Top 15 Lesser Known World Heritage Sites

8/4/2019 Top 15 Lesser Known World Heritage Sites

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Top 15 Lesser known World Heritage sitesUNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization,and they work to protect World Heritage Sites like the Great Wall of China, the pyramids

and Stonehenge. Established in 1945, its purpose is to protect and conserve places of

special cultural or physical significance to the common heritage of humanity. In 1954, the

Egyptian government were preparing to build the Aswan Dam, which would flood a valley

destroying the Abu Simbel and Philae temples. UNESCO raised funding and paid to have

the temples disassembled and moved to a safer location and rebuilt exactly as they were,

thereby preserving it for future generations. As of the end of 2010, there were 911 sites that

are listed by UNESCO as world heritage sites. Below is a list of some of my favorite, lesser

know sites.

15 Aldabra Atoll
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Aldabra is the worlds second biggest coral atoll, it is uninhabited, isolated and virtually

untouched by humans. The atoll is the home to the worlds largest population of giant

tortoises, which makes it an extremely valuable conservation site. During the 1700s, the

islands were used by the French to hunt giant tortoises, as they were considered a delicacy

at the time, but by the 1900s they had been hunted to the brink of extinction. The tortoises

also share this atoll with the Aldabra Rail, the endangered Malagasy Sacred Ibis, Green andHawksbill turtles and two species of bats found only on Aldabra. The atoll was declared a

world heritage site in 1982, as it is home to so many rare and unusual creatures.

Leshan Giant Buddha

This Maitreya Buddha was carved from a cliff face where the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi

rivers meet, in southern Sichuan, China. It was constructed by a Chinese monk named

Haithong in 713, his followers worked on and off for 90 years to complete it and, today, it isstill the largest stone Buddha in the world, at 71m tall and 28m wide. Where the three rivers

meet, the water currents were dangerous and would often sink shipping vessels, Haithong

thought if he carved the Buddha there it would help to calm the waters. The stone removed

to carve the Buddha was dumped into the river, unintentionally altering the currents and

calming the waters. Today the Buddha is threatened by pollution, and the wear and tear

caused by the thousands of tourists who come each year to visit the site. The Chinese


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government has closed factories nearby, in an effort to reduce the damage being inflicted on

the Buddha.

Hatra

Hatra is located to the northwest of Baghdad in Iraq, you may recognize it from the opening

scenes in the film, The Exorcist. It was constructed during the 3rd century BC, by Arabs

under the Iranian Parthian Empire. The city became the capital of the first Arab kingdom

and became an important border fort against roman invasion. The city was ruled by Arabian

princes who would have paid a yearly tribute to the rulers of the Iranian empire, until the

Iranians took the city by force in 241. Hatra is recognized as one of the best preserved

Parthian cities, with many of its structures still standing, including the inner and outer

defensive walls and towers, and a range of temples dedicated to a different Gods from many

different cultures. Some of the temples found have been dedicated to the Babylonian and

Akkadian God Nergal, the Greek God Hermes, the Aramaean Gods Atargatis and Baal

Shamayn, the Arabian Gods Allat and Shamiyyah and the Mesopotamian God Shamash,showing the cultural differences and tolerance that was once prevalent in this area.


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Rietveld Schrder House

The Rietveld Schrder House is a modern family home built in the Netherlands in 1924, so

why is it a UNESCO site? The house was designed by architect Gerrit Rietveld, who had

been commissioned to create a house for Mrs Truus Schrder-Schrader and her 3 children.

This house is one of the best examples of De-Stijl design, or modern open plan living to me

and you. The down stairs is a fairly traditional layout but upstairs none of the internal walls

are static, they are all moveable panels giving a changeable open plan area. Externally the

building is strikingly different from the brick terrace to which its attached. With stark, clean

lines, dramatic use of colors, cleverly placed balconies and large open windows which

connect the interior of the building to the exterior. UNESCO chose this site as it is an icon

of the Modern Movement in architecture With its radical approach to design and the use

of space, the Rietveld Schrder house occupies a seminal position in the development of

architecture in the modern age. I have to say, I completely agree.


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Krak des Chevaliers

Built in a defensive position atop a large hill in 1031, by the Emir of Aleppo, this castle in

western Syria guards the route from Antioch to Beirut. It was a strategically important fort

during the crusades, and was taken in 1099, by Raymond IV of Toulouse, after which it

changed hands a few times until 1142, when it became the headquarters of the knights

Hospitaller. During the Crusades, it housed a garrison of 2,000 soldiers as well as up to 60knights. The Hospitaller knights rebuilt much of the castle, including strengthening the

walls, which are up to 100ft thick in places, they also rebuilt a lot of inner wards in a gothic

style including a meeting hall, chapel, cistern, aqueduct, storage facilities and two stables

which held up to 1000 horses. In the cliff below the castle the Hospitaller knights dug

further storage areas to hold supplies that could have lasted them up to 5 years, if they were

besieged. This site is also one of the few places in the world where crusaders art frescos can

be seen.


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Alcobaa Monastery

The Alcobaa Monastery in central Portugal was founded by king Afonso Henriques in 1153,and took 99 years to complete. This was the first building of the gothic style in Portugal, and

is still the largest church in the country, it is of no surprise it went on to become one of the

most important medieval monasteries in Europe. The monks of the monastery spent their

lives meditating on religion and producing manuscripts, until it was pillaged by the French

in 1810, it had one of the largest medieval libraries recorded. This monastery was the chosen

burial place for many royals during the 13th and 14th centuries, their elaborate tombs are

some of the best surviving examples of medieval engraving and sculptures in Europe. The

tombs of Pedro I and his mistress, Ines de Castro, are particularly intricate, both feature

relief of the occupant on the lid of the tomb, the kings tomb rests on carved lions while Ines

is supported by carvings of creatures which are half man half animal, and are covered inengravings showing angels and biblical scenes. The best known tomb is Queen Urracas, a

Romanesque tomb engraved with an image of the Queen on the top, while around the body

of the tomb are reliefs of the Apostles, the King and their children. This building is truly a

showcase for the skills and dedication of the medieval craftsmen of Europe.


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Monte Albn

Monte Albn can be found on a low mountain range in southern Mexico. The site is one ofthe earliest pre-Columbian Mesoamerican sites ever found, dating back to at least 500BC,

the valley it is situated within also shows signs of inhabitancy from as early as 2000BC. The

site offers a unique glimpse into the Zapotec history and culture. At the centre of the site is

the main plaza surrounded by civic and ceremonial buildings as well as the elite homes. The

site also features two ball courts, monumental stairs, hundreds of tombs and over 300

Danzante carved stone monuments. Most of them are of male war prisoners, tortured and

sacrificed, with many being leaders of competing villages. The site also contains over 40

conquest slabs within the walls of buildings, these slabs give the names and sometimes

details of places conquered by Monte Albn. From these it has been possible to confirm

Caada de Cuicatln was conquered by the Zapotec.


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Lalibela

Lalibela is a rural town in the north of Ethiopia. It is also one of the countries holiest cities

and a centre for pilgrimage. The 13 churches in the town have been carved completely from

rock directly into the ground. It was under the instruction of Saint Gebre Mesqel Lalibeladuring his reign as Emperor of Ethiopia, that these churches were constructed, the layout

and names of the buildings in Lalibela are a representation of Jerusalem. This has helped to

date the churches to around the 1200s, after the 1187 capture of Jerusalem by Saladin. The

largest monolithic church in the world, Bet Madhane Alem, is also home to the Lalibela

Cross: a 12th century processional cross. Bete Maryam is thought to be the oldest of the

churches, and Bete Golgotha is where it is believed King Lalibela is entombed. These

churches are very unusual in that they are carved into the ground instead of into a cave or a

cliff face, as most other rock carved buildings are. This process must have been very slow

work and each church is carved with painstaking detail and stands as testament of the

dedication of these people to their religion.


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Ellora caves

Ellora is the site of monumental, rock cut, cave temples representing Buddhist, Hindu and

Jain religions, built from 400AD in close proximity to each other to show the religious

harmony in the area. The structures are multi level buildings, carved directly from caves

within the mountain face, and include monasteries, shrines and places of worship. Many of

the buildings have vaulted ceilings and are all intricately carved, with most of the shrines

containing large carved deities. During construction, 200,000 tonnes of rock had to be

removed from the site by generations of workers. Some notable caves are: the Buddhist

shrine Vishvakarma, which features a multi-storied entrance, a large hall with vaulted

ceilings and a 15ft carving of Buddha in a preaching pose; The Indra Sabha is a two level

Jain cave with a monolithic shrine, like all of the Jain caves it once had richly paintedceilings, part of which are still visible today. It also has fine carvings of lotus flowers, Yaksha

Matanga on an elephant and Ambika sitting on a lion under a mango tree. Kailasanatha is

the centerpiece of Ellora, made to resemble mount Kailash, the home of lord Shiva, this

Hindu shrine was built by Krishna I in around 760AD. The structure is covered in detailed

and intricate carvings, including sacred bulls and life-sized elephants supporting the

shrines.


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Wudang Building Complex

The Wudang Mountains are a small mountain range found in eastern China, which have

been inhabited since at least 250 AD. The area is known for its Taoist monasteries, which

were renowned as centers for meditation, martial arts, agriculture and medicines. People

traveled to this area to research, learn and practice these skills. The palace and temple

complex was constructed in the Ming Dynasty and within it are buildings dating from the

7th century. One of the more famous temples is the Golden Hall; built in 1416, the hall is

constructed from gilded copper. It consists of 20 tons of copper and over 300kgs of gold,

and was supposedly forged in Bejing, then moved to Wudang. The Nanyan Temple perches

precariously on top of a cliff, in legend it is known as the place from which Emperor Zen

Whu flew to heaven. The entire temple, including beams, gates and windows, is carved fromrock and within the temple are gilded bronze statues of dozens of Taoist deities. Scattered

across the cliffs are 500 gilded iron statues of heavenly officials. Another notable building,

the Purple Cloud Temple is made up of several halls, the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Purple

Sky Hall, the East Hall, the West Hall and the Parent Hall. This temple contains shrines to

Zhen Wu throughout his life. It also houses relics including the Green Dragon Crescent

Blade which dates back to the 7th century.


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Wadi Al-Hitan

The Whale Valley is found in a desert in Egypt, the site contains fossils showing theevolution of whales from land mammals to the ocean going creatures we are familiar with

today. Fossils of the Archaeoceti suborder such as Basilosaurus and Dorudon are common,

but the skeletons of sea cows Sirenia, elephants Moeritherium, crocodiles, sea turtles and

sea snakes have also been found at the site. The sheer number and quality of these fossils

found in such a high concentration make this site unique. The quality of preservation is so

good that stomach contents have been found preserved, while the combination of other

species found at the site make it possible to reconstruct the environmental and ecological

conditions. The site has produced hundreds of high quality fossils showing the earliest sub-

species of whales which are helping to unravel the mystery of the evolution of whales.


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Tropical Rainforest Sumatra

The Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra is made up of three national parks on the island of

Sumatra in Indonesia, and was chosen due to its outstanding scenic beauty and naturalhabitats for in-situ conservation. The three parks all contain different habitats, allowing for

a large diversity in both flora and fauna. The parks are home to Rafflesia Arnoldi, the

worlds largest flower, and Amorphophallus Titanum, the worlds tallest flower, as well as

174 species of mammals and 380 species of birds. Of these specimens, 16 are endemic and

73 are currently threatened. Species such as Orang-utans, Sumatran rhinoceros, bornean

clouded leopards, Asian tapirs, Sumatran elephants and the leather back turtles are all

found within this site, making it one of the most diverse and important conservation sites in

the world. The sites main threat is residential expansion and encroaching human

occupation, both of which is being battled by a number of different preservation groups


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Lascaux Cave

Lascaux is group of caves in southwest France which were decorated over 17,300 years ago,with Paleolithic cave paintings. The public were allowed to view the caves in 1948, but by

1955 the carbon dioxide exhaled by the visitors had damaged the paintings causing the cave

to be closed, the art was restored and is now monitored on a daily basis. The images are

mostly of animals known to have lived in the area at the time, but images of humans and

abstract signs are also present. Some of the images have been carved into the cave but the

majority of art has been painted on using mineral pigments. A large portion of the paintings

are of horses, but stags, cattle, aurochs, felines, birds, bears and rhinoceross are also

represented. There are many theories on why this cave was decorated in this manor: it is

thought that some of the art may represent star charts, as the constellations of Taurus and

Pleiades can be found within the cave. There are also theories that this would have been ascared space to communicate with deities, a gathering place to plan a hunt together or even

a record to celebrate the success of a hunt. We will probably never know but these images

give us a fascinating look into our past.


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Takht-e Jamshid

More commonly known as Persepolis, it is located in the south of Iran and was the capital of

the Achaemenid Empire. Construction was started around 515BC by Cyrus the Great, but

the most impressive works were completed by Darius the Great and Xerxes the Great (yes

the bad guy from 300) in around 470BC. One of the most awe inspiring structures on this

site is the Apadana palace which was the main hall of the kings, where the tributes from

nations within his Empire would have been received. The building was supported by

columns 20m high, topped with a brace carved to the shape of lions or bulls. I have seen an

example of these braces in the Louvre and it gives you an amazing idea of the size and scale

of Persepolis. The site also contains the gate of nations, the hall of 100 columns, the

imperial treasury, council halls, military quarters, reception halls, cisterns, drainage,

sepulchers, royal tombs, royal stables, chariot houses and a number of palaces and royal

residences, all covered in engravings and mosaics. The city was destroyed in 330BC, by

Alexander the Great, possibly in revenge for the destruction of the acropolis in Athens, but

the ruins still contain many beautiful carvings and are testament to the wealth and power of

the Persian empire.


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Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein

More commonly known as The Cradle of Humankind, this site is a complex of over 36limestone caves in South Africa, not far from Johannesburg. Within these caves scientists

have found a huge number of hominid fossils dating back over 3.5 million years, with one

cave alone containing over a third of all hominid fossils ever found. The caves also show

signs of occupation as well, including the first ever in-situ hominid stone tools, and the

oldest controlled fire dated to over 1 million years ago. Scientist believe prompt burials,

along with the unusual conditions within the caves, allowed for the bodies within to become

fossilized, which in itself is an extremely rare occurrence. Some of the better known finds

include Mrs Ples, the most intact skull of an Australopithecus Africanus ever found,

although the sex is not definitely female, x-rays of the teeth seem to show that this was a

sub-adult. Another famous find is Little Foot, an amazingly complete hominin skeleton

which is believed to be between 2.5 to 3.3 million years old. This site shows us not only

where our species came from but how we evolved over millennia, earning it top spot on my

list.

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Top 15 Lesser Known World Heritage Sites

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