UNESCO World Heritage Sites
01 Banaue Rice Terraces (Philippines)

The Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000-year old terraces that
were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the
Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. The
Rice Terraces are commonly referred to by Filipinos as
the "Eighth Wonder of the World". It is commonly thought
that the terraces were built with minimal equipment,
largely by hand. The terraces are located approximately
1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360
square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of
mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation
system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said
that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half
the globe. Read more after the break...
The Banaue terraces are part of the Rice Terraces of the
Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling man-made
structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old. They are found
in the provinces of Kalinga, Apayao, Benguet, Mountain
Province and Ifugao, and are a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
Locals to this day still plant rice and vegetables on the
terraces, although more and more younger Ifugaos do not
find farming appealing, often opting for the more
lucrative hospitality industry generated by the Rice
Terraces. The result is the gradual erosion of the
characteristic "steps", which need constant
reconstruction and care.
02 Ajanta Caves (India)

is world's greatest historical monument
recognised by UNESCO located just 40kms from Jalgaon
city of Maharashtra, India. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of
which 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest
are monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD
1819 and were built up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD.
Most of the paintings in Ajanta are right from 2nd century
BC-AD and some of them about the fifth century AD and
continued for the next two centuries. All paintings shows
heavy religious influence and centre around Buddha,
Bodhisattvas, incidents from the life of Buddha and the
Jatakas. The paintings are executed on a ground of mudplaster
in the tempera technique.
Conjures before one's vision, a dream of beauty- of caves,
hidden in the midst of a lonely glen with a streamlet
flowing down below, caves that were scooped out into the
heart of the rock so that the pious Buddhist monk, out on
mission to spread the tenets of Buddhism could dwell and
pray, caves that the followers of Lord Buddha,
embellished with architectural details with a skilful
command of the hammer over the chisel, with sculpture
of highest craftsmanship and above all, with the paintings
of infinite charm.
At Ajanta, the paintings on the walls, illustrate the events
in the life of prince Gautama Buddha, the founder of
Buddhism and in the more popular Jatakas stories
pertaining to Buddha's previous incarnation. According to
the older conceptions, the Buddha wrought many deeds
of kindness and mercy in a long series of transmigration
as a Bodhisattva, before achieving his final birth as the
sage of sakyas.
Incidentally they contain the scenes of semi-mythological
history, the royal court and popular life of the ancient
times, as told in romances and plays. Some pictures
recall the Greek and Roman compositions and
proportions, few late resemble to Chinese manners to
some extent. But majority belongs to a phase, which is
purely Indian, as they are found nowhere else. These
monuments were constructed during two different
periods of time separated by a long interval of four
centuries. The older ones were the product of last to
centuries before Christ and belong to Hinayana period of
Buddhism in later part of 2nd century AD when Buddhism
was divided into two sections, after the conduct of the
fourth general council under another great king,
Kanishka.
03 Sigiriya (Sri Lanka

Sigiriya (Lion's rock) is an ancient rock fortress and
palace ruin situated in the central Matale District of Sri
Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive
network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures. A
popular tourist destination, Sigiriya is also renowned for
its ancient paintings (frescos),[1] which are reminiscent
of the Ajanta Caves of India. The Sigiriya was built during
the reign of King Kassapa I (AD 477 – 495), and it is one
of the seven World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka.
Sigiriya may have been inhabited through prehistoric
times. It was used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery
from about the 5th century BC, with caves prepared and
donated by devotees to the Buddhist Sangha. The garden
and palace were built by King Kasyapa. Following King
Kasyapa's death, it was again a monastery complex up to
about the 14th century, after which it was abandoned. .
The Sigiri inscriptions were deciphered by the
archaeologist Senarath Paranavithana in his renowned
two-volume work, published by Oxford, Sigiri Graffiti. He
also wrote the popular book "Story of Sigiriya".
The Mahavamsa, the ancient historical record of Sri
Lanka, describes King Kasyapa as the son of King
Dhatusena. Kasyapa murdered his father by walling him
alive and then usurping the throne which rightfully
belonged to his brother Mogallana, Dhatusena's son by
the true queen. Mogallana fled to India to escape being
assassinated by Kasyapa but vowed revenge. In India he
raised an army with the intention of returning and
retaking the throne of Sri Lanka which he considered was
rightfully his. Knowing the inevitable return of Mogallana,
Kasyapa is said to have built his palace on the summit of
Sigiriya as a fortress and pleasure palace. Mogallana
finally arrived and declared war. During the battle
Kasyapa's armies abandoned him and he committed
suicide by falling on his sword. Chronicles and lore say
that the battle-elephant on which Kasyapa was mounted
changed course to take a strategic advantage, but the
army misinterpreted the movement as the King having
opted to retreat, prompting the army to abandon the king
altogether. Moggallana returned the capital to
Anuradapura, converting Sigiriya into a monastery
complex.
Alternative stories have the primary builder of Sigiriya as
King Dhatusena, with Kasyapa finishing the work in
honour of his father. Still other stories have Kasyapa as a
playboy king, with Sigiriya a pleasure palace. Even
Kasyapa's eventual fate is mutable. In some versions he
is assassinated by poison administered by a concubine. In
others he cuts his own throat when isolated in his final
battle.[5] Still further interpretations have the site as the
work of a Buddhist community, with no military function
at all. This site may have been important in the
competition between the Mahayana and Theravada
Buddhist traditions in ancient Sri Lanka.
04 Leptis Magna (Libya)

Leptis Magna, also known as Lectis Magna (or Lepcis
Magna as it is sometimes spelled), also called Lpqy or
Neapolis, was a prominent city of the Roman Empire. Its
ruins are located in Al Khums, Libya, 130 km east of
Tripoli, on the coast where the Wadi Lebda meets the
sea. The site is one of the most spectacular and unspoiled
Roman ruins in the Mediterranean.
05 Meteora (Greece)

The Metéora (Greek "suspended rocks", "suspended in
the air" or "in the heavens above") is one of the largest
and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox
monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The
six monasteries are built on natural sandstone rock
pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly
near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central
Greece. The nearest town is Kalambaka. The Metéora is
included on the UNESCO World Heritage List under
criteria.
06 Bagan (Myanmar)

Bagan, formerly Pagan, is an ancient city in the Mandalay
Division of Burma. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or
Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also
known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa
(the Parched Land), it was the ancient capital of several
ancient kingdoms in Burma. It is located in the dry central
plains of the country, on the eastern bank of the
Ayeyarwady River, 90 miles (145 km) southwest of
Mandalay.
Bagan was submitted to become a UNESCO heritage site
but many speculate of politics as partly the reason for the
exclusion. UNESCO does not designate Bagan as a World
Heritage Site. The main reason given is that the military
junta (SPDC) has haphazardly restored ancient stupas,
temples and buildings, ignoring original architectural
styles and using modern materials which bear little or no
resemblance to the original designs. The junta has also
established a golf course, a paved highway, and built a
200-foot (61-m) watchtower in the southeastern suburb
of Minnanthu.
07 Valley of Flowers National Park

Valley of Flowers National Park is an Indian national park,
Nestled high in West Himalaya, is renowned for its
meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding
natural beauty. This richly diverse area is also home to
rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black
bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The
gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park
complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda
Devi National Park. Together they encompass a unique
transition zone between the mountain ranges of the
Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an
expanse of 87.50 km².
The Valley of Flowers is an outstandingly beautiful highaltitude
Himalayan valley that has been acknowledged as
such by renowned mountaineers and botanists in
literature for over a century and in Hindu mythology for
much longer. Its ‘gentle’ landscape, breathtakingly
beautiful meadows of alpine flowers and ease of access
complement the rugged, mountain wilderness for which
the inner basin of Nanda Devi National Park is renowned.
Valley of flower is splashed with colour as it bloomed with
hundreds different beautiful flowers, taking on various
shades of colours as time progressed. Valley was
declared a national park in 1982, and now it is a World
Heritage Site. The locals, of course, always knew of the
existence of the valley, and believed that it was inhabited
by fairies.
While trekking towards valley of flowers, tourists can
experience the beauty of shining peaks fully covered with
snow. Tourists can also see the beautiful view of
surrounding greenery and various running streams with
crystal clear water.
The valley is home to many celebrated flowers like the
Brahmakamal, the Blue Poppy and the Cobra Lily. It is a
much sought after haunt for flower-lovers, botanists and
of course trekkers, for whom a sufficient excuse to
embark on a mission to reach a place, is that it exists.
The Valley of Flowers is internationally important on
account of its diverse alpine flora, representative of the
West Himalaya biogeographic zone. The rich diversity of
species reflects the valley’s location within a transition
zone between the Zaskar and Great Himalayas ranges to
the north and south, respectively, and between the
Eastern Himalaya and Western Himalaya flora. A number
of plant species are internationally threatened, several
have not been recorded from elsewhere in Uttarakhand
and two have not been recorded in Nanda Devi National
Park. The diversity of threatened species of medicinal
plants is higher than has been recorded in other Indian
Himalayan protected areas. The entire Nanda Devi
Biosphere Reserve lies within the Western Himalayas
Endemic Bird Area (EBA). Seven restricted-range bird
species are endemic to this part of the EBA.
The Valley of Flowers was declared a national park in
1982. This part of Uttarakhand, in the upper reaches of
Garhwal, is inaccessible through much of the year. The
area lies on the Zanskar range of the Himalayas with the
highest point in the national park being Gauri Parbat at
6,719 m above sea level.
08 Tower of Hercules (Spain)

The Tower of Hercules (Galician and Spanish: Torre de
Hércules) is an ancient Roman lighthouse on a peninsula
about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) from the centre of A
Coruña, Galicia, in north-western Spain. The name
Corunna is said to be derived from the ancient columna,
meaning column. The structure is 55 metres (180 ft) tall
and overlooks the North Atlantic coast of Spain. The
structure, almost 1900 years old and rehabilitated in
1791, is the oldest Roman lighthouse still used as a
lighthouse.
The Tower of Hercules is a National Monument of Spain,
and since June, 27 2009 the Tower of Hercules is also
considered an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the
second tallest lighthouse in Spain, after the Faro de
Chipiona.
Construction and History
The tower remains a sentinel from days long past. It is
known to have existed by the 2nd century, built or
perhaps rebuilt under Trajan, perhaps on foundations and
just possibly following a design that was Phoenician in
origin. It is thought to be modeled after the Pharos
Lighthouse of Alexandria. At its base is preserved the
cornerstone with the inscription MARTI AUG.SACR
C.SEVIVS LUPUS ARCHTECTUS AEMINIENSIS
LVSITANVS.EX.VO, permitting the original lighthouse
tower to be ascribed to the architect Gaius Sevius Lupus,
from Aeminium (present-day Coimbra, Portugal) in the
former province of Lusitania, as an ex voto dedicated to
Mars. The tower has been in constant use since the 2nd
century and considered to be the oldest existing
lighthouse in the world. Originally it was constructed with
an ascending ramp encircling its sides, for oxen to bring
cartloads of wood to keep the light fueled at night.
[citation needed]
The earliest surviving mention of the lighthouse at
Brigantium is by Paulus Orosius in Historiae adversum
Paganos written ca 415 – 417:
Secundus angulus circium intendit, ubi Brigantia
Gallaeciae civitas sita altissimum farum et inter pauca
memorandi operis ad speculam Britanniae erigit” ("At the
second angle of the circuit [circumnavigating Hispania],
where the Gallaecian city of Brigantia is sited, a very tall
lighthouse is erected among a few commemorative
works, for looking towards Britannia.")
09 Library of Celsus (Turkey)

The library of Celsus, in Ephesus, Asia Minor (Anatolia,
now Turkey), was built in honor of Tiberius Julius Celsus
Polemaeanus (completed in 135 AD) by Celsus’ son,
Gaius Julius Aquila (consul, 110 AD). Celsus had been
consul in 92 AD, governor of Asia in 115 AD, and a
wealthy and popular local citizen.
The library was built to store 12,000 scrolls and to serve
as a monumental tomb for Celsus. It was unusual to be
buried within a library or even within city limits, so this
was a special honor for Celsus.
10 Torun' (Poland)

Torun' [?t?ru?] ( listen) (German: Thorn (Ltspkr.png
listen), Kashubian: Torn', Latin: Thorunium, see also:
other names) is a city in northern Poland, on the Vistula
River, with population over 205,934 as of June 2009,
making it the second-largest city of Kujawy-Pomerania
Province, after Bydgoszcz. The medieval old town of
Torun' is the birthplace of Nicolaus Copernicus. In 1997 it
was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List as a World
Heritage Site.
Previously it was the capital of the Torun' Voivodeship
(1975–98) and the Pomeranian Voivodeship (1921–45).
Since 1999, Torun' has been a seat of the selfgovernment
of the Kujawy-Pomerania Province and, as
such, is one of its two capitals (together with Bydgoszcz).
The cities and neighboring counties form the Bydgoszcz-
Torun' bipolar metropolitan area. In September 2004,
Bydgoszcz Medical School joined Torun''s Nicolaus
Copernicus University as its Collegium Medicum.