UNESCO adds six sites to its World Heritage List

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UNESCO adds six sites to its World Heritage List

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has granted World Heritage status to six sites across the globe.

Of the 35 site nominations being reviewed by the Committee, whose 35th session ran from 19-29 June 2011 at their Paris Headquarters, the six that are confirmed to appear on the World Heritage list are the following:

1) Ancient villages of Northern Syria (Syrian Arab Republic). This site encompasses eight parks comprising of 40 well-preserved villages, dating from the 1st to the 7th centuries, depicting life in times of the ancient Romans and early Byzantine Christians. Features of this site include a beautifully preserved landscape and architectural remains such as pagan temples, churches, cisterns, bathhouses etc.

2) The cultural sites of Al Ain (United Arab Emirates). These sites are a testament to human occupation of a desert region and contain traces of prehistoric cultures such as circular stone tombs from as early as 2500 B.C., wells and various primitive constructions. An ancient example of the aflaj irrigation system, dating back to the Iron Age, can be found at Hili, one of the sites.

3) The Persian Garden (Iran). Nine gardens in nine different provinces collectively form this site. They demonstrate the evolution and adaptation of garden designs dating back to the 6th century B.C. to varying climates. The gardens, which have influenced garden design in other countries such as India and Spain, also feature ancient buildings, pavillions and walls.

4) The Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana (Spain). An unexpected array of vegetation and agricultural terraces can be found on this steep mountain range that runs along the north-west contour of the Spanish island of Mallorca. A network of water management devices has been established, taking advantage of the unusually high precipitation levels to provide for the farms of Middle Age origin.

5) Pile Dwellings around the Alps (Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia). 111 separate sites, found on the fringes of lakes, rivers and wetlands in and around the Alps, constitute these stilt house (pile-dwelling) settlements which were built between 5000 and 500 B.C. The sites offer a window into the prehistoric eras of the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Fifty six of these well-preserved archaeological sites are found in the Swiss Alps.

6) Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex (Turkey). This square monument, characterised by its single great dome, is a prominent feature of Edirne, the former Ottoman capital. The Mosque’s creator, Sinan (the most famous 16th century Ottoman architect) deemed the monument to be his greatest creation. The complex as a whole is managed as a single institution, comprising the Mosque and the buildings surrounding it.