Global Heritage Network

Archaeological and Historical National Park of the Villa of La Isabela, Puerto Plata

2012-02-07

La Isabela in the Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic is considered the first formal European settlement in the New World.

Rakhigarhi

2012-02-06

Rakhigarhi is the largest known Harappan site in the country and is one of the five largest known Harappan cities in the Indian Subcontinent, in addition to Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro and Dholavira.

Longmen Grottoes

2012-02-06

The Longmen Grottoes (ch. 龍門石窟/ 龙门石窟, lóngmén shíkū; lit. Dragon's Gate Grottoes) or Longmen Caves are located 12 km south of present day Luòyáng in Hénán province, China. The grottoes, which overwhelmingly depict Buddhist subjects, are densely dotted along the two mountains: Xiangshan (to the east) and Longmenshan (to the west). The Yi River flows northward between them. For this reason, the area used to be called Yique (The Gate of the Yi River). From north to south, the distance covered by grottoes is about one km. Along with the Mogao Caves and Yungang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes are one of the three most famous ancient sculptural sites in China. There are over 2100 niches, more than 100,000 statues, some 40 pagodas and 3600 tablets and steles in the caves of Guyang, Binyang and Lianhua.

Fujian Tulou - World Heritage Site

2012-02-06

Fujian Tulou (simplified Chinese: 福建土楼; pinyin: Fújiàn Tǔlóu) is "the most extraordinary type of Chinese rural dwellings"[1] of the Hakka and others in the mountainous areas in southwestern Fujian, China. They are mostly built between the 12th to the 20th centuries.[2]

The Ruins of Daming Palace of the Tang Dynasty

2012-02-03

Chang'an About this sound listen (help·info) (simplified Chinese: 长安; traditional Chinese: 長安; pinyin: Cháng'ān; Wade–Giles: Ch'ang-an) is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. During the Tang Dynasty, the area to be known as Chang'an included the area inside the Ming Xi'an fortification, plus some small areas to its east and west, and a major part of its southern suburbs. The Tang Chang'an hence, was 8 times the size of the Ming Xi'an, which was reconstructed upon the premise of the former imperial quarter of the Sui and Tang city. During its heyday, Chang'an was one of the largest and most populous cities in the world.

Site of the Qi State Capital and the Mausoleum of King of the Qi State at Linzi

2012-02-03

Linzi (simplified Chinese: 临淄; traditional Chinese: 臨淄; pinyin: Línzī) was the capital of Qi from 859 BC to 221 BC during the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period in China. The ruins of the city lie in modern day Linzi District, Shandong, China. The city was one of the largest and richest in China during the Spring and Autumn Period. With occupying Linzi in 221 BC, King Zheng of Qin completed his conquest of the Chinese rival states and declared himself the first emperor of China shortly afterwards. The ruins of the ancient city were excavated in 1926 by Japanese archaeologists and in 1964 by Chinese archaeologists.

Liangzhu Archaeological Site

2012-02-03

Butterfly Lovers, a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers

Ciudad Perdida

2012-02-02

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve, is a triangle-shaped mountainous massif comprising 12,000 square miles that rises from the Colombian coastline to an altitude of approximately 19,000 feet within 30 miles of the Caribbean, making it one of the highest and most ecologically diverse coastal mountains in the world. From A.D. 200 and until A.D. 1600-1650, the northern portion of the massif was inhabited by a number of autonomous polities of varying size and political power known collectively as the Tayrona. Archaeological research since the early 1920s has shown that during this time period the Tayrona built over 250 stone masonry towns spread out through a 2000 square mile area. Ciudad Perdida, which means “Lost City”, was accidentally discovered in 1975 by “guaqueros” or looters, the people responsible for the destruction of many archaeological sites throughout the Sierra Nevada and Colombia as they search for pre-Columbian objects. After 30 years of research at the Park, archaeologists have located more than two hundred structures covering an area of approximately thirty hectares (80 acres). The structures include dwellings of various sizes, terraces, stone-lined paths and staircases, plazas, ceremonial and feasting areas, canals, and storehouses. Outside these thirty hectares, and still covered by forest, more structures can be found awaiting further archaeological research. Although the upper section of the Buritaca river is currently uninhabited, five hundred years ago Ciudad Perdida was surrounded by settlements. Ciudad Perdida was one of the more than two hundred and fifty towns inhabited by the Tayrona up until the end of the 16th century. In comparison to the other twenty six settlements found in the upper section of the Buritaca river basin, it appears to be the largest and most impressive of them all, which it is believed to be the center of political, social, and economic power in this specific part of the Sierra Nevada. Nevertheless, we are only beginning to understand Ciudad Perdida’s complex history and the changes it underwent throughout time. Ciudad Perdida is reached through a 20 kilometer trail that winds upriver from the small town of El Mamey.

Shum Laka Archaeological Site

2012-01-30

The archaeological site of Shum Laka is the most prominent site in the Laka Valley of northwest Cameroon. Located approximately 15 kilometers from the town of Bamenda, it resides on the inner wall of the Bafochu Mbu caldera.

Ensemble of Banteay Prei Nokor

2012-01-30

The ancient temple complex of Banteay Prei Nokor is located to the Southeast of Kompong Cham, Cambodia.

Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley

2012-01-27

The monastery of Geghard (Armenian: Գեղարդ, meaning spear) is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. The monastery had thus been originally named Ayrivank, meaning "the Monastery of the Cave". The name commonly used for the monastery today, Geghard, or more fully Geghardavank (Գեղարդավանք), meaning "the Monastery of the Spear", originates from the spear which had wounded Jesus at the Crucifixion, allegedly brought to Armenia by Apostle Jude, called here Thaddeus, and stored amongst many other relics. Now it is displayed in the Echmiadzin treasury. The spectacular towering cliffs surrounding the monastery are part of the Azat river gorge, and are included together with the monastery in the World Heritage Site listing.

Esrefoglu Mosque

2012-01-26

Eşrefoğlu Mosque is a 13th century mosque in Beyşehir, Konya Province, Turkey It is situated 100 metres (330 ft) north of the Beyşehir Lake.

Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur

2012-01-26

Somapura Mahavihara (Sanskrit; Bengali: সোমপুর মহাবিহার Shompur Môhabihar) in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon District, Bangladesh (25°1'51.83"N, 88°58'37.15"E) is among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archeological sites in the country. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

San Jose de Moro

2012-01-10

Taxila

2012-01-06

Taxila from Sanskrit: तक्षशिला Takṣaśilā (Pali:Takkasilā, Urdu, Punjabi: ٹیکسلا) is an important archaeological site in the Punjab province of Pakistan. Taxila is situated about 32 km (20 mi) to the north-west of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road. Taxila lies 549 metres (1,800 ft) above sea-level.

Banteay Chhmar

2012-01-04

The temple complex of Banteay Chhmar was commissioned by the 12th Century Khmer King Jayavarman VII (AD 1181-1219) in honor of four army generals and his son, the Crown Prince Indravarman. In the 1990s, the site became a favored target of looters, resulting in more than 50 square meters of bas-reliefs and countless pieces of statuary being stolen from the temple site.

Jor Bangla, Bishnupur

2011-12-29

El Zotz

2011-12-29

El Zotz is a Mesoamerican archaeological site of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization, located in the Petén Basin region around 20 kilometres (12 mi) west of the major center of Tikal and approximately 26 kilometres (16 mi) west of Uaxactun.[1] It is so called because of the large number of bats living in caves in the nearby cliffs (the original Mayan name was Pa'Chan). The site is located within the San Miguel la Palotada National Park bordering the Tikal National Park in the present-day department of Petén, Guatemala. It is a large Classic Period site and contains many unexcavated mounds and ruins.

National Archeological Park of Tierradentro

2011-12-29

Tierradentro is a National archeological park in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Inza, Department of Cauca, Colombia. The park is located 100 km away from the capital of the Department, Popayán. The area is very well known for its pre-Columbian hypogea, which were found in several excavations, and are divided in many archeological places. some of them are: Alto del Aguacate (Avocado Hill), Alto de San Andrés, Alto de Segovia, Alto del Duende and El Tablón.

Chan Chan Archaeological Zone

2011-12-29

The largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, Chan Chan is an archaeological site located in the Peruvian region of La Libertad, five km west of Trujillo. Chan Chan covers an area of approximately 20 km², and had a dense urban center of about 6km².[1] Chan Chan was constructed by the Chimor (the kingdom of the Chimú), a late intermediate period civilization which grew out of the remnants of the Moche civilization. The vast adobe city of Chan Chan was built by the Chimu around AD 850 and lasted until its conquest by the Inca Empire in AD 1470. It was the imperial capital of the Chimor until it was conquered in the 15th century. It is estimated that around 30,000 people lived in the city of Chan Chan.

Göbekli Tepe

2011-12-27

Göbekli Tepe is an Early Neolithic site of enormous significance, featuring 5-meter-high monolithic pillars carved in relief and dating to 10,000 or more years ago. Erected within circular “temple” structures, the latest excavations have revealed that these structures likely covered the entire hillside and could number as many as 20 in total. However, the site and its extant remains are threatened by looting, exposure and insufficient management of the site and its resources. GHF’s goals at Gobekli Tepe are to support the preparation of a comprehensive Site Management and Conservation Plan, construction of a shelter over the exposed archaeological features, training local community members in guiding and conservation and securing World Heritage Site nomination.

Ziwa National Monument

2011-12-19

Ziwa, or Ziwa ruins (formerly Van Niekerk ruins) is the name used to describe the remains of a vast late Iron Age agricultural settlement that has been dated to the 17th century. The site is located at 18°08′S 32°38′E / 18.133°S 32.633°E / -18.133; 32.633 in Nyanga, Zimbabwe. Ziwa was declared a National Monument in 1946 and is currently under consideration for World Heritage listing. The site contains a large variety of stonework structures including stone terraces running along contours of hills and steep landscapes. Archaeological investigations have also engendered important aspects of pottery and rock art.

Rock Islands-Southern Lagoon Management Area

2011-12-19

Mes Aynak (Tepe Kafiriat)

2011-12-19

A significant ancient Buddhist site called Tepe Kafiriat has been known about since the 1960s. It was excavated in 2010 by a French and Afghan archaeological team about 800 metres away from the mine location. The site dates back to the kingdom of Gandhara and is comparable with those of Bamyan and Hadda. This site is expected to be destroyed when full exploitation of the mine starts. While the archaeologists were given 3 years to excavate the site before mining interests fully take over, it is alleged that it would take 10 years to complete excavation. At the same time China Metallurgical Group is putting pressure on the archaeologists to release parts of the site early.

Prambanan Temple Compounds

2011-12-16

Prambanan is the ninth century Hindu temple compound in Central Java, Indonesia, dedicated to Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). The temple compound located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta city on the boundary between Yogyakarta and Central Java province. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, currently is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.