27 new UNESCO World Heritage sites
Monday, July 14th, 2008
900-year-old Preah Vihear temple on Cambodian border
On July 8 in Quebec City, Canada, UNESCO, (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) announced 27 new additions to the organization’s list of cultural and natural heritage sites. Formed in 1945, UNESCO “seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.”
New UNESCO Cultural Sites:
- Preah Vihear Temple (Cambodia)
- Fujian Tulou (China)
- Stari Grad Plain (Croatia)
- Historic Centre of Camagüey (Cuba)
- Fortifications of Vauban (France)
- Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (Germany)
- Armenian Monastic Ensembles in Iran (Iran)
- Baha’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee (Israel)
- Mantua and Sabbioneta (Italy)
- The Mijikenda Kaya Forests (Kenya)
- Melaka and George Town, historic cities of the Straits of Malacca (Malaysia)
- Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús de Nazareno de Atotonilco (Mexico)
- Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Mauritius)
- Kuk Early Agricultural Site (Papua New Guinea)
- San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano (San Marino)
- Archaeological Site of Al-Hijr (Madâin Sâlih) (Saudi Arabia)
- The Wooden Churches of the Slovak part of Carpathian Mountain Area (Slovakia)
- Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Cultural Landscape (Switzerland and Italy)
- Chief Roi Mata’s Domain (Vanuatu)
Four countries- Papua New Guinea, San Marino, Saudi Arabia and Vanuatu- are new to the list. Have you been to any UNESCO sites?