UNESCO
stands for 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. Founded in 1945, the goal is to "protect and
preserve places of cultural importance or special physical to the common
heritage of humanity". In 1954, the Egyptian government is preparing to
build the Aswan Dam, which would flood the valley to destroy Abu Simbel and
Philae temples. UNESCO raise funding and pay for the temple dismantled and
moved to a safer location and rebuilt exactly as they are, so to preserve for
future generations. Until late 2010, there were 911 sites listed by UNESCO as
world heritage site. Here is a list of some of my favorites.
15. Aldabra Atoll
Aldabra
atoll is the second largest reef in the world, that's uninhabited, isolated and
nearly untouched by humans. atoll is home to the world's largest population of
giant tortoise, which makes a very valuable conservation sites. During the
1700s, the islands are used by France to hunting the giant tortoise, because
they are considered tasty at the time, but by the 1900s they were hunted to the
brink of extinction. The tortoises also shared with the Rail Aldabra atoll, the
Malagasy Sacred Ibis endangered green and hawksbill turtles and two species of
bat found only on Aldabra. atoll was declared a world heritage site in 1982,
because it is home to rare and unusual creatures so much.
This Maitreya Buddha carved
from a cliff face where the Minjiang, Dadu and Qingyi rivers meet, in southern
Sichuan, China. It is built by a Chinese monk named Haithong in 713, his work
and stop for 90 years to complete and, today, still the largest stone Buddha in
the world, at the intersection of 71m high and 28m wide. Where three rivers
meet, and often dangerous water currents will sink cruise ships, Haithong think
if he carved Buddha in there that will help to calm the waters. Stone moved to
carve the Buddha thrown into the river, not accidentally change the flow and
the calm water. Today, the Buddha is threatened by pollution, wear and tear
caused by thousands of tourists who come every year to visit the site. The
Chinese government has shut down factories nearby, in an effort to reduce the
damage caused to the Buddha.
13. Hatra
Hatra
located northwest of Baghdad in Iraq, you can recognize from the opening scene
in the movie The Exorcist. It was built during the 3rd century BC, by the Arabs
under the Parthian Empire in Iran. The city became the capital of the first
Arab kingdom and become an important frontier fortress against the Roman
invasion. The city is ruled by the Arab prince who would pay annual tribute to
the imperial ruler of Iran, to Iran took the city by force in 241. Hatra is
recognized as one of the best preserved city of Parthia, with many structures
still standing, including inner and outer defensive walls and towers, and
various temples dedicated to a different God from various cultures. Some
temples are found to have been dedicated to the Babylonian and Akkadian God
Nergal, the Greek God Hermes, the god Aramaean Shamayn Atargatis and Baal, the
god Allat and Shamiyyah Arab and Mesopotamian God Shamash, featuring cultural
differences and tolerance that have occurred in this area.
The
Rietveld Schröder House is a modern family home built in the Netherlands in
1924, so why is a UNESCO site? This house was designed by the architect Gerrit
Rietveld, who has been commissioned to create a home for Mrs. Truus
Schröder-Schrader and 3 children. This house is one of the best examples of
design-De Stijl, or plan to open a modern life me and you. Under the stairs is
a fairly traditional layout but upstairs there are no internal walls of static,
they all move the panel to provide an open area of the plan change. External building is very different from
the brick patio is already installed. With cool, clean lines, dramatic use of color,
cleverly placed balconies and large open windows which connects the inside of
the building to the exterior. UNESCO chose this site as "it is the icon of
the Modern Movement in architecture ... With a radical approach to the design
and use of space, the Rietveld Schröder house occupies a seminal position in
the development of architecture in the modern era." I have said, I agree
completely.
Built in a
defensive position atop a large hill in 1031, by the Emir of Aleppo, in Syria this
fort guards the route west from Antioch to Beirut. It is an important strategic
stronghold during the Crusades, and was taken in 1099, by Raymond IV of
Toulouse, after it changed hands several times until 1142, when it became the
headquarters of the knights Hospitallers. During the Crusades, it was occupied
by 2000 the army garrison and up to 60 knights. The knights Hospitallers
rebuilt many castles, including strengthening the wall, which up to 100ft thick
in places, they also rebuilt many mental ward in the gothic style, including
meeting room, chapel, dams, drainage, storage facilities and two horse stalls
that are held to 1000 horse. In the cliffs below the knights Hospitaller
fortress dig further storage area to hold their inventories, which can last up
to 5 years, if they are surrounded. This site is also one of the few places in
the world where the crusader art frescos can be seen.
Monastery of Alcobaça in
central Portugal was founded by King Afonso Henriques in 1153, and took 99
years to complete. This is the first building gothic style in Portugal, and
still the largest church in the country, it is not surprising that later became
one of the medieval monasteries of the most important in Europe. The monastery
monks spend their lives contemplating religious manuscripts and producing,
until finally sacked by the French in 1810, was one of the largest libraries of
medieval recorded. This monastery is the burial place chosen for the royals
much over the centuries 13 and 14, the tomb complex they are some of the best
surviving examples of medieval carving and sculpture in Europe. Tomb of Pedro I
and his mistress, Ines de Castro, is very complicated, either aid residents in
lid features the tomb, the tomb of the kings lies in carving lion while Ines is
supported by a carved creature half human - half animal, and covered in
carvings of angels and scenes showing Bible. The most famous is the tomb of
Queen Urraca, a Romanesque tomb carved with images of Queen at the top, while
around the body is the tomb reliefs of the Apostles, the King and their
children. This building is really a showcase for the skills and dedication of
the craftsmen of medieval Europe.
9. Monte Alban
Monte
Alban can be found in low mountains in southern Mexico. This site is one of the
original site of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica ever found, dating back to at least
500BC, the valley is situated in also showing signs of inhabitation since
2000BC. This site offers a unique glimpse into the history of the Zapotec and
culture. At the center of the site is the main plaza surrounded by civil and
ceremonial buildings and elite home. This site also features two ball courts, a
monumental staircase, hundreds of graves and more than 300 carved stone
monuments Danzante. Most of them are men of war prisoners, tortured and
sacrificed, with many of the village leaders who compete. This site also
contains more than 40 sheets of conquest within the walls of the building, this
sheet gives names and details of where the sometimes conquered by Monte Alban. From
this has been possible to confirm the Canada de Cuicatlán conquered by the
Zapotec.
