Cultural sites connected to Cliffs

Cultural sites where the OUV fully or partly derives from being constructed in / on a cliff.

Connected Sites

Site Rationale Link
Ancient ksours Ouadane is built into a cliff
Australian Convict Sites Great North Road - The route up Devines Hill was cut into the cliff face
Baekje Historic Areas Nakhwaam Rock, The Cliff of Falling Flowers “Nakhwaam Cliff and spring sites in Busosanseong Fortress form the background to many legends related to the royal family of Baekje.” - Nomination File
Bamiyan Valley Bamiyan Buddha built into the cliff
City of Luxembourg "The Bock is a promontory in the north-eastern corner of Luxembourg City's old historical district. Offering a natural fortification, its rocky cliffs tower above the River Alzette, which surrounds it on three sides."
Cliff of Bandiagara
Costiera Amalfitana
Cuenca
Gorham's Cave Complex
Hahoe and Yangdong Hahoe and Yangdong "Gyeomamjeongsa Study Hall was built in 1567 by Ryu Ul-lyong. Set on the western end of the Buyongdae Cliff it is framed by pine forest, and has picturesque views out over the Hwacheon Stream to the hills beyond." "Wonjijeongsa Study Hall was built in 1576 by Ryu Seong-ryong on the edge of the river for his own study and for teaching. It consists of a study hall and an elevated square pavilion, from which there are views out across the river to the pine forests of Buyongdae Cliff and beyond to Mount Wonjisan."
Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump
Karlskrona the Polhem dock, is cut in the cliff itself and is still in use
Koguryo Kingdom "Geographical conditions were best used in the building of city walls, which reflected the architectual characteristics of the Koguryeo mountain city. The precipitous cliffs at the southeastern corner were used as the city walls. The seams were filled by stone tablets. Some of the other parts of the city walls were also built this way." - Nomination File
Le Morne
Masada
Matera
Mesa Verde
Meteora
Mont-Saint-Michel cliffs of Champeaux
Mount Athos "Over 1,000 monks live there in communities or alone, as well as in the 'desert' of Karoulia where cells cling to the cliff face rising steeply above the sea." (AB ev)
Mount Emei, including Leshan Giant Buddha Le Shan Buddha built into the cliff
Mount Wuyi "eighteen wooden boat coffins in rock shelters high on the steep cliffs" (AB ev ICOMOS)
Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands Cinque Terre's villages are built along the cliffs
Qadisha Valley Hermitages
Rio Abiseo National Park
Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France Rocamadour
Sceilg Mhichíl "an early religious settlement deliberately sited on a pyramidal rock in the ocean" (OUV)
Tower of Hercules The large urban park where the Tower is situated used to be military zones and was "recovered by the City Council of A Coruña in order to create an extensive green zone. (...) The value of this reclaimed area's landscape is immense; a coastline of great natural beauty, with sheer cliffs dropping down to the sea, forming a never-ending display of inlets and headlands upon which the waves of the Atlantic crash." (Nomination file, p. 14) The lighthouses "that were erected on Atlantic shores were built on coastal cliffs in particularly dangerous areas in order to direct ships away from the shallows, which could threaten their wooden hulls." (Nomination file, p. 137)
Wudang Mountains 72 cliff temples
Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art

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A connection should:

  1. Not be "self evident"
  2. Link at least 3 different sites
  3. Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
  4. Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
  5. Be explained, with reference to a source