UNESCO presents the new World Heritage Sites, showing that our Planet has incalculable treasures

Each year, UNESCO nominates a series of sites that are considered World Heritage. The idea is to preserve and protect these places. To be classified as a World Heritage Site, a site needs to meet a series of requirements, the most important of which is to bear witness to the creativity and cultural richness of human beings. In 2019, a total of 29 places were selected, true treasures that highlight our culture.

O awesome.club presents, in this post, which are these 29 new World Heritage Sites.

Bagan was the ancient capital of the Kingdom of Pagan between the 9th and 13th centuries. Located on a plain, the city has hundreds of temples, stupas (monuments), monasteries, pilgrimage centers, archaeological remains, frescoes and sculptures. The place was included on the list as a testament to the Buddhist religious strength and devotion of an era.

Located at the foot of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, the historic center of the ancient city of Sheki is located in the middle of a number of important trade routes. Its architecture is influenced by the traditions of the Safavid empire, the Kayar dynasty and Russia. This rich history ended up valued by UNESCO with the choice of the city as a World Heritage Site. In turn, the Khan Palace, along with numerous merchant palaces, reflects the wealth obtained from the creation of silkworms and the trade of this valuable fabric in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The site has been classified as a World Heritage Site for its natural richness. The gulf features the largest tidal flat system in the world. These waters are so rich that they serve as a breeding ground for numerous species of fish and crustaceans, and as a breeding ground for several classes of migratory birds, including some of the most endangered ones.

If you’ve been to Paraty, you know the historical and natural charms of this region. The city represented, at the end of the 17th century, the main port for the flow of gold produced in Minas Gerais and for the entry of goods coming, especially from Portugal — so much so that it is there that the so-called Estrada Real ends, a pilgrimage path that crosses the mountains of Minas Gerais and ends on the coast of Paraty. The richness of the port required the construction of a colonial architecture that today makes the city a true jewel. It is not only one of the best-preserved historical cities in Brazil, but a place surrounded by protected natural areas, which is home to countless species such as the jaguar, the peccary and the spider monkey. Ilha Grande, on the coast of Angra dos Reis, has 113 beaches with a greenish sea and crystalline waters, perfect for a dip. Those were the reasons why these places were added to the UNESCO list.

Vatnajökull is Iceland’s largest and most voluminous ice sheet and covers approximately 8% of the country. UNESCO highlighted the importance of the site, explaining that interesting, very diverse and dynamic geological processes occur in the area.

This region is made up of four mining sites that operated from the Neolithic period (3900 BC) to the Bronze Age (1600 BC). UNESCO claims that the site is home to one of the most complete prehistoric underground flint extraction and processing systems found so far and that it is a valuable source of information for reconstructing what life was like in these prehistoric settlements.

The fortified city is the capital of the State of Rajasthan and was founded in 1727. It was designed from cross line designs in keeping with Vedic architecture, but also has influences from Hindu, Mongolian and Western architectural ideals in its streets, markets, squares, residences and temples. That’s why UNESCO decided to declare it a World Heritage Site.

The site comprises a vast landscape of cliffs, ravines and volcanic formations in a landscape of incredible biodiversity. In addition to its natural wealth, which is why UNESCO has classified it as a World Heritage Site, the site features numerous settlements where cavemen once lived and which denote the existence, thousands of years ago, of pre-Hispanic cultures on the island, and these ancient inhabitants developed in isolation from the rest of humanity. The complex is also home to potential temples of worship that would be used to celebrate religious events.

The so-called Korean neo-Confucian academies, or seowon, were a kind of school (nine in all) and operated between the 15th and 19th centuries. Education, respect for academics and appreciation and interaction with the environment were the main values ​​of these institutions. The seowon were added to the UNESCO Heritage list as evidence of Chinese adoption of Neo-Confucianism.

This observatory is located in a rural area of ​​northwest England, free from radio interference, and is one of the most outstanding radio astronomy observatories in the world. It began operating in 1945 and is still active today. Jodrell Bank has had a significant scientific impact on various fields of study such as quantum optics and spacecraft tracking. One of the reasons UNESCO has named it a World Heritage Site is that it represents the transition from traditional optical astronomy to radio astronomy, which has led to incredible new discoveries in understanding the universe.

The work of Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1967) consists of eight buildings located in the United States. It is a representation of the “organic architecture” style, whose main characteristic is the integration of exterior and interior spaces, as well as the use of original materials (by the standards of the time), such as steel and concrete. His theories and constructions ended up greatly influencing the development of European architecture in the 20th century. For these reasons, the complex was declared a Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The sanctuary is located on Monte Espinho, in Braga. The place evokes the city of Jerusalem, recreating a landscape consisting of a sacred mountain with a church on top. It was built over more than 600 years and is predominantly baroque in style. It is for these reasons that it has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The site comprises a part of the rural area of ​​northeastern Italy made up of vineyards producing the famous sparkling wine “prosecco” — a kind of “cousin” of champagne, this one of French origin. It is a winery landscape characterized by a beautiful nature composed of forests, hills, farmland, crops and villages. Adopted in the 19th century, the grape production technique in the region, known as bellussera shaped the landscape of the place, giving it characteristics known until today and that contributed to its classification as a World Heritage Site.

The site, which is not far from Lisbon, was built by King João V in 1711. The imposing complex encompasses the palaces of the kings, the royal chapel in the form of a Baroque Roman basilica, a Franciscan monastery, a library with approximately 36,000 volumes, the wonderful garden “Cerco” and the royal hunting park, called Tapada. The building is, according to UNESCO, an invaluable witness to the power of the Portuguese Empire.

The complex, which dates from between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD, is located on the Osaka plain and houses 49 “kofun”, or ancient colossal tombs square, round, with locks or sea shells that served as burials for powerful characters. In them, true funerary treasures were found, such as weapons and emblems, which were decorated with allegorical figures of war and human characters. These materials are, according to experts, examples of the different social classes of ancient Japan and reveal what the Asian country’s sophisticated funeral traditions were like.

They were built between 2050 and 1750 BC. C., and are spread over 21 archaeological sites, six of which are necropolises that, together, house thousands of tombs. All are testament to the original Dilmun civilization. The number of burial chambers, in addition to their density, size and uniqueness make this place a unique place in the world, which contributed to its being chosen by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The mine was built by the Dutch government between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century — a period when Indonesia was a Dutch colony. High quality coal was extracted from the deposit, at the cost of a colossal effort by the population of Sumatra and people condemned to forced labor by the Dutch government. The wells and the town that housed the miners are considered World Heritage, as well as the warehouses at the port of Emmahaven and the railway network that enabled the commercialization of coal.

You’ve probably heard of Babylon. The famous city was in what is now Iraq, 85 kilometers from the current capital, Baghdad. UNESCO classified the ruins of the city of Babylon as a World Heritage Site — which, between 626 BC and 539 BC, was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian empire. This region is a unique testament to one of the most influential empires in the ancient world, which was led by some of the most influential rulers in history, such as Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, it is worth remembering, were one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

The complex is made up of churches, cathedrals, monasteries, fortresses…