World Heritage Sites

I've been ruminating on UNESCO's so called World Heritage Sites and decided to work out how many of them I have visited. My total is 143 in 48 countries. I've never thought about it before as we don't specifically seek out sites because they're designated. In fact, I'm  surprised to find some places are listed. For example we enjoyed the mosaics at Um er-Rasas in Jordan and there were no other tourists, but without specialist knowledge I was unable to see that they were of, "universal cultural importance."

So here's my list; the yellow diamond notes sites chosen for their cultural importance, the green indicates sites  picked for their ecological importance, and red denotes a site that is on the "List of World Heritage in Danger."Clicking on any of the sites listed below will bring you to their relevant UNESCO page; complete with photos, a map and a long description.

What is your favorite World Heritage site?

Iguazu Falls seen from the Argentinian side, this is only a small section af all there is to see!

Argentina

• Iguazu National Park

Armenia

• Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin
• Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots
• Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley

Australia

• Great Barrier Reef
• Tasmanian Wilderness
• Wet Tropics of Queensland
• Greater Blue Mountains Area
• Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens
• Sydney Opera House
• Australian Convict Sites

Sydney Opera House with the Harbor Bridge in the foreground, 2010

Austria

• Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn
• Historic Centre of Vienna

Belgium

• La Grand-Place, Brussels
• Historic Centre of Brugge

Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar

The bridge in Mostar reminds us that wars can be created between neighbors and friends, Bosnia

Brazil

• Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia
• Iguaçu National Park
• Brasilia
• Central Amazon Conservation Complex 

The Brazilian Amazon as seen on our flight from Manaus to Tefe, 2004

Cambodia

• Angkor

Canada

• Historic District of Old Québec

Chile

• Rapa Nui National Park

Spectacular Moai on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) Chile 2009

China

• Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas

Croatia

• Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian
• Old City of Dubrovnik
• Plitvice Lakes National Park 
• Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč
• Historic City of Trogir

Dubrovnik is beautiful but has been give over entirely to tourism,  Croatia 2009

Cyprus

• Paphos

Czech Republic

• Historic Centre of Prague

Egypt

• Historic Cairo
• Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur
• Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
• Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae

Estonia

• Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn

France

• Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay
• Palace and Park of Versailles
• Amiens Cathedral
• Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments
• Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct)
• Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims
• Paris, Banks of the Seine 
• Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge
• Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne
• The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes 
• Episcopal City of Albi

Germany

• Palaces and Parks of Potsdam and Berlin 
• Museumsinsel (Museum Island), Berlin

Greece

• Acropolis, Athens

Guatemala

• Antigua Guatemala
• Tikal National Park

Holy See

• Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura
• Vatican City

Dome of St. Peter's from the Vatican Museum, Holy See 2009

Honduras

• Maya Site of Copan

India

• Agra Fort
• Taj Mahal
• Kaziranga National Park
• Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
• Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
• Red Fort Complex
• The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

Taj Mahal at dawn, viewed from below, India 2008

Indonesia

• Borobudur Temple Compounds

Borobudur in Java is one of the most memorable places we have visited,  Indonesia 2004

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

• Meidan Emam, Esfahan
• Persepolis
• Bam and its Cultural Landscape
• Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran

Italy

• Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura* 
• Historic Centre of Florence
• Venice and its Lagoon
• The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera
• City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto
• Historic Centre of Siena
• Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna
• Historic Centre of the City of Pienza
• Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia
• Historic Centre of Urbino
• Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites
• Val d'Orcia
• The Dolomites

Roof top view of Rome with Pantheon on left, Italy 2009

Jordan

• Petra
• Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)

Early Christian mosaic at Um er-Rasas, Jordan 2011

Lebanon

• Anjar
• Baalbek
• Byblos

Umayyad Caliphate site at Anjar, Lebanon 2011

Malawi

• Lake Malawi National Park

Malaysia

• Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca

Mali

• Old Towns of Djenné
• Timbuktu
• Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)

Malta

• City of Valletta

Mexico

• Historic Centre of Puebla
• Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal
• Historic Fortified Town of Campeche
• Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche

Detail of the Cathedral in Puebla, Mexico 2008

Morocco

• Medina of Fez
• Medina of Marrakesh
• Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

Netherlands

• Defence Line of Amsterdam

Peru

• City of Cuzco
• Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
• Chan Chan Archaeological Zone
• Manú National Park
• Historic Centre of Lima 
• Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa

Portugal

• Cultural Landscape of Sintra  
• Historic Centre of Évora 
• Monastery of Alcobaça 
• Monastery of Batalha 
• Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon 

Russian Federation

• Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments
• Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow

Saint Lucia

• Pitons Management Area

Senegal

• Island of Gorée

South Africa

• Cape Floral Region Protected Areas

Spain

• Works of Antoni Gaudí 
• Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada 
• Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville 
• Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza 
• Historic Centre of Cordoba 

Sri Lanka

• Ancient City of Polonnaruwa 
• Ancient City of Sigiriya
•  Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications
• Sacred City of Kandy 
• Golden Temple of Dambulla 
• Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

Syrian Arab Republic

• Ancient City of Damascus
• Ancient City of Bosra
• Site of Palmyra
• Ancient City of Aleppo
• Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din

Palmyra, Syria 2011

Tanzania, United Republic of

• Stone Town of Zanzibar

Turkmenistan

• Kunya-Urgench
• Parthian Fortresses of Nisa

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• Ironbridge Gorge
• Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey
• Blenheim Palace
• City of Bath
• Maritime Greenwich
• Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church
• Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church
• Tower of LondonOld and New Towns of Edinburgh
• Maritime Greenwich

United States of America

• Yellowstone National Park
• Everglades National Park
• Redwood National and State Parks
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park
• Statue of Liberty
• Yosemite National Park 

Uzbekistan

• Historic Centre of Bukhara
• Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz
• Samarkand – Crossroads of Cultures

Treasures of Uzbekistan, 2008

Viet Nam

• Complex of Hué Monuments
• Ha Long Bay
• Hoi An Ancient Town
• My Son Sanctuary
• Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi

Overnight on Ha Long Bay, Vietnam 2004

Zambia

• Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls 

Zimbabwe

• Mana Pools National Park, Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas
• Great Zimbabwe National Monument
• Khami Ruins National Monument
• Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls 
• Matobo Hills