Albania 3

Butrint (Latin: Buthrōtum) was an ancientGreek city, then a Roman oneand the seatof a late Roman bishopric After a periodofabandonment it wasoccupied by the Byzantines the Angevins and the Venetians. It wasfinallyabandoned in the late MiddleAges. Prominentarcheologicalsitesinclude a Greektheater, a late-antiquebaptistery, a ninth-centurybasilica, andfortificationsfrom the periodof the Greekcolony to the MiddleAges.

Berat and Gjirokastër are inscribed as rareexamplesof an architecturetypicalof the Ottomanperiod. Berat bearswitness to the coexistenceofvariousreligiousandculturalcommunitiesdown the centuries. It features a castle, mostofwhichwasbuilt in the 13th century, althoughitsorigins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area has many Byzantine churches, mainlyfrom the 13th century, as well as severalmosquesbuilt in the 15th century. Gjirokastër features a seriesoftwo-storeyhouseswhichwerebuilt in the 17th century. The townalsoretains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque, andtwochurchesof the sameperiod. Gjirokastër wasoriginallylistedindividually in 2005, Berat wasadded to the site in 2008

 

Algeria  7

 

In a mountainous site ofextraordinarybeauty, the ruinsof the firstcapitalof the Hammadidemirs, founded in 1007 anddemolished in 1152, provide an authenticpictureof a fortifiedMuslimcity. The mosque, whoseprayerroom has 13 aisleswitheightbays, isoneof the largest in Algeria. Beni Hammad Fort isnear the townofMaadid (akaMaadhid), about 225 kilometres (140 mi) southeastofAlgiers

 

Djémila (formerlyknown as Cuicul) was a Roman town in a mountainous site, comprising a forum, temples, basilicas, triumphalarchesandreligiousbuildingsandotherstructures, eachadapted to a location 900 m (3,000 ft) abovesealevel

 

A vastplateauon the edgeof the Sahara, Tassilin'Ajjercontains more than 15,000 caveengravingsthatrecordclimaticchanges, animalmigrations, and the evolutionof human life, datingfrom 6,000 BCE to the first centuries CE. It isalsonotedforitseroded sandstone landforms

 

Established by Emperor Trajan in 100 CE as a militarycolony, Timgadfeatures cardo and decumanus streets, constituting a typicalexampleof Roman town-planning.

 

Previously a Carthaginian tradingcentre, Tipasawasconquered by the Romansandconvertedinto a militarybase. The site alsobearswitness to paleochristian and Byzantine influencës

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina 3

 

This site encompasses the OldBridgeand the surroundingarea. The Ottoman bridge, whichcrosses the Neretva river, wascommissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent andcompleted in 1566/67. In 1993, during the BosnianWar, it wasdeliberatelyshelledanddestroyed by the CroatianDefenceCouncil. After the war, the bridgewasrebuiltusingtraditionalconstructionmethodsandlocalmaterials, andreopened in 2004

 

The MehmedPašaSokolovićBridge, whichcrosses the Drina river, wascompleted in 1577 by the Ottomancourtarchitect MimarSinan on the ordersof the Grand Vizier MehmedPašaSokolović. The bridgeis 179.5 metres (589 ft) longand has 11 arches. The bridgealso has a symbolicsignific

ance as the meetingplacebetween Christianity and Islam.

 

Croatia  10

 

Thispropertyconsistsofsixcomponentsofdefenceworks in Italy, Croatia, andMontenegro, spanning more than 1,000 kilometresbetween the Lombard regionofItalyand the easternAdriaticCoast. The introductionofgunpowderled to significantshifts in militarytechniquesandarchitecture. Croatiansitesinclude the defensive systemofZadarand St. NicholasFortress in Šibenik

 

The StariGradPlainis an agriculturallandscapethatwas set up by the ancientGreekcolonists in the 4th century BC, andremains in usetoday. The plainisgenerallystill in itsoriginalform. The ancientlayout has beenpreserved by carefulmaintenanceof the stonewallsover 24 centuries.[

 

The cathedralis a triple-nave basilica withthreeapsesand a dome (32 metres (105 ft) highinside) andisalsooneof the mostimportant Renaissance architecturalmonuments in the easternAdriatic.[

 

Trogir'srichculturewascreatedunder the influence ofoldGreeks, Romans, andVenetians. It is the best-preservedRomanesque-Gothiccomplex not only in the Adriatic, but in all of Central Europe. Trogir's medieval core, surrounded by walls, comprises a preservedcastleandtowerand a seriesofdwellingsandpalacesfrom the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, andBaroqueperiods.[

 

Over time, water has flowedover the natural limestone andchalk, creatingnaturaldamswhich in turn havecreated a seriesofconnectinglakes, waterfalls, andcaves. The nearbyforests are home to bears, wolves, andmanyrarebird species.

Cyprus  3

 

Worshipof pre-Hellenic fertilitydeities in Cyprusbegan in the Neolithicperiod (6th millennium BCE). Paphoswas the site ofoneof the oldest Mycenean settlements. In the 12th century BCE, theybuilt a dedicatedtemple to Aphrodite, the goddessofloveandbeauty, whowasbornon the island, according to classicalmythology. The archaeological site includes the remainsof the villas, palaces, fortresses, androck-hewn peristyle tombs. The villaswererichlyadornedwithmosaicfloors, withmotifsrepresentingthemesfrommythologyandfromeverydaylife. Thesemosaicsofhighartisticqualityspanfrom the Hellenistic to the Byzantine period.

 

This site comprises ten rural churchesandmonasteriesbuilt in the TroodosMountains from the 11th to the 16th century. Churches, such as PanagiatouAraka and ChurchofSt. Nicholasof the Roof, are richlydecoratedwith murals. Theydocumentover 500 yearsofByzantineand post-Byzantinepaintingandserve as examplesof the developmentofstylesunderinternationalinfluences. Ninechurcheswereoriginallylisted in 1985, one more churchwasadded in 2001, and an additionaloneisconsideredon the tentative list

 

Choirokoitiaisoneof the mostimportantprehistoricsites in the eastern Mediterranean. It wasoccupiedbetween the 7th and 4th millennium BCE, in the Neolithicperiod. The settlementconsistedofcircularhousesbuiltfrom mudbrick andstonewithflatroofs, and it wasprotected by successivewalls. The agriculturalsocietywas aceramic (withoutpottery). Among the findingswere flint andbonetools, animalandplantremains, stonevessels, and anthropomorphic figurines in stone (one in clay). Onlypartof the site has beenexcavated. A minor boundarymodificationtookplace in 2012

Egypt 7

 

The ruinsof the formerChristianholycitycontain a church, a baptistery, basilicas, publicbuildings, streets, monasteries, houses, andworkshops, andwerebuiltover the tombof MenasofAlexandria

 

The formercapitalofEgyptand the cityof Amun, Thebescontainstemplesandpalaces at Karnak and Luxor, as well as the necropolises at the Valleyof the Kings and the Valleyof the Queens, bearingwitness to the heightof the Egyptiancivilization

 

Oneof the world'soldestIslamiccitiesand in the middleof urban Cairo, the site datesfrom the 10th centuryandreacheditsgolden age in the 14th century. It containsmosques, madrasah, hammams andfountains.

 

The capitalof the OldKingdomofEgypt has someextraordinaryfunerarymonuments, includingrocktombs, ornatemastabas, templesandpyramids. In ancienttimes, the site wasconsideredoneof the SevenWondersof the World

 

Located in westernEgypt, WadiAl-Hitancontainsfossilremainsof the nowextinct Archaeoceti, mapping the evolutionof the whales from a land-based to an aquaticmammal.

 

France 33

 

Arles, Roman andRomanesqueMonuments

 

PalaisdesPapes, EpiscopalEnsembleand Pont Saint-Bénezet

 

Historic site of Lyon

 

Roman Theatre anditsSurroundingsand the "TriumphalArch" of Orange

 

Gulfof Porto: CalancheofPiana, GulfofGirolata, ScandolaReserve

 

DecoratedCaveof Pont d’Arc, known as GrotteChauvet-Pont d’Arc, Ardèche30,000–28,000 BCE

 

Nicebearswitness to the evolutionof the winterresortdue to the city'smildclimateandseasidelocation at the footof the Alps.

Greece  18

 

The temple, dedicated to Apollo Epicurius, wasbuilt in the 5th century BCE in the mountainsof Arcadia. It isconsidered by UNESCO to be oneof the bestpreservedmonumentsof classicalantiquity. It is the earliest monument thatfeatures all three classicalorders, Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Afterfallingoutofuse, the templewasforgottenfornearly 1700 years. It wasrediscovered in the 18th century, attracting the attentionofscholarsandartists

 

Delphi, located at the footof MountParnassus, was the site of the TempleofApollo, a Panhellenicsanctuary, and in Greekview the "navelof the world" (the Omphalos). Pythia, the oracle, resided in the temple, receivingpilgrimsfrom all Greece. In the 6th century BCE, Delphiwasseen as the religiouscentreandsymbolofunityof the ancientGreekworld

 

Situatedon a narrowpeninsula, MountAthos has beengoverned as an autonomousentity sinceByzantinetimes. An Orthodox spiritual centresince the 10th century, it ishome to about 20 activemonasteries. MountAthos has exertedlasting influence on the developmentofreligiousarchitectureand monumental painting.

 

Meteorais a rockformationof sandstone peaks, hosting 24 Orthodoxmonasteries. Manyof them werebuilton the almostinaccessiblepeaksduring the revivalof the eremeric ideal in the 15th century. The monasteries are decorated by 16th centuryfrescoes, whichrepresent a keystage in the developmentof post-Byzantine painting

 

The islandof Rhodes wasoccupied by the OrderofStJohnof Jerusalem (KnightsHospitaller) from 1309 to 1523, whotransformed the cityofRhodesinto a strongholdandsurrounded it with a 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) wall. The fortifications werebuiltupon the existingByzantineones. The Uppertownfeaturesseveralbuildingsfrom the Gothicperiod, including the Palaceof the Grand Masters, the GreatHospital, and the Streetof the Knights. When the Ottomans took the island, theyconvertedmostchurches to mosques. Reconstructiontookplaceduring the Italian occupation in the early 20th century.

 

The townofMystrasdevelopedaround the fortresserected in 1249 under the PrinceofAchaia, WilliamofVillehardouin, on the slopesofMount Taygetus. In 1262, it wassurrendered to the Byzantines andsaw a greatprosperityduring the PalaeologanRenaissance era. It waslater taken first by the Ottomans andthen by the Venetians. After 1834, the inhabitantsstartedleavingMystrasfor the modern townof Sparta, andMytrasbecame a ruin.

Israel  9

 

A holycityforthreeof the world's major religions, Jerusalem contains more than 200 historicmonuments, including the Domeof the Rock, the WailingWall and the Churchof the HolySepulchre

 

Bahá’iHolyPlaces in Haifa and the WesternGalilee

 

IncenseRoute – Desert Cities in the Negev

 

Masada

 

OldCityofAcre

 

CavesofMareshaandBeitGuvrin in the JudeanLowlands as a Microcosmof the Landof the Caves

 

Italy 54

 

Valcamonica ishome to oneof the largestcollectionsof petroglyphs in the world. Over 140,000 carvingswerecreated in the valleyover a periodof 8,000 yearsfrom the Epipalaeolithic to the MiddleAges. Theydepictscenesfromagriculture, navigation, war, andmagic

 

This site comprisestwodistrictsofMatera, withcavedwellingsfirstoccupied in the Paleolithic. Peopleinhabited the naturalcaves in the karst plateauof Murge andlaterstartedcarvingandbuilding more elaborate structures, includingchurches, monasteries, andhermitages. The Romanesque MateraCathedral dates to the 13th century

 

Naples, founded in 470 BCE by Greekcolonists, wasoneof the mostimportantcitiesof MagnaGrecia, of the Roman Republic, and the capitalof the KingdomofNaples underseveralroyalhouses. It washighlyinfluentialonEuropeanartsandarchitecture. Someof the importantmonumentsinclude the ChurchofSantaChiara from the 14th century, the CastelNuovo from the 13th century (pictured), and the RoyalPalace from the 17th century. A minor boundarymodificationtookplace in 2011.

 

The octagonalcastlewasbuilt by Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century. It blendsnorthernEuropean CistercianGothic, Muslimarchitecture, andelementsfrom Classicalantiquity in a perfectlysymmetricaldesign

 

Thislargescalepalacecomplexwascommissioned by the Bourbon KingofNaples Charles III in the mid-18th century. It wasdesigned by the architect LuigiVanvitelli andinspired by palaces in Versailles and Madrid. Following the ideasof the Enlightenment, the complexiswellintegratedinto the landscape. The site includes an aqueductand the industrial complexof San Leuciowheresilkwasproduced

 

The culturallandscape along the Ligurian coast has beenshaped by humansover the pastmillennium. There are severalscenicsmalltownsbuiltamong the steepruggedterrain, and the land has beenconverted to terraces. There are alsothreeislandsoff the coastwithremainsofearlymonasticbuildings. A minor boundarymodificationtookplace in 2021. A church in Porto Venere ispictured

 

SuNuraxiis the finestand the mostcompleteexampleof nuraghe, a defensive megalithic structureof the Bronze Age Nuragiccivilization of the 2nd millennium BCE. Unique to Sardinia, nuraghi are circular defensive towers in the formoftruncatedconeswithinternalchambers. The one at SuNuraxiwasoriginallyover 18.5 m (61 ft) high. The site wasabandoned in the 6th century BCE andmostnuraghiwentoutofuseafter Roman colonization in the 2nd century BCE.

 

This site comprisesninebuildings, constructedduring the time of the Norman KingdomofSicily (1130–1194) in a stylethatincorporatesfeaturesof Arab, Byzantine, andWestern art. Twopalaces, threechurches, threecathedrals (Palermo Cathedral pictured), and the Admiral'sBridge are listed

 

 

Jordan  5

 

Establishedonthreeclosely-spacedhills in the Balqa (region), As-Saltwas the mainsettlementon the EastBank of the JordanRiver thatserved as a cultural, commercialandfinancialhub. Thisprosperityallowedfor the influxofpeoplefrom the regionwhosettled in As-Salt, creating a distinctcitybuiltwithyellow limestone thathadEuropean Art NouveauandNeo-Colonialstylescombinedwithlocaltraditions.

 

Situatedon the JordanRiver, Al-Maghtasisconsidered the locationof the BaptismofJesus by John the Baptist. A Christianpilgrimage site, it containsremainsof Roman andByzantinechurches, chapels, a monastery, cavesandpools

 

The Nabataean cityofPetrawas a major tradinghubbetween Arabia, EgyptandSyria-Phoenicia, famedforits rock-cutarchitecture as well as itsminingandwaterengineeringsystems

 

The desert castleofQuseirAmrawasbuilt in the early 8th century, andhadservedboth as a fortressand an Umayyad royalpalace. The site alsonotedforitsextensive frescoes, constituting an importantanduniqueexampleofearly Islamic art

 

Situated in southernJordan, Wadi Rum features a greatvarietyof desert landformsincludingsandstonevalleys, naturalarches, gorges, cliffs, landslidesandcaverns. The site alsocontainsextensiverock art, inscriptionsandarchaeologicalremains, bearingwitness to more than 12,000 yearsofcontinuous human habitation

 

 

Lebanon 5

 

Established in the early 8th century, the cityofAnjarwasquicklyabandonedfollowing the fall of the UmayyadCaliphate, leavingbehindruinsofwalls, towers, palaces, mosquesandbaths, constituting an exampleofUmayyadperiodtown-planning

 

Previouslyknown as Heliopolis, the PhoeniciancityofBaalbekhostssomeof the largestandbestpreserved Roman temples, including the TemplesofJupiter, Venusand Bacchus

 

The QadishaValley has providedshelterforChristiancommunitiessince the beginningsofChristianity, hosting a largenumberofmonasteriesandhermitages. The Forestof the CedarsofGodisamong the lastlocationswhere Cedruslibani stillgrows, historicallyoneof the mostprizedconstructionmaterials

 

The ancientPhoeniciancityof Tyre wasoneof the foremostmaritimepowers in the easternMediterraneanandreportedlywhere purpledye wasdiscovered. Extantarchaeologicalremainsmainly date back to Roman times, includingbaths, an arena, a colonnadedroad, a triumphalarch, an aqueductand a hippodrome.

Libya  5

 

The formerlyGreekcolonyofCyrenewasRomanizedandtransformedinto a capital, until it wasdestroyed by the 365 Creteearthquake. The thousand-year-oldruinshaveremainedrenownedsince the 18th century.[

The Roman cityofLeptisMagnawasenlarged by Emperor SeptimiusSeverus, whowasborn there. Publicmonuments, a harbour, a marketplace, storehouses, shops, andhomeswereamong the reasonsforitsinductioninto the list

 

Founded as a Phoeniciantrading post, Sabrathawasbrieflyruled by Masinissa of Numidia beforeitsRomanizationandreconstruction in the 2nd and 3rd centuries.

 

The massifofTadrartAcacuscontainsthousandsofcavepaintings in differentstyles, datingfrom 12,000 BCE to 100 CE, reflectingchangesof flora and fauna in the region as well as differentlifestylesofsuccessivepopulations in the Sahara

 

Malta  3

 

The hypogeum is a largesubterraneanstructurethatwasused as an undergroundcemeterybetween 4000 BC and 2500 BC andwasdiscovered in 1902. Threesuperimposedlevelsofchamberswerecarvedinto soft globigerina limestone, withsomechambersimitating the architectureof the contemporaryabove-groundmegalithictemples. The hypogeuminitiallycontained the remainsofabout 7000 individuals. The excavationsprovidedinsightintoneolithicburialrituals, whichlikelyhadseveralstages. Potteryvesselsandstoneandclayamuletswererecoveredfrom the site, as well as stoneandclay human figures, including a famousstatuedepicting a womanlyingon a bed or couch, called The SleepingLady.

 

The cityofVallettawasfounded in 1566. The KnightsofStJohn conceivedandplanned the city as a single, holisticcreationof the late Renaissance, with a uniform grid plan withinfortified citywalls. Althoughexperiencingrenovationsand an extensivedamageduring WorldWar II, a highproportionof the urban fabric has beenpreserved or restored. Someof the Valletta's 320 monumentsinclude SaintJohn'sCo-Cathedral, the Grandmaster'sPalace, the Auberge de Castille, the Auberge de Provence, the Auberged'Italie, the Auberged'Aragon, and the churchesof OurLadyofVictory, St. Catherine and ilGesù, as well as the 18th centuryconstructionssuch as the Auberge de Bavière, the Churchof the ShipwreckofStPaul, and the ManoelTheatre.

 

The site containssevenprehistorictemples at sixsites (originally, the site onlylisted the twoĠgantijatemplesandwasextended in 1992) thatwereconstructedduring the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. Thesetemples are amongoldeststonefree-standingstructures in the worldandlikelyhadimportant ritual significancefor a highlyorganizedsociety. Althougheachtempleisdifferent in architecturaldesign, theyusuallycontain an ellipticalforecourt in front of a concavefaçade. The surviving horizontal masonrycoursesindicatethat the monumentshad corbelledroofs, whichwas a remarkablysophisticatedsolutionforits time. Decorativefeaturesof the templesincludepanelswithdrilled holes and bas-relief panelsdepicting spiral motifs, trees, plantsandvariousanimals.

Montenegro  4

 

The Bayof Kotor, a strategicnaturalharbour in the Eastern Adriatic, was an importantcenterofartsandcommerceduring the MiddleAges. The valueof the regionisembodied in the qualityof the architecture in itsfortifiedandopencities, settlements, palacesandmonasticensembles, andtheirharmoniousintegration to the cultivatedterracedlandscapeon the slopesofhighrockyhills. The site includes the citiesof Kotor, Perast, and Risan, as well as the fortificationsof Kotor. Between 1979 and 2003, the site waslisted as endangered due to the damagecaused by the 1979 Montenegroearthquake. Minor modificationsof the site boundariestookplace in 2012 and 2015.

 

Durmitoris a limestone massifthatispartof DinaricAlps. It wasshaped by the glaciersandistraversed by rivercanyons, ofwhich the Tara RiverCanyon has the deepestrivergorges in Europe, at about 1,300 meters (4,300 feet). There are 18 glacial lakes in the park, the largestis the Black Lake. Durmitorisalso an importantbiodiversityspot.[4] Following the inscription to the UNESCO WorldHeritageList in 1980, the bordersof the site weremodified in 2005 to be in linewith the national park boundaries.

 

hispropertycomprisessixcomponentsofdefenceworks in Italy, Croatia, andMontenegro, spanning more than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) between the Lombard region ofItalyand the easternAdriaticCoast. The designof the fortifications (termed allamoderna) wasmarked by the introductionofgunpowder to warfare, whichled to significantshifts in militarytechniquesandarchitecture. The fortificationsof Kotor is the partof the site in Montenegro.

Morocco  9

 

The important Roman outpostofVolubiliswasfounded in the 3rd century BCE as the capitalof Mauretania, laterbecoming the capitalof the Idrisiddynasty. It containedmanybuildings, the remainsofwhichhavesurvivedextensively to thisday

 

The formercapitalof the Alaouitedynasty wasfounded in the 11th century by the Almoravids andturnedinto a citywithSpanish-Moorish influence during the 17th and 18th centuries.[

 

The KsarofAit-Ben-Haddouis an exampleof a traditional pre-Saharanhabitat in southernMorocco, surrounded by highwallsandreinforcedwithcornertowers

 

Fezwasfounded in the 9th centuryandreacheditsapogee as the capitalof the Mariniddynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries, fromwhichits urban fabricand major monuments date. It alsohosts the world'soldestuniversity, the UniversityofAlQuaraouiyine.

 

Morocco'smostcompletemedina at Tétouanserved as the mainpointofcontactbetweenMoroccoandAndalusiaduring the 8th century. The townwasrebuilt by Andalusianrefugeesfollowing the Reconquista, the influence ofwhichis evident in its art andarchitecture.

Palestine  3

 

Portugal  15

 

The townwasfounded in the late 15th centuryduring the Age ofDiscovery. For 400 years, until the advent of steamships, it served as a port ofcall forshipsheading to equatorialAfrica and the East and WestIndies, andback to Europe. The town'sdefencesystemsinclude the fortsof SãoSebastiã and SãoJoãoBaptista. There are several Baroque churches. The townwassignificantlydamaged in a 1980 earthquake but has sincebeensubstantiallyrestored.

 

The Dominican MonasteryofBatalhawasbuilt in the early 15th century to commemorate the Portuguesevictoryover the Castilians at the BattleofAljubarrota in 1385. The monasteryis a masterpieceof Gothicarchitecture, withlateradditions in the Manueline style. For more than two centuries, it served as an importantworkshopfor the Portuguesemonarchy, as a site where the characteristicfeaturesofnational art weredetermined.

 

The cityofÉvorais the finestexampleof a cityof the golden age ofPortugal (as Lisbon waslargelydestroyed in the 1755 earthquake). The cityishome to monumentsfromdifferentperiods, including the Roman Temple (pictured), Moorish fortifications, andchurchesandpalacesbuiltafter the 15th centurywhenÉvorabecame the residenceofPortuguesemonarchs. A typicalfeatureof the city are the whitewashedhousesfrom the 16th to the 18th century. They are decoratedwithpaintedtiles (the azulejos) andwrought-ironbalconies. The monumentsofÉvorahaveinspired the Portuguesecolonialarchitecture in Brazil.

 

Thispropertycomprisestwositeswithopen-airrockcarvings. The Portuguese site, listed in 1998, islocated in the CôaValley. The SiegaVerde site in Spainwasadded as an extension in 2010. The carvings, representingespeciallyanimals (over 5000 figures), weremadeover the courseofseveralmillennia, from the UpperPaleolithic to the Magdalenian/Epipalaeolithic (22,000 to 8,000 BCE

 

The UniversityofCoimbrawasfounded at the end of the 13th centuryon the hilloverlooking the town (Alta). In 1537, it moved to the RoyalPalaceofAlcáçovaandlaterdeveloped a seriesofcolleges. It served as a templateforuniversities in the Lusophone world. The cityofCoimbraisstronglyintertwinedwith the university. Someof the keybuildingsinclude the 12th-century OldCathedral, the Baroque JoanineLibrary, ChapelofSãoMiguel, andcollegesalong the Sofiastreet in the city. A minor boundarymodificationof the site tookplace in 2019.

 

The sanctuaryislocatedon the slopesofMountEspinhoaboveBraga, andis an exampleof a sacredmountpilgrimage site. The mainbuildingswerebuilt in the Baroque style, the mostemblematicbeing the Stairwayof the FiveSenses (pictured).

 

Slovenia  3

 

The cavesystemofŠkocjanCavesanditssurroundingsrepresentsomeof the mostsignificant karst topographyphenomena, includingoneof the world'slargestknownundergroundrivercanyons. It islocated in the KarstPlateau whichisof special importance in the historyof Earthsciences

 

Idrijahadoneof the twolargest mercury mines in the world, withmercurybeingfirstdiscovered there in 1490. The site features the infrastructureandtechnologyrelated to miningandmercuryproductionandbearstestimony to the intercontinentaltrade in mercury, whichgeneratedimportantexchangesbetweenEuropeandAmericaover the centuries. The entrance to Antonijevrov mine ispictured. The site issharedwith the miningtownof Almadén, Spain.

 

The site encompassessomeof the mostprominentworksofSlovenianarchitect JožePlečnik in Ljubljana. During the interwarperiod, Plečnikworked to transformLjubljanafrom a provincial city to the capitalof the Sloveniannation by creating a seriesofpublicspacesandpublicinstitutionsandintegrating them into the pre-existing urban fabric. Sitesinclude the St. Michael'sChurch in ČrnaVas, and the followingsites in Ljubljana: the promenade along the embankmentsof the Ljubljanica Riverand the bridgescrossing it (TripleBridge pictured), the "Green promenade": Vegova Streetwith the NationalandUniversityLibrary fromFrenchRevolutionSquare to CongressSquare andStar Park, TrnovoBridge, Roman Walls in Mirje, the ChurchofSt. FrancisofAssisi, and the All SaintsGarden in Žale Cemetery.

Spain  48

 

The CaveofAltamiracontainsexamplesof cavepainting from the UpperPaleolithic period, rangingfrom 35,000 to 11,000 BC. The originallistingcontainedseventeendecoratedcaves. The caves are well-preservedbecauseoftheirdeepisolationfrom the externalclimate.

 

The originallistingwas the GreatMosqueofCórdoba, a 7th-century CatholicChurchconverted to a mosque in the 8th century; restored to a Roman Catholic cathedral in the 13th century by Ferdinand III. During the highperiodof the Moorish rule of the region, Córdobahadover 300 mosquesandarchitecturethatcompared to thatof Constantinople, Damascus, and Baghdad.

 

The Gothic-style cathedralwasconstructedbetween the 13th and 16th centuries. It is the burialplaceofSpanish national hero, ElCid

 

The defensive wall surrounding the originaltownwasconstructed in the 11th century. It features 82 semicirculartowersand 9 gates, andisoneof the mostcompleteexamplesoftownwalls in Spain.[

 

The monasteryishomeof OurLadyofGuadalupe, a shrine to Mary found in the 13th centuryafterbeingburiedfromMusliminvaders in 714. The VirginofGuadalupeand the monasteryserved as importantsymbolsduring the Reconquista, culminating in 1492, the sameyear as Columbus' discoveryofAmerica. The GuadalupeVirginbecame an importantsymbolduring the evangelization ofAmerica.

 

La Lonja (or Llotja in Valencianlanguage) de la Seda meansSilk Exchange in English, and the groupof Gothic buildings demonstrate the wealthofValencia as an importantMediterraneanandEuropeanmercantilecity in the period.[

 

The prominent Roman cityofTárraco at the site of modern-dayTarragonaserved as the capitalof the provincesof HispaniaCiterior andlater HispaniaTarraconensis. The amphitheatre wasconstructed in the 2nd century. Mostremains are onlyfragments or preservedunder more modern buildings

 

The culturallandscapeof Serra de Tramuntanaon the northwesterncoastofMajorca has beentransformed by a millenniaofagricultureinvolvingwatermanagementdevicessuch as agriculturalterraces, interconnectedwaterworks -includingwatermills - and dry stoneconstructionsandfarms. Thislandscaperevolvesaroundfarmingunitsof feudal origins

 

Syria  6

 

Formerly a Nabataean settlement, Bosrawasconquered by the Romans in the 2nd century CE andmadecapitalof Arabia. It cameunderIslamic rule in the 7th century. Remainsof the ancientcityinclude a theatre, a basilica, a cathedral, a mosqueand a madrasa, amongothers

 

Established the 3rd millennium BCE, Damascusisconsidered to be oneof the oldestcontinuouslyinhabitedcities in the world. As the capitalof the Umayyads, it has beenofsignificant influence to the Arab world. The GreatMosque isamong the largest in the worldand the oldestsitesofcontinuousprayersince the beginningsof Islam.[

 

The site comprisessome 40 villages, datingfrom the 1st to 7th centuries andabandoned in the 8th to 10th centuries. Theyprovide an insightinto rural life in Late Antiquity andduring the Byzantineperiod

 

The CracdesChevaliersand the Qal'atSalahEl-Din are regarded as twoof the mostprominentexamplesofcastlesduring the Crusaderperiod, demonstrating an evolutionoffortificationsandexchangeofinfluences in defensive technology

 

Palmyracameunder Roman rule in the 1st century CE, andgrew to becomeoneof the mostimportantculturalcentresof the ancientworld. Itsextensiveruinsincluderemainsof the GreatColonnade, the Templeof Bel, the CampofDiocletian and the Roman Theatre.

 

Tunisia  8

 

Founded in the 9th century BCE, Carthagedevelopedinto a tradingempirespanning the Mediterranean. The citywasdestroyed in 146 BCE in the PunicWars at the handsof the Romans, but waslaterreestablished

 

The site features the ruinsofDougga, a formercapitalof a Libyan–Punic state, whichflourishedunder the Romans and the Byzantines, but wentintodecline in the Islamicperiod

 

Builtduring the 3rd century, the AmphitheatreofEl Jem isNorthAfrica'slargestamphitheatre, and the largestonebuiltoutsideofItaly, with a capacityof 35,000 spectators, regarded as among the mostaccomplishedexamplesof Roman architectureofits kind.[8

 

Founded in 670, Kairouanwas the formercapitalof Ifriqiya andflourished in the 9th century. Itsheritageincludes the MosqueofUqba and the Mosqueof the ThreeGates.[

 

The Medina ofTuniscontainssome 700 monuments, includingpalaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasahandfourtains, testifying to Tunis' golden age from the 12th to the 16th century

Turkey  18

 

The site consistsofAphrodisiasitself (featuring the 3rd-century BCE TempleofAphrodite) and the ancientmarblequarriesnearby, whichhadbroughtwealth to the ancientGreekcity.[4

 

Locatedclose to the Turkey-Armenia border, the medieval cityof Ani reacheditsgolden age in the 10th and 11th centuries as the capitalof Bagratid Armenia, beforegoingintodeclinefrom the 14th centuryonfollowing a Mongol invasionand a major earthquake.

 

The firstcapitalof the OttomanEmpire in the 14th century, Bursa, withitsinnovative urban planning, became a major sourceof reference for future Ottomancities. The nearbyvillageofCumalıkızık, exemplarof the vakıf system, providedsupportfor the developmentof the capital

 

The ancientGreekcityofEphesuswasfamedforoneof the SevenWondersof the AncientWorld, the TempleofArtemis, whichnowlies in ruins. Aftercomingunder Roman control in the 2nd century BCE, the cityflourished, leavingbehind monumental structuressuch as the LibraryofCelsus. The Houseof the VirginMary and the BasilicaofSt. John became major Christianpilgrimagesitesfrom the 5th centuryon.

 

Datingback to the Pre-PotteryNeolithic age between 10th and 9th millennium BCE, the site waslikelyused by hunter-gatherersforritualisticpurposes.

 

Constructedduring the 16th century, the SelimiyeMosquecomplex at Edirne isconsidered by the architect MimarSinan to be hismasterpieceandrepresents the highestachievementof Ottomanarchitecture

 

The site consistsoftwoneighboringsettlements. Xanthos, the centreof the Lycian civilization, exertedsignificantarchitecturalinfluencesuponothercitiesof the region, with the Nereid Monument directlyinspiring the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Caria. Letoon, an importantreligiouscentre in Lycia, hosts the Letoontrilingual, whichprovided the key in deciphering the long-extinct Lycianlanguage.