A site is referred to as a World Heritage Site when it is listed by
the United Nations UNESCO organization
as a special cultural or physical significance. As of 2014, there are
1007 heritage sites: 779 are cultural, 197 are natural and 31 are mixed
properties. The following is a list of 10 cultural heritage sites, which stand out for their beauty.
1. Machu
Picchu, Peru – Heritage site since 1983. Machu Picchu, also
known as “the Lost City of the Incas” is the most famous Inca site in the
world. It is a 15th century site located on a mountain 2,430 metres
(7,970 ft) above sea level, some 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest
of Cusco. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was
built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti. Machu Picchu
is the most visited tourist attraction in Peru.
2. Pyramids
of Giza, Egypt – Heritage site since 1979. This complex
of ancient monuments includes the Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, several
cemeteries and more. It is located 9 km (5 mi) from the old town
of Giza on the Nile, southwest of Cairo. The pyramids were
listed among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Being built
around 2584–2561 BC, they aren’t just the only site on the list to still
exist, they are also the oldest site among the seven
3. The
Great Wall Of China, China – Heritage
site since 1987. Built in the 14th century, the Great Wall Of China
stretches for 8,850 kilometers! This amazing wall was
built to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from the attacks of
nomadic tribes. The Great Wall is often claimed to be the only man made
structure visible from space with the naked eye, but this legend is false
4. Bagan
City, Burma (Myanmar) – Heritage site since 1996.
The ancient city of Bagan was the capital of the Kingdom of
Pagan between the 9th and the 13th centuries. From the 11th century till
the 13th century, over 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries
were constructed in the Bagan plains. The remains of over 2,200 of the temples
and pagodas still survive today. Bagan is the most visited attraction in
Myanamar
5. Taj
Mahal, Agra, India – Heritage
site since 1983. A giant mausoleum of white marble, built between
1632 and 1653 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his
favorite wife. The most spectacular feature of the Taj Mahal is the marble dome that
surmounts the tomb. It is 35 meters tall (115 ft). The top of the famous dome
is decorated with a lotus design. The Taj Mahal is the most famous monument of
the entire subcontinent of India.
6. Mont
Saint Michel, France – Heritage
site since 1979. A rocky tidal
island in Normandy, located approximately 1 km off the coast. The
island’s highest point is 92 meters (301 feet) above sea level. The
population of this heritage site is only a few dozens, but visited
bymore than 3 million people each year. The strong tides in the area change
quickly, and connect and disconnects the island from the mainland on a daily
basis. The castle on the small island is known to be one of the most
beautiful castles in the world
7. Angkor
Wat, Cambodia – Heritage site since 1992. Originally a
Hindu temple, this now Buddhist temple is the largest religious
monument in the world. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman
2 in the early 12th century as his state temple and later mausoleum.
Angkor Wat is the most famous monument and most visited site in Cambodia.
It has become the symbol of the country and appears on
its national flag
8. Acropolis
Of Athens, Athens, Greece – Heritage
site since 1987. Probably the most important Acropolis in Greece,
the Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky
outcrop above the city of Athens. It contains the remains of the
Parthenon and other ancient important structures. It is one of the most famous
monument in Europe
9. Rapa
Nui National Park, Easter Island – Heritage site since 1995. Monolithic human figures carved by
the Rapa Nui people from rock between the years 1250 and 1500. Almost all moai
have overly large heads three-eighths the size of the whole statue. The tallest
moai erected, called Paro, was almost 10 meters (33 ft) high and weighed 75
tonnes. The heaviest erected was a shorter but squatter moai weighing 86 tons
and one unfinished sculpture, if completed, would have been approximately 21
meters (69 ft) tall with a weight of about 270 tons. These statues are among
the most
famous statues in the world
10. Chichen
Itza, Mexico – Heritage site since 1988. Chichen
Itza was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya
people. It was one of the largest Maya cities and a major focal
point in the northern Maya lowlands for centuries. Today, Chichen Itza is
one of the most visited archaeological sites in Mexico with around 1.2 million
visitors each year