking lot you walk a few minutes for spectacular views across the valley and down the falls. It's a triple stage drop that is best scene from the right side. If your route is like mine and another group I met here then you should enjoy it a bit longer. The rest of the range won't be as good

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Bale Mountains National Park

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 15-Jan-24

Bale Mountains National Park

Site visited in January 2024.

It took almost 45 years to finally inscribe this place on the list and I am wondering why. After my visit I think the site definitely has OUV. Anyway, the park administration is so happy with the inscription that already 4 months later there are new billboards advertising Bale as a world heritage site. There is no commemorative plaque or UNESCO logo, or at least I couldn’t find it.

The park is in many respects unique and important for three countries - rivers starting here supply water to Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. And they have something to power them with, because the rainy season here lasts 9 months.

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Íznik (T)

Ilya Burlak USA - 18-Jan-24

Íznik (T)

I spent a bit over three hours in Íznik in October of 2023. That was enough time to stop by three of the town's gates, explore several mosques, peruse the museum collection at the historic soup kitchen building, stroll around the central town a bit, and glance at the Roman theater from behind the fence. I also initially planned to go to the Tile Museum, but that was curtailed due to the amount of time I spent on breakfast in the morning.

Of the gates, the Lefke on the eastern side is the most interesting to explore, while Yenişehir on the southern edge is the most fortress-like

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Saint Catherine Area

Philipp Peterer Switzerland - 18-Jan-24

Saint Catherine Area

Most has been mentioned about the monastery itself, so I won’t go into details. According to their website, the monastery is closed on Friday and Sunday, so I picked Saturday to go there. Further the museum and church closed at 11:30 that day, so better early if you want to visit them. We also skipped visiting the mountain. If you are not religious, there is in my opinion little incentive to climb such a mountain.

I went to the monastery from Sharm El Sheikh by rental car and apart from the usual [...]

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La résidence royale du Burundi: Le cas de Gishora (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 10-Jan-24

I disagree this is a site for world heritage. It is already an INTANGIBLE site on the list and the rest of the place isn't what it was back in the day. Sacred sites are indeed on the WHS list and I wouldn't be surprised if it gets added but while the field may be sacred, the houses are traditional style and the performances are quite enjoyable, it's 85% intangible drumming and dancing. Also if you come alone they won't perform unless I pay a lot but worse is that it would feel strange to be the only guest, but they said I could wait for another group they expect later. Another hour later they did indeed show up and I only had to chip in for the total costs. The group also offered me to drive back on the Route 2 which saved me some bus journey time

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Les paysages naturels sacrés de Muramvya, de Mpotsa et de Nkiko-Mugamba (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 10-Jan-24

Les paysages naturels sacrés de Muramvya, de Mpotsa et de Nkiko-Mugamba (T)

This entry is just odd and I don't even want to try and understand what exactly wants to be inscribed. There is a "mansion" house (look like from the 60s and hardly special) with a neat broken tomb and somehow there is a museum nearby. Does the tribal houses museum belong to the entry? Also the building at Muramwvya is shut, abandoned and not used in decades. This is the easiest site to visit. For the second one would need some more effort by bus, perhaps private car on the small road if you dare, and the third is off-road so I don't think it's possible to visit at all. Or maybe it just means the fields in that area overall - well guess what they are not special..

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Central Karakorum National Park (T)

Solivagant UK - 11-Jan-24

Central Karakorum National Park (T)

I commence this “review” of the "Central Karakorum National Park" (CKKNP) by stating that I am somewhat shame-faced to proffer a report of such a “puny” visit to this magnificent natural T List site. I do so purely to contribute to the “Community objective” of having as many T List sites reviewed here as possible and not from any suggestion that we, in any way, fully visited and appreciated it

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Danube Delta

Clyde Malta - 15-Jan-24

Danube Delta

I visited this WHS using Tulcea as my base for a couple of days. I took a private tour with one of the several companies, with a certified birder/guide on board, for a full day exploring just a few highlights of this vast WHS. When dealing with the company, make sure to opt for the earliest departure time possible, as most bird activity happens around sunrise and again around sunset. I paid a bit extra to make sure to cover both periods of the day, without any lunch stops and it was worth it.

Make sure to turn off your data roaming already from Tulcea as Ukraine is really close by and [...]

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Los Petenes-Ría Celestún (T)

Can SARICA Turkey - Canada - 13-Jan-24

Los Petenes-Ría Celestún (T)

I am quite surprised that there are no reviews about this delightful place, and only a small number of community members have explored this popular tourist spot that is easily accessible. Our visit coincided with our journey from another WHS, Campeche, to Merida. The main roads in Yucatan are modern and well-maintained. We covered two-thirds of the journey on the highway and the rest through picturesque villages, encountering only one police check. Such moments in Mexico can be nerve-wracking, given past experiences of being asked for bribes by the police for unknown and irrelevant reasons. Nevertheless, we reached the boat departure area, Parador Turístico Flamingos Boating Celestún, located just 5 minutes inland from the main beach, without any issues.

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Guanajuato

Kyle Magnuson California - United States of America - 08-Jan-24

Guanajuato

Clearly, based on the reviews thus far there is no need to go into the magic of Guanajuato! The music of the Callejoneada, the beautiful plazas (personal favorite, Plaza de San Fernando), Teatro Juarez, and the University steps each offer their own reward. The numerous historic Churches are noteworthy, though I would highlight Templo de San Francisco and the surrounding small streets 'Manuel Doblado' and 'Del Campanero' as particularly worthwhile areas to explore. Based on the glowing reviews here, I determined 4 days in Guanajuato would be ideal, considering there would be some closures on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The festive holidays only added to the city's beauty

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Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 06-Jan-24

First off sorry there's no pictures. It is hard to spot good stuff from above the water and even when one does it will be hard to photograph. From the boat and shore most of the time I only saw the common jellyfish anyway.

I figure this isn't going to be combined with the adjacent Gwaii Haanas NP due to it being mixed culture/nature focus rather than just marine biology. We are talking about a large area between the park and the lower mainland that is considered. The waters here are quite shallow and having brought in the minerals from the ocean the hotspot here thrives. Even the ferry across has to take a specific route to have deep waters to get through. 

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Gedeo Cultural landscape

Wojciech Fedoruk Poland - 15-Jan-24

Gedeo Cultural landscape

Site visited in January 2024 as a family trip.

The Gedeo cultural landscape is a recent entry on the UNESCO list, located in a very fertile place, on the slopes of the Rift Valley. The area is green even in the dry season, almost everything is grown here - from coffee to tropical fruits to potatoes and grain.

The area is inhabited by the Gedeo people, who are said to have created unique rules for coexistence and use of natural resources. It's hard to tell when you're there, because the place is currently completely neglected when it comes to serving visitors. Fortunately, the state party provided a comprehensive map of places of interest, so we had a starting point. And on the main road from Hawassa to the Kenyan border there are signs to specific places of interest.

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Syracuse

Alikander99 Spain - 16-Jan-24

I just realised no one here has actually gone to the neapolis archaelogical park, which is one of the 3 main components of the site so...i'll give my impression.

The archaelogical site IS unfortunately nothing too impressive. I recall a Big greek theatre, a small Roman aphiteatre (both in a somewhat patchy state especially for Italy) and the ancient limestone quarries. Mostly I just walked around the ruins. It's not bad but I would say selinunte or agrigento are much better places to get a feel of the greek past of the island.

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Villages with Fortified Churches

Clyde Malta - 11-Jan-24

Villages with Fortified Churches

I visited all locations of this WHS by car except the one in Darjiu using Sibiu and Brasov as my bases. Although most of these villages with fortified churches were quite remote, all have very good roads leading to them except for the last couple of metres of some of them which were unpaved so I parked my car and used this as an excellent excuse to explore the old colourful villages before most of their fortified churches. The horse-drawn wooden carts were still in use in 2023 although are being quickly replaced by cars.

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Ring of cenotes of Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan (T)

Can SARICA Turkey - Canada - 13-Jan-24

Ring of cenotes of Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan (T)

After a delightful morning exploring the charming city of Izamal, our journey to Uxmal took us through the captivating Zona de Cenotes. This not only added another tick to our UNESCO travel list but also posed the enticing question: What better way to spend the afternoon than immersing ourselves in the tranquil embrace of a cenote? However, this enchanting opportunity came with the challenge of selecting the perfect one from the hundreds in the peninsula, with 99 specifically shortlisted for consideration.

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Coastal Forests of Kenya (Arabuko Sokoke Forest and Shimba Hills National Reserve) (T)

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 10-Jan-24

Coastal Forests of Kenya (Arabuko Sokoke Forest and Shimba Hills National Reserve) (T)

"Thin elephant red soil", the translation for Arabuko Sokoke Forest, is in my top 3 sites in all of Kenya, and Kenya has a lot of sites/parks!! Arabuko actually means nothing but was taken from a hunter's tribe language that came through and must have seen thin elephants. Red soil is the soil you will see in the park beyond the gate. I spent a full day here and I highly recommend you do the same. I did not visit the small Shima Hills as it was not my way.

The park opens at 6am and if you are interested in birds that's when you want to head in. Stay at the Mida Creek camps for quick access

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Fort Jesus

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 06-Jan-24

Fort Jesus

Oh jeez, they named a fort after Jesus? Well unlike the prophet the fort is not special, at all. So the unique points are that it was numero uno European (Portuguese) fort in the area of this style, second being that it was taken over by the Omanis. You can get around the entire fort within 20 minutes as it's so small. If you want to hire a guide they will approach you as you get to the entrance already and the ticket check lady asked me again as I entered. I think there are only two places that they would be useful. 1. The great wall painting and I would say that IS the best about the fort if not for it being remade in the 60s. Here there would be explanations to appreciate it more

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Lamu Old Town

Zoë Sheng Chinese-Canadian - 06-Jan-24

Lamu Old Town

Ignore my pictures.I tried to get the collage to do LAMU but that didn't work after all so now it's like a Central America facade every town spells out. It should really be "LAME" though.

I flew in from Nairobi which is almost daily. You can also fly from Mombasa and Malindi, with a few other smaller towns as less frequent opens. I was originally going to drive up to see things on the way but the mainland town won't be safe for your car and you'll waste money hiring it for that long anyway, not to mention then drive back down south to return the car. When you arrive by plane you get on a ferry (public is 200sh at 2024 rate) or a private boat for 500 especially necessary if you staying at Shela. Usually a hotel will arrange meetup. Staying at Lamu has several choices. The seafront hotels are a safe bet and they have restaurants too. I stayed at a smaller one that was still clean and spacious. I am not sure I want to recommend staying in Lamu though

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Tomb of Ahi Evran (T)

Stanislaw Warwas Poland - 08-Jan-24

Tomb of Ahi Evran (T)

Visited November 2023

I do not even know what to write about this site… And I do not wonder that till now no reviews of this site.

Kırshehir, where in the real centre of the city the small complex with the tomb of Ahi Evran is located – but we are not sure if this is the exact place and the exact tomb belonging to him – can be easily visited while traveling between Ankara and Cappadocia. (There’s also another tWHS in the city, one of the Seljuk madrassas.) The tombs itself is nothing special and the mosque where it is located shows no any unique features for a non-Turkish traveller. Its T shape as a uniqueness does not convince me…

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