Mankind’s legacy lies in the cultural and natural heritage he has managed to keep over the years. UNESCO’s World Heritage sites are precisely the legacy from our past which we hope to pass to future generations. A World Heritage site means a monument or location belonging to all the people in the world, no matter the location.

As of 2008, the list of World Heritage list contains 878 sites listed: 678 cultural, 174 natural, and 26 mixed properties, in 145 states. Italy has the most chosen locations, with 43 sites inscribed to the list. This year, 27 new locations were picked to be added to the extensive list, with a lot of pressure coming from member countries to have certain locations listed due the boom it can bring to tourism.

Here are the 27 locations picked this year:

Preah Vihear Temple (Cambodia) – Subject to controversy between to Thailand and Cambodia but now belonging to the latter, the temple has been built during the six-century-long Khmer Empire and bears the mark of several architectural styles. According to the map, the 500 meter elevation can be a tiring road for any traveler. [photo]

Fujian Tulou (China) – The earth building is famous throughout the world for its unique shape, large scale. It was built as an enclosure wall with living quarters and a common court yard in the middle. The southwestern region of Fujian province contains more than 3,000 Fujian Tulous in the mountainous regions – an exceptional example of traditional buildings in perfect harmony with the environment. [photo]

Stari Grad Plain (Croatia) – Located on the Adriatic island of Hvar, the Stari Grad Plain is a landscape that remained virtually unaltered since it was colonized by Ionian Greeks from Paros in the 4th century BC. The site is also a natural reserve, with ancient stone walls and primitive stone shelters. The population still grows olives and grapes, bearing testimony “to the geometrical system of land division used by the ancient Greeks.” [photo]

Historic Centre of Camagüey (Cuba) – Located in Camagüey – Cuba’s third largest city, the historic centre is a testimony to one of the first villages founded by the Spaniards in Cuba. The center with a surface of 54ha is a great example of a traditional urban architecture isolated from the main trade routes, displaying several architectural styles such as neoclassical, eclectic or Art Deco. [photo]

Fortifications of Vauban (France) – The fortification consists of 12 groups of fortified buildings and sites along the French borders constructed in 1662 by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, military engineer hired by King Louis XIV. As a prominent architect, Vauban oversaw the building of several towns, citadels mountain forts and sea forts. [photo]

Berlin Modernism Housing Estates (Germany) – The six housing estates part representing the World Heritage Sites were built from 1910 to 1933 during the Weimar Republic. The building is the first of the improved housing and living conditions that were about to follow in Germany. It shows an innovative urban architecture, amazing garden designs and some great aesthetic innovations for that time. [photo]

Armenian Monastic Ensembles (Iran) – Located north-west of the country, the Monastic Ensembles are represented by three churches: St. Stepanos, the Chapel of Dzordzor and St. Thaddeus, the latter being one of the oldest churches in the world, whose construction began 1700 years ago. The monuments are a great testimony to mixing the Byzantine, Orthodox and Persian cultures altogether.

Baha’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee (Israel) – The complex comprises 26 buildings, burial places, sites and monuments at 11 locations in Acre and Haifa, being visited annually by thousands of Bahá’ís for pilgrimage. These sites act as a place for spiritual gathering, player and meditation for centuries.

Mantua and Sabbioneta (Italy) – Located in the Po valley, in the north of Italy, the cities are a great example of Renaissance town planning. The first is built as an extension of an existing city, while the second encompasses the Renaissance theories on building a great city. The cities have been built under the ruling Gonzaga family and contain several many edifices, some dating back to the 11th century.

The Mijikenda Kaya Forests (Kenya) – Collectively known as the Kenyan forests, the World Heritage site in Kenya consists of 11 parcels of land spread over 200 kilometers, also encompassing the villages or kayas built by the Mijikenda. These villages were created in the 16th century, abandoned in the 1940s and are now maintained as sacred sites for historical values.

Melaka and George Town (Malaysia) – The historic cities of the Straits of Malacca have been shaped by the 500 years of trading and cultural exchanges between East and West. They were located at a strategic position between the 15th and 18th century for Europe and Asia, the cities being colonized by the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. [photo]

Protective town of San Miguel and the Sanctuary of Jesús de Nazareno de Atotonilco (Mexico) – San Miguel is a fortified town built in the 16th century with the purpose of protecting the Royal Route inland and reached its peak in the 18th century, when several buildings in the style of the Mexican Baroque were added. The city is currently considered as one of the best and finest example of Baroque art and architecture in the New Spain.

Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Mauritius) – Known as the “wild south” and located on the South Western tip of the island of Mauritius, Le Morne represents a mixture of works from both nature and humans. This part of the island was once used as a shelter by runaway slaves through the 18th and 19th century. Thus, Le Morne has become a symbol of the slaves’ fight for freedom, eventually becoming a republic due to the large number of escaped slaves.

Kuk Early Agricultural Site (Papua New Guinea) – Located in the southern highlands of New Guinea, 1500m above sea level, the Kuk site consists of 116 ha of swamps. It is a living testament to the evolution of agricultural practices and one of the few places where the archeological evidence are proof of a independent agricultural development. [photo]

San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano (San Marino) – Covering 55ha, the city dates back to when the country was founded as a republic, in the 13th century. The historic center includes gates, bastions, h and 16th century convents or a 18th century Titano Theatre. Located at the top of Mount Titano, it remained virtually untouched by the urban development that occurred in the area. [photo]

Archaeological Site of Al-Hijr (Madâin Sâlih) (Saudi Arabia) – Being the first site inscribed in South Arabia, Al-Hijr represents a fine example of the Nabataeans’ architectural and hydraulic expertise. It is home to some very well-preserved tombs, dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD; out of a total of 111 monumental tombs, 94 are decorated.

The Wooden Churches of Carpathian Mountain Area (Slovakia) – The wooden churches named a World Heritage Site consist of two Roman Catholic, three Protestant and three Greek Orthodox churches built between the 16th and 18th centuries. The churches architecture are represented by the clash of the of two cultures: Latin and Byzantine. The cultural value is enriched by the paintings on the walls and ceiling of the churches. [photo]

Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Cultural Landscape (Switzerland and Italy) – Rhaetian, the largest private railway networks in Switzerland, brings together two historic railways that cross the Alps. Opened in 1904, the railway has an impressive structure that encompasses 42 tunnels and covered galleries and 144 viaducts and bridges. [photo]

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain (Vanuatu) – The site consists of three major sites – Mangaas, Fels Cave and Artok (Hat Island) dating to about 1600 AD where excavations started in the 1960s. The site is the place where Roi Mata, the last paramount chief, spent his life and is also the king’s mass burial site.

Joggins Fossil Cliffs (Canada) – This world-class paleontological site is regarded as one of the strongest records of life in the Coal Age 300 million years ago. The site has fascinated scientists for centuries, the cliffs even being mentioned in Charles Darwin’s landmark work, On the Origin of Species. The fossils found in the cliffs include a flora, a diverse amphibian fauna and some of the world’s first reptiles.

Mount Sanqingshan National Park (China) – Located in the west of the Huyaiyu mountains, northeast of Jiangxi Province, encompasses 48 granite peaks and 89 granite pillars, some of which resemble human silhouettes. The remarkable rock formations combined a rich forest and amazing meteorological effects translate into one of the amazing landscapes in the world. [photo]

Lagoons of New Caledonia (France) – The site is comprised out of six marine clusters – coral reefs and associated ecosystems in the French Pacific Ocean archipelago of New Caledonia. The lagoons feature one of the most impressive biodiversity in the world, with numerous fish and coral species, being home to the endangered dugongs but also an important nesting site for Green Sea Turtle.

Surtsey (Iceland) – Also known as Iceland’s island of fire, Surtsey emerged from the Atlantic Ocean in an eruption in 1963. For around 3 years, the eruptions eventually built an island 1 square mile (2.5 square km) in area. Surtsey quickly became a great place for scientists to study the evolution of a new land, being designated in 1965 a nature’s reserve. [photo]

Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (Kazakhstan) – The first UNESCO site in Central Asia is an important part of the Altyn Dala Conservation Area and encompasses two areas: : Naurzum State Nature Reserve and Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve totaling 450,344 ha. These are highly important for some very rare species that can be found there, such as the rare Siberian white crane, the Dalmatian pelican, the Saiga antelope or Pallas’s fish eagle. [photo]

Monarch Butterfly biosphere Reserve (Mexico) – Situated within the densely forested mountains 100km of Mexico City, the biosphere reserve is home every autumn to an estimated a billion butterflies travelling all the way from North America. This is part of the 8 month migration process started in spring that takes them from Eastern Canada to Mexico and back. [photo]

Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona (Switzerland) – Located in the North-east of the country, Sardona encompasses several mountains that rise above 3,000 m. These structures have played a significant role for scientists since the 18th century. Naming Sardona a World Heritage site is an acknowledgment for an unique geological process: a unique illustration of the mountain-building processes. [photo]

Socotra Archipelago (Yemen) – Located near Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean, Socotra is a small archipelago of four islands and islets, being one of the most isolated landforms on Earth. The site’s importance is given by its unique species: 825 plants, 90% reptiles and 95% land species that are found only here. No wonder many call it the “jewel” of biodiversity in the Arabian Sea.

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