New Inscriptions in 2013

The 2013 WHC Session added 19 Sites bringing the total to 980.

Agadez

Agadez
Photo by Jiří Horák .

The Historic Centre of Agadez comprises an original mudbrick urban landscape that developed when the Sultanate of Aïr started a process of sedentarisation.

Agadez was an important centre in the trans-Saharan caravan trade from the 15th century onward. The town was built based on the structure of existing Tuareg encampments. Notable buildings, next to many traditional houses, include the Palace of the Sultan of Aïr, the Grand Mosque including its 27 metre tall minaret (the world’s tallest minaret made entirely of mudbrick), and Hotel de l’Aïr, originally a palace.

Community Perspective: the common thread here is overcoming the non-stop red travel warnings that have been in place for this Tuareg stronghold since 2007. Thomas managed to reach it by bus in 2011, while Wojciech did so by domestic flight in 2019: “It is really authentic and gives an impression of how Saharan cities looked like a couple of hundred years ago”.

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Al Zubarah

Al Zubarah
Photo by Els Slots.

Al Zubarah Archaeological Site is a partly excavated fortified town that flourished due to pearling and trade.

The town on the coast of the Persian Gulf was newly built by Kuwaiti merchants and developed as a small independent state that flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was mostly destroyed after an attack by the Sultan of Oman in 1811 and subsequently were covered by desert sands. The area contains remains of the town walls, port, cemeteries, courtyard houses and fort.

Community Perspective: the fort is tiny and the excavations at the archeological site are mostly covered up again, but Els reported in Nov 2023 that it is worth taking the free guided tour along the site via the recently constructed boardwalk.

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Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
Photo by Els Slots.

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is a monumental Baroque and Romantic garden landscape renowned for its monumental water structures.

The dramatic water displays were laid out by Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel in 1689 to display his power as an absolute ruler. He derived his ideas from Italian, French and English examples of garden art. Water descends from the Giant statue of Hercules, passing a water-wheel-powered organ, various fountains, waterfalls, basins and grottoes.

Community Perspective: Be sure to visit on a “Fountain Day” – the waterworks are only on display on Wednesday and Sunday. It’s quite a hike (5km) to get to the Hercules at the top of the hill, so park near the top if you want to save some energy. Els spent a full day at the site and her review gives an idea of what there is to see and do.

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El Pinacate

El Pinacate
Photo by Els Slots.

El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar National Biosphere Reserve represent a large and pristine desert landscape with a rich biodiversity.

The site located in the Sonoran Desert comprises the Pinacate shield, a dormant volcanic area, and Gran Altar Desert with its active sand dunes that can reach 200m in height. The dark-coloured volcanic area forms a stark visual contrast to the sea of dunes. Among the many endemic plants and mammals is the Sonoran Pronghorn.

Community Perspective: Start your visit at the excellent Schuk Toak visitor center, from where you can walk into the dunes or drive your car on the unpaved roads (better with high clearance) into the volcanic part of the park as described by Kyle. Els visited as part of an overnight camping tour.

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Fujisan

Fujisan
Photo by Els Slots.

Fujisan is a majestic stratovolcano that is revered as sacred and inspirational in the Shinto belief.

Pilgrims have climbed this often snow-capped volcano since ancient times to worship the mountain. At the foot of the mountain, Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and lodging houses were built. Mt. Fuji also has been an inspiration for artists and these interpretations made the mountain gain fame globally.

Community Perspective: This site has 25 components, so the reviews are scattered around between them with only 2 people having climbed it. Among the lower areas, the Fuji Five Lakes region (Frederik, Hubert) is a good choice, as well as Fujinomiya (Els, Nan). Both Tsunami and Nan also describe festivals.

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Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace
Photo by Els Slots.

The Golestan Palace is a 19th-century royal residence that shows the merging of Persian and European styles, motifs and architecture.

The buildings were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran's 16th-century Historic Citadel. The Palace was rebuilt to its current form in 1865 by Haji Abol-hasan Mimar Navai and is seen as an exceptional testimony to the Qajari Era. The site comprises eight palaces surrounding a garden.

Community Perspective: The painted tilework is a highlight here, as well as the marble throne and the tomb of Naser ed-Din Shah. The site is also notorious for its weird ticketing scheme, where you have to choose beforehand how many of the palaces/museums you want to enter and pay accordingly.

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Hani Rice Terraces

Hani Rice Terraces
Photo by Els Slots.

The Cultural Landscape of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces consists of irrigated rice paddies, forested mountain tops and farming villages where farming and water management are combined.

This landscape spread across three valleys has been developed over the past 1300 years by the Hani people, one of China's official ethnic minority groups. It is the most concentrated area of steep rice terraces in China. The terraces are irrigated via a complex system of channels that transport water from the surrounding mountain tops.

Community Perspective: “The subject of many coffee table books”. Els made it there on a rainy day in 2019 (it takes a full day to reach from the nearest big city, Kunming), while Zoë introduces us to the world of Chinese hobby photographers.

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Hill Forts of Rajasthan

Hill Forts of Rajasthan
Photo by Carlo Sarion.

The Hill Forts of Rajasthan are six massive fortifications built in the eclectic Rajput cultural tradition.

They reflect the elaborate, fortified seats of power of Rajput princely states that flourished between the 8th and 18th centuries and their relative political independence. The fortresses protected their palaces, temples and often also had urban settlements within their walls.

Community Perspective: the included forts are Chittorgarh Fort (Clyde), Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort (Clyde), Gagron Fort, Amber Fort (the easiest to visit as it is just outside Jaipur - Els, Clyde, Nan, Joel), and Jaisalmer Fort (Clyde). Jaisalmer Fort may be the “best” because it is still inhabited and it lies in the Thar desert close to the Pakistan border.

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Kaesong

Kaesong
King Kongmin's tomb (photo provided by Solivagant).

The Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong represent the capital of the Koryo dynasty with its associated tombs and set of beliefs.

The Koryo (918-1392) unified Korea and during their reign, Buddhism was replaced by Confucianism as the main religion. Kaesong was developed in a geomantic setting, using the surrounding mountain tops as markers. The designated area covers 12 remaining Koryo monuments and sites, including parts of the city walls, former educational institutions, memorial sites and mausolea.

Community Perspective: Kaesong usually features on the itineraries of the standard guided tours of North Korea, but which parts you get to see is a matter of luck. Solivagant was led to King Kongmin’s Tomb and had some views of old-looking buildings from afar. AC went to Sonjuk Bridge, the Namdaemum, the Koryo Museum and the tomb of King Wang Gon.

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Levuka

Levuka
Photo in the Public Domain.

Levuka Historical Port Town is a Pacific urban landscape that represents the effects of 19th-century British colonisation based on maritime extraction and export.

This port on Ovalau Island was developed by colonisers and became the first colonial capital of Fiji. The town generally consists of single or two-storied wooden buildings, merging local traditions with colonial standards. The preserved monuments include the former Cakobau Parliament House site, the Sacred Heart Cathedral, residential and commercial buildings, churches, schools and constructions related to port activities.

Community Perspective: Getting to Levuka from Nandi, Fiji (where most international flights land) is quite an effort. The place seems abandoned but still has charm. Anthony describes what you may expect from a visit.

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Medici Villas and Gardens

Medici Villas and Gardens
Photo by Els Slots.

The Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany are a group of residences in the countryside built by the Medici family.

They are illustrative of their patronage of the arts during the Italian Renaissance. The Medici’s used their rural villas for leisure and dedicated time to the arts and knowledge. The villas were built in harmony with their gardens and the surrounding environment.

Community Perspective: Around Florence, the Villa della Petraia, the garden of the Villa di Castello and the Giardino di Boboli provide a good introduction, while the Villa di Poggio a Caiano (20km away) is recommended as well for its interior. As per Hubert’s review, who has tried to visit all 14 locations, many of the villas are not open to the public or accessible by special appointment only.

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Mount Etna

Mount Etna
Photo by Els Slots.

Mount Etna is of great scientific significance as it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

Its almost continuous series of eruptions have been documented since ancient times, making it an important destination for the study of volcanology. Etna’s top is a conical stratovolcano with four summit craters. Various volcanic phenomena such as craters, lava caves, lava flows and cinder cones are clearly visible.

Community Perspective: Although the volcano can be seen from afar, the core zone is limited to the most strictly protected areas. For most components except the lower remains of lava flows, you need to do some serious hiking (as done by Els, Nan and Aspasia) or take a guided jeep tour (as Jay and Ilya did). Also, have a look at Joël’s video of what it looks like in bad weather.

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Namib Sand Sea

Namib Sand Sea
Photo by Michael Novins.

The Namib Sand Sea is a coastal fog desert with extensive dune fields of high natural beauty.

Sand is carried and deposited here from afar, resulting in numerous coloured dune fields with massive shifting dunes. It is the habitat of several endemic invertebrate animals that have adapted to life in a hyper-arid desert environment and use fog as their primary source of water. The Namib Sand Sea is part of Namib-Naukluft Park.

Community Perspective: This is where the gecko licked its own eyeballs in David Attenborough’s ‘Planet Earth II: Deserts’. It’s the number 1 attraction of Namibia, best known for the spectacular beauty of the Sossusvlei and Dead Vlei.

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Red Bay Basque Whaling Station

Red Bay Basque Whaling Station
Photo by Randi & Svein.

Red Bay Basque Whaling Station comprises the archaeological remains of the largest pre-industrial whaling site in north-eastern Canada.

The station was founded in the 1530s by Basque sailors, who made an annual transatlantic voyage to the site for summer whale hunting. They processed the whales in situ and took the oil home to Europe. The remains are mostly underwater or covered up. They include traces of buildings (including ovens for melting the whale blubber), whalebone deposits and shipwrecks.

Community Perspective: even when whaling is not your thing, you’ll enjoy the beautiful surroundings of this site. Take the boat out to Saddle Island (closed during the bird nesting season). Red Bay lies far from anywhere, but it is a relatively easy add-on to a trip to Newfoundland by ferry (see Randi’s review for the ‘difficult’ approach by gravel road).

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Tajik National Park

Tajik National Park
Photo in the Public Domain.

Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs) is a very high mountainous and glacial landscape of spectacular beauty.

It lies at the center of the 'Pamir knot' where tectonic forces have pushed up the Himalaya, Karakoram, Hindu Kush, Kunlun and Tien Shan mountain ranges. Notable areas include the Fedchenko Glacier, the longest valley glacier outside of the Polar Regions, Sarez Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Central Asia, created by an earthquake-generated landslide, Karakul Lake, one of the highest salt lakes in the world and formed after a meteorite impact. Ismoil Somoni Peak (formerly known as Stalin Peak and Communism Peak), at 7,495 m high the highest peak in the Pamirs.

Community Perspective: all reviewers so far visited as part of a multi-day and permit-required trip along the Pamir Highway from Osh in Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan, which includes a stop at Lake Karakul.

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Tauric Chersonese

Tauric Chersonese
Photo in the Public Domain.

The Ancient City of Tauric Chersonese and its Chora covers an archaeological site and relict agricultural landscape of Greek origin.

Tauric Chersonese was colonized by the Greeks in the 5th century BCE. They created a city and its agricultural hinterland. Chersonese was a mercantile port, with wine, produced locally, one of the main export products. After the Greeks were defeated, the city fell into the realm of Rome and later Byzantium. It was abandoned in the 15th century.

Community Perspective: The site lies near Sevastopol in Crimea, which nowadays can only be accessed from Russia. The archeological site is quite large, with the so-called 1935 Basilica as its highlight and the Black Sea as a pretty backdrop.

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University of Coimbra

University of Coimbra
Photo by Els Slots.

The University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia represents an influential university from the medieval period till the modern times in the Portuguese-speaking world.

The University occupies its own districts around Sofia Street in the lower part of the city, and in the upper (Alta) part. Both hold a number of colleges and other institutions related to the University such as laboratories and the botanical garden.

Community Perspective: It’s the quintessential European University City. The main sight is the former Royal Palace of Alcaçova, with its Biblioteca Joanina.

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Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region

Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region
Photo by Els Slots.

The Wooden Tserkvas of the Carpathian Region in Poland and Ukraine comprise wooden churches built by horizontal log construction.

The 16 churches are located in isolated parts of the Carpathian Mountains. They were built in the local architecture by communities of the Eastern Orthodox and Greek Catholic faiths in the 16th to 19th centuries. They can be divided into four groups of different ethnographic architectural traditions.

Community Perspective: “The sites are an amazing mixture of outstanding architecture, beautiful wall paintings and interior decorations, and a picturesque landscape.” The churches in Slovakia are covered by most reviewers, while those in Ukraine have been described by Ian and Els (Zhovkha) and Tsunami (Nyzhnii Verbizh).

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Xinjiang Tianshan

Xinjiang Tianshan
Photo in the Public Domain.

Xinjiang Tianshan is a mountain range that holds glaciers, snowcapped peaks, alpine meadows, lakes and canyons.

These mountains are in stark contrast with the surrounding six deserts, of which part of the Taklamakan Desert is within the site’s borders. The biodiversity within its altitudinal natural zones is high, especially regarding vascular plants and wild fruit species.

Community Perspective: The most accessible components can be reached as a day trip from Urumqi, as Zos and Zoë did (both visited touristy Tianchi Lake in the Bogda mountain area). No special permit is needed for that.

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Extended Sites in 2013

Maloti-Drakensberg Park

Maloti-Drakensberg Park
Photo by Els Slots.

Maloti-Drakensberg Park is renowned for its density of rock art and mountain landscape.

The Drakensberg Mountains are the highest mountain range in Southern Africa. Its natural beauty derives from the rolling high-altitude grasslands and the pristine steep-sided river valleys and rocky gorges. It is an important habitat for plants (Drakensberg Alpine Region of South Africa) and a globally important endemic bird area. The diverse rock art was left behind by the San people who lived in the area for more than four millennia.

Community Perspective: this large area (one can easily spend 3 days) is good for hiking, seeing elands, and viewing the rock art at Game Pass Shelter in the Kamberg, Main Cave at Giant’s Castle and Battle Cave at Injasuti. Another highlight is the drive up the Sani Pass to Lesotho.

Oskar South Africa - 01-May-05

This Drakensberg story is one of retreat, beauty, relaxation and good eating.. The drive towards the Drakensberg Mountains swept over the undulating foothills down side-roads that snake along meandering countryside to our first destination Cleopatra Mountain Farmhouse. Cleopatra is tucked away in the beautiful Kamberg valley in the Drakensberg Mountains, it is a gourmet getaway where attention to detail is evident everywhere. The dining room and lounge are extended over a trout-filled dam that looks out across the water to the stunning mountains of the Southern Berg. It is a magical place - a secluded luxury hideaway where the most important factor is not to come here if you are on a diet!

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Mount Kenya

Mount Kenya
Photo by Roman Bruehwiler.

Mount Kenya National Park / Natural Forest protects the afro-alpine region surrounding Mount Kenya, the second-highest mountain in Africa at 5,199 m.

The mountain is an extinct volcano with 12 remnant glaciers on its slopes, which are retreating rapidly. Also, there are several small lakes and it is the main water catchment area for two large rivers in Kenya; the Tana and the Ewaso Ng'iso North. The site also comprises the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve in the foothills, which are within the African elephant migration route.

Community Perspective: This site requires an up-to-date review.

Zack Culvert USA - 04-Mar-06

There is a drought now all over Kenya, as the mini rainy season of Nov 2005 did not come. So the Masai bring their cattle and sheep up to the tourist area. This drove away the animals. The cows meanwhile are dying from the altitude and new germs which they have no resistence to. Seeing a lot of dead and dying cows being butchered was not fun.

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Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines

Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines
Photo by Els Slots.

The Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines show the historic evolution of European mining techniques.

Connected to the same geological rock salt deposit, the two underground mines were active from the 13th century until the late 20th century. The mining of salt, an important economic commodity, was a government monopoly. Early galleries have been preserved that extend to great depths, as well as exhibits that reflect the miners’ social and religious traditions.

Community Perspective: The Wieliczka Salt Mine is a classic tourist destination in the Krakow area – some like it (for the sculptures made of salt, and the engineering feats), while others find it overrated (“tacky”, “tourist trap”). Nan reflects on the Bochnia mine, which is a recent extension of this WHS.

CT England - 01-May-05

The Salt Mines were the best thing about our trip to Krakow. Get a mini bus from opposite the new Galleria Krakowski shopping centre for 2.5zl (about 70p in £ sterling)and it only takes about 20 minutes.

Thought the mines were fascinating and our guide was very knowledgeable. The Kinga Chapel is breathtaking.

Be prepared that the lift back to the surface is somewhat primitive, small and very crowded. But it's over in a few seconds so don't let it put you off.

You'll kick yourself if you miss this one!

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