13 July 2015

The newest UNESCO World Heritage sites

UNESCO has announced its latest class of World Heritage Sites, These are places of significance around the world that are seen as central to our collected heritage on this planet. The original class of 1978 included Yellowstone and Mesa Verde, with the Grand Canyon and Independence Hall getting added later. In Spain, I lost count of how many our class visited, but it included the Historic City of Toledo, the silk trading centers in Valencia, Gaudi's work in Barcelona, the Hospital Santa Pau and Palau de la Música Catalana, the historic center of Cordoba, and the Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín in Granada.

2015 brings a few interesting additions to the list which only has a little over 1,000 entries. In the US, the San Antonio Missions have been added, including the Alamo (I hope they don't post the plaque in the Alamo's basement where no one can see it). Jamaica's Blue and John Crow Mountains were also added this year. Elsewhere, Britain's remarkable Forth Bridge and Turkey's ancient city of Ephesus also made the list.

Check out the list of all 27 newly inscribed sites. Explore the interactive map of all 1031. Do you disagree with any? Are you worried about the sites that have been delisted and what it means for other threatened sites?  Or do you just want to pack your bags and start visiting some?

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