New Inscriptions in 2016

The 2016 WHC Session added 21 Sites bringing the total to 1051.

Ahwar of Southern Iraq

Ahwar of Southern Iraq
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: refuge of biodiversity and the relict landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities covers the marshy delta that was home to the early Sumerian civilization.

The area lies in the joint delta of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, the river providing arable fields via the use of irrigation. It includes three archaeological sites of urban centers with monumental public architecture (Ur, Uruk and Tell Eridu) and four wetlands (the Huwaizah Marshes, Central Marshes, East Hammar and West Hammar Marshes) which are important for bird migration and fish species.

Community Perspective: both reviewers so far have focused on the archeological sites, the Ziggurat of Ur being the most appealing monument.

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Ani

Ani
Photo by Els Slots.

The Archaeological Site of Ani is a ruined medieval settlement that was a commercial center on the Silk Road and other trade routes into Anatolia.

Its heyday was in the 10th-11th century when it became the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom that covered much of present-day Armenia and eastern Turkey. At the time it was also the seat of the katholikos of the Armenian Church, resulting in fine examples of Armenian religious architecture

Community Perspective: Despite its remote setting, it can be quite easily reached from Kars by rental car or daily public bus. The site covers a vast area and you need 2-3 hours to do it justice. It’s also pretty in winter. The Church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents with its great frescoes is one of the highlights.

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Antequera Dolmens Site

Antequera Dolmens Site
Photo by Els Slots.

The Antequera Dolmens Site comprises three megalithic monuments placed against a geomorphic natural backdrop.

Built during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age out of large stone blocks, they were used as funeral monuments and for rituals. Their way of construction and design make them one of the most important engineering and architectural works of European Prehistory. They were built to interact with two natural visual landmarks, La Peña de los Enamorados and El Torcal.

Community Perspective: If you want to visit all the components, it will cost you half a day. Hubert has described what a full visit entails, while Solivagant has tried to unravel two of the mysteries that surround this site.

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Antigua Naval Dockyard

Antigua Naval Dockyard
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

The Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites are late 18th, early 19th century defensive structures made by the British Navy.

They were built in an ideal natural setting, around a series of bays known as the English Harbour. Enslaved laborers from plantations in the vicinity were sent to work on the dockyard. A wide range of buildings has survived. They were built in the Georgian style, with some modifications for the tropical climate.

Community Perspective: the site gets mixed reviews, but it is probably the only place of historic interest in Antigua. The dockyard area now unfortunately mostly is used for modern shops and restaurants which scream “tourist trap”.  Dow's Hill Interpretation Centre and Shirley’s Heights both have good views of the harbour and the short hike out to Fort Berkeley is recommended as well.

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Archaeological site of Philippi

Archaeological site of Philippi
Photo by Stanislaw Warwas.

The Archaeological Site of Philippi comprises the ruins of a city that saw its heyday in Roman and Early Christian times.

Philippi was founded in 356 BCE by the Macedon King Phillip II on a strategic location on the east-west route through his empire (later this became the Via Egnatia). When it became a Roman colony, the Hellenistic city was transformed by adding Roman public buildings. The city later became a Christian pilgrimage site, because it had been visited by the Apostle Paul around 49 or 50 CE, and was extended with Early Christian architecture such as the Basilica.

Community Perspective: With its Roman and Christian roots it differs greatly from other Greek WHS from Antiquity – although it needs “a lot of faith and/or imagination to breathe life into its dead stones”. The site can be visited as a day trip from Thessaloniki (take a bus to Krinides), and expect to spend around 2 hours at the site.

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Archipiélago de Revillagigedo

Archipiélago de Revillagigedo
Photo by Roman Bruehwiler.

The Archipiélago de Revillagigedo comprises four remote Pacific islands known for their biodiversity and geological features.

The area is a transition zone, provides important stepping-stones for migratory species and has a high level of endemism. The islands are of volcanic origin and uninhabited apart from two small naval bases. The site also includes the surrounding waters with their largely undisturbed marine ecosystems.

Community Perspective: this is virtually a ‘divers-only’ WHS as it needs a liveaboard cruise to reach. Zoë has written about a dive trip to what is known as Socorro, marveled at the giant oceanic mantas and found it overall a truly unique experience.

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Ennedi Massif

Ennedi Massif
Photo by Marcel Staron.

The "Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape" is an eroded mountain massif in the Sahara desert, containing numerous rock paintings and archaeological sites.

The sandstone plateau was sculpted by water and wind erosion, leading to scenically impressive features such as formidable rock arches and pinnacles. Though lying deep in the desert, the area sees regular rain. This results in a varied flora and fauna, and notably in the surviving Nile crocodiles in the permanent pocket of water called Guelta Archei. It became a refuge also for humans, who left rock art there. Nomadic pastoralists are still visiting.

Community Perspective: a difficult but rewarding site to visit, "spectacular in so many different aspects". It takes 3.5 days of solid driving on mostly unpaved roads to get there from the capital. You have it all to yourself, as it is unlikely to encounter any other tourists than the ones you arrived with. The most recent review describes what you may expect from a 4-day stay in the area.

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Gorham's Cave Complex

Gorham's Cave Complex
Photo by Hubert Scharnagl.

Gorham’s Cave Complex covers a landscape of cliffs and caves that show extensive evidence of the Neanderthal way of life.

The site is located on the Mediterranean side of the Rock of Gibraltar, where four caves that are not submerged by the sea contain archaeological deposits. The occupation of these caves by Neanderthals has been established by the discovery of hunting remains and abstract rock engravings.

Community Perspective: Nan reports on the 2017 WHS meetup group which was allowed to enter Vanguard Cave and Gorham’s Cave. Hubert visited ‘by sea’. To set your foot in the core zone without access to a guided tour, you can walk the Mediterranean Steps until the highest point, the O'Hara's Battery (and have a look at the paleolithic Goat’s Hair Twin Caves along the way). There is also a (paid) ‘visitors platform’ at Europa Point from where you can see the caves’ entrances.

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Hubei Shennongjia

Hubei Shennongjia
Photo in the Public Domain.

Hubei Shennongjia is a forested mountain massif mostly known for its floral diversity.

The conservation area protects the largest primary forests in Central China. It is a place of significant scientific interest particularly for botanists, with many endemic plant and tree species. Endangered mammal species found here include the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey.

Community Perspective: Zoë managed to visit Shennongjia, including the peak of Shennongding, as part of a small group tour – the only realistic way to visit at the moment.

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Khangchendzonga National Park

Khangchendzonga National Park
Photo by Zoe Sheng.

Khangchendzonga National Park is known for its glacial mountains and sacred cultural landscape.

This Himalayan site includes the 8586m high peak of Khangchendzonga, the third highest in the world. The landscape features glaciers and glacial lakes, and is the habitat of species such as the snow leopard and red panda. For the local Sikkimese population, the area has important sacred significance by housing mountain deities. Both shamanic and Tibetan Buddhist traditions are kept alive in this cultural landscape.

Community Perspective: Zoë has described a trek in this remote area.

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Lut Desert

Lut Desert
Photo by Solivagant.

The Lut Desert comprises a hot desert landscape containing spectacular landforms shaped by wind erosion.

The visually stunning landscape has a mosaic of desert colours and a mix of high sand dunes, nebkha dune fields and yardangs, mushroom rock-like features where the soft material has eroded from. Its salt desert is known as one of the hottest places on earth and displays a variety of salt landforms such as salt pans, gypsum domes and salt pingos.

Community Perspective: It’s a huge desert so which part to visit? Jarek and Solivagant both went to areas just beyond Shahdad, were successful in seeing Nebkhas and Yardangs and experienced the heat.

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Mistaken Point

Mistaken Point
Photo by Randi & Svein.

Mistaken Point is a 17-kilometer-long coastal strip renowned for its fossil deposits on exposed rock surfaces.

The more than 10,000 fossil impressions date from the middle Ediacaran, 580 to 560 million years ago. They show the transition of life on earth from microbe-dominated to the ancestors of animals as we know them. These large and complex organisms lived on the deep-sea floor.

Community Perspective: Located in the far southeastern corner of Newfoundland, this is considered the most interesting of the three fossil sites in East Canada. It has a small visitor center, but the main focus is the guided hike along the coastal marshland to the rock platforms with the fossils that have been kept mostly in situ and can be clearly seen.

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Nalanda

Nalanda
Photo by Solivagant.

The Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar comprises the ruins of an early Buddhist monastic and educational center.

Apart from its religious buildings, the site contained 11 ‘viharas’ with a distinct, standardized architecture that were used for study and housing. Nalanda was one of the most important places of learning in its day. It attracted scholars and students from near and far with some travelling all the way from Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia.

Community Perspective: doable as a day trip from Bodh Gaya. Its history far exceeds what can be seen at the excavations: essentially “It's brick walls”.

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Nan Madol

Nan Madol
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

'Nan Madol: Ceremonial Center of Eastern Micronesia' covers megalithic monuments on nearly 100 artificial islets on a coral reef offshore of Pohnpei Island.

It was the ceremonial centre of the Saudeleur Dynasty (ca. 1200-1500 AD), who were the first to unify the people of Pohnpei and introduced a tribute system. The complex consisted of royal and commoners' residences, tombs and temples. Massive columnar basalt stones, transported from quarries elsewhere on the island, were used in its construction. The islands were linked by a network of canals. Nan Madol is still owned and managed by a traditional Pacific system of governance.

Community Perspective: a one-of-a-kind cultural masterpiece and the top attraction in the Pacific, perhaps even surpassing Easter Island. An added bonus is that you’ll encounter few other visitors here.

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Pampulha

Pampulha
Photo by Ian Cade.

The Pampulha Modern Ensemble comprises an innovative Garden City built around an artificial lake.

This neighbourhood of Belo Horizonte was designed from 1940 onward by architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx. It included a casino, a restaurant/dance hall, a yacht club, a golf club and a church. The buildings are among Niemeyer’s earliest works and show his talent to adapt 20th-century modernism to Brazilian surroundings.

Community Perspective: this affluent suburb is mostly a residential zone with calm streets and calm traffic. The church of Saint Francis is considered the highlight. A full loop around the lake is 18km and can be done by taxi, by bike, or on foot.

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Sanganeb

Sanganeb
Photo by Bram de Bruin.

Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay - Mukkawar Island Marine National Park comprise two pristine marine ecosystems in the Red Sea.

These sites centered around a coral reef are known as excellent diving sites for their clear visibility and high coral diversity. Huge schools of manta rays and sharks make common appearances in these waters. Furthermore, Dungonab Bay has a healthy dugong population.

Community Perspective: the only way to visit discovered so far is by an expensive live-aboard diving cruise.

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Stećci

Stećci
Photo by Els Slots.

The 'Stećci Medieval Tombstones Graveyards' are 28 medieval Christian cemeteries with richly decorated tombstones that have strong cultural and historical meaning.

The reliefs and inscriptions on the mostly limestone monolithic tombstones represent a specific tradition of the area. They include Christian religious symbols, dancing and hunting scenes, geometric shapes and Cyrillic inscriptions. The inscribed tombstones have been selected from the surviving 70,000 or so still standing in the region. 

Community Perspective: the Radimlja necropolis near Stolac in Bosnia is considered the ‘main’ location with the most important and best-preserved tombs. Since 2019 it reportedly even has a visitor center and charges a small entrance fee. Other locations are more low-key: Juha visited Stećci in Serbia, and Solivagant one each in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia.

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The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier
Photo by Els Slots.

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier comprises 17 of his works across the world.

The renowned French-Swiss architect is seen as one of the pioneers of modern architecture. The series shows the dissemination of his ideas over the world during a period of 50 years, spanning seven countries on three continents. Many of the sites reflect new architectural concepts, principles, and technical features.  All were innovative and had a significant influence over wide geographical areas They also contributed to the birth of three major trends in modern architecture: Purism, Brutalism and sculptural architecture.

Community Perspective: Hubert has become our expert on this subject, having visited 14 of the 17 components. Reviews that include the interior are available of Casa Curutchet (Serianne, Nan, Michael, Timonator), Villa Savoye (Ian, Els, Ilya), Weißenhofsiedlung  (Solivagant), Sainte Marie de La Tourette in Éveux (Hubert), Firminy-Vert (Hubert), the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille (Hubert, Jakob), Maison La Roche (Hubert), Molitor (Hubert), National Museum of Western Art (Frederik), Chandigarh (Solivagant), Notre Dame du Haut Chapel (Clyde), Cité Frugès (Hubert).

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The Persian Qanat

The Persian Qanat
Photo by Solivagant.

The Persian Qanat is an ancient underground water management system used for irrigation in a desert climate.

The system is communally managed. With the use of water clocks, a just and exact distribution among the shareholding farmers is ensured. Water is transported by mere gravity. The qanat system enabled the development of settlements and agriculture.

Community Perspective: The site comprises 11 qanats, and you’ll likely bump into one when visiting other WHS in Central and Eastern Iran. Solivagant explains “How to visit a Qanat”, while Bernard details his visit to the Zarch Qanat in Yazd.

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Western Tien-Shan

Western Tien-Shan
Photo by Els Slots.

The Western Tien-Shan is a Central Asian mountain range known for its plant biodiversity.

Especially its wild fruit and walnut forest are among the largest remaining in the world, thus providing a genetic resource for domestic fruit species. Furthermore, mammals such as Snow Leopard, Wild Sheep and Argali live in these mountains. The site consists of 13 parks and nature reserves, divided over Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

Community Perspective: Come here for some moderate mountain hiking, see flora such as the wild tulip and purple and yellow iris, and taste wild apples and plums. Solivagant covered Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve (Kazakhstan), Jarek and Els Sary Chelek Nature Reserve (Kyrgyzstan), and Clyde the Bashkizilsay area of the Chatkal State Biosphere Nature Reserve (Uzbekistan).

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Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art

Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art
Photo by Els Slots.

The Zuojiang Huashan Rock Art Cultural Landscape comprises thousands of pictographs, painted on steep cliff faces along the river in a karst landscape.

The paintings were made between the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century CE by the Luoyue people. The site is a cultural landscape and also includes hamlets and villages where people still perform rituals connected to the rock art. They cover four distinct phases of painting and include depictions of bronze drums, ferry boats and human figures.

Community Perspective: You get to Ningming by train from Vietnam or by bus from Nanning, which is the closest Chinese city. The pictographs, spread across three locations, can be seen from boats that navigate the river and wooden platforms on the opposite bank. Read all three reviews posted so far about why the visitor experience is unsatisfactory.

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