history Archives | Page 3 of 9 | World Heritage Sites

View over a neighborhood with lots of traditional mansions.

City of Safranbolu

A medieval caravan stop on the Silk Road that contains many examples of traditional Ottoman architecture.

A plaza with ornate temples of stone around it.

Group of Monuments at Hampi

Hundreds of ruins of temples and other structures of the vanished Vijayanagara kingdom.

A huge palace, only a few stories high but very wide, with a huge flat plaza in front of it.

Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments

Peter the Great’s planned city of stunning Baroque architecture.

A view down the coastline: rocky outcroppings and a jumble of stone buildings.

City of Valletta

A fortified port city with a long military history and a Renaissance urban plan.

The main entrance facade of CST with arched entrances and towers framing the entrance.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus)

A busy 19th-century Gothic Revival train station in Mumbai that blends Victorian and Indian influences.

A large half-circular ring of amphitheatre seats in the foreground. In the background, the stage, with pillared structures behind it.

Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida

A large group of very well-preserved Roman buildings.

A white castle with many turrets, set on a series of arches over the Loire River.

The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes

A beautiful river valley landscape dotted with stunning castles and charming medieval towns.

A large square entranceway of very large rough stones, with a carving above it.

Archaeological Sites of Mycenae and Tiryns

Two sets of ruins from the Mycenaean civilization in the Peloponnese, which preceded the Ancient Greeks.

Looking down a ruined church with intact walls but no ceiling. Walls in stripes of stone and brick, archways along both sides.

Butrint

A little-known archeological site in southern Albania with ruins from centuries of occupiers.

High stone walls on two sides, with huge rectangular blocks. People standing at the base of the wall, quite nearby it.

Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

An ancient and disputed city, holy to three major religions.

The exterior of Selimiye Mosque with two very tall minarets.

Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex

A mosque complex representing the height of Ottoman architectural achievement.

Taj Mahal

The most famous monument in India, a landmark of Mughal-era architecture and a symbol of eternal love.

Trees in fall colors around an earthen mound.

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

Two-thousand-year-old earthworks that demonstrate the Hopewell people’s knowledge of geometry and astronomy.

View down a street busy with pedestrians, with a tall round tower in the background.

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

Two colonial-era towns where cultural exchange has created unique townscapes and local culture.

A view of some Kulangsu buildings on the island's edge.

Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement

An 18-century commercial port where foreign and Chinese influences mixed and intertwined, especially evident in the unique range of architecture.

Three bottles on top of a metal tank. They're labeled "Ordinario", "Mosto Muerto" and "Tequila".

Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila

Home to a centuries-old culture of agave cultivation for production of Tequila.

Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge

Palaces and other structures that tell the story of the 70-year sojourn in France of the Catholic papacy in the 14th century.

A balloon high above one of the pyramids.

Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan

A city of magnificent pyramids and temples left by an ancient civilization.

Two people stand, backs to camera, looking at the dome and bell tower of San Jose Mission

San Antonio Missions

Five historical mission churches from the Spanish colonial period in Texas.

A view along a section of the wall from one watchtower toward another along a row of mountain peaks.

The Great Wall

An ancient and audacious architectural marvel over 12,000 miles long.

A bridge over a pond or river, with a square tower at each end, all of it lit up in bright colors at night.

Gyeongju Historic Areas

Ruins of the capital of the ancient Silla dynasty, rich in Buddhist artworks and architecture.

Looking straight down the canal, a small bridge crosses it, with a bicycle passing over it.

Canal du Midi

A 360-km canal plus locks, tunnels and bridges: a 17th-century feat of engineering.

A pagoda with 6 roof levels on the right and a large temple hall on the left, with 3 roof levels.

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area

Two early temple complexes that include the oldest wooden structures in the world.

Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán

A vibrant Spanish colonial city and an ancient pre-Columbian city.

A point of land and a cluster of red-roofed buildings, seen from above.

Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor

A beautiful area around the Bay of Kotor with authentic, well-preserved architecture.

A Romanesque church, round arched entryway open on three sides, a small tower.

Byblos

Ruins of many layers of civilizations and the birthplace of the Phoenician alphabet.

A path straight ahead with bushes on either side, leading to a large domed building with an arched entryway.

Kunya-Urgench

Ruins of the capital of the ancient state of Khorezm and a major stop on the medieval Silk Road.

Looking up at the front of the cathedral: two square towers, very lacy with many vertical gothic openings, rose window at the center above the central entryway, lots of statue niches with figures and also gargoyles.

Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Former Abbey of Saint-Rémi and Palace of Tau, Reims

Three medieval structures central to the history of Christianity and coronations in France.

Front of a church - 2 storeys, arches along the edge of the roof as well as above the entrances.

Archaeological Site of Mystras

Atmospheric ruins of a complete Late Byzantine city.

View across a hilly terrain with a castle in the distance. The hills are covered with the stripes of vineyards.

Vineyard Landscape of Piedmont: Langhe-Roero and Monferrato

A region of northern Italy representing excellence in winegrowing and winemaking.

The mausoleum is a small square building with an arched entrance with one window above it. The base of what used to be a dome still stands on top.

Ancient City of Qalhat

The ruins of a major trade-route city of the Kingdom of Hormuz.

A ruin with walls intact and a very large interal arch, inside of which stand two almost complete pillars.

Villa Adriana (Tivoli)

A lavish retreat built for Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century.

View down a long narrow room with stone walls and a glass roof. The floor is covered in a mosaic with images of people and animals.

Villa Romana del Casale

The ruins of a Roman villa with remarkably well-preserved mosaics.

An attractive narrow city street, with buildings only 2-3 stories high; one of them looks like a gateway.

The Historic Centre of Guimarães

A charming medieval city center, considered the birthplace of Portuguese nationhood.

A view of the vineyards seems to go on forever: very flat land, with small areas divided by lots of stone walls, vines growing between them, close to the ground.

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture

Viniculture in a hostile environment made possible through human ingenuity.

A stone church with a small open bell tower in its center with 4 bells visible.

Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias

Six buildings that are unique to the short-lived Asturian monarchy.