Watch Sites Since 1996
World Monuments Watch 1996-2012
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Afghanistan
HAJI PIYADA MOSQUE (NOH GUMBAD)
Balkh, Afghanistan2006
The Haji Piyada Mosque was built in the second half of the 9th century, only two centuries after the establishment of Islam and immediately following its arrival in Central Asia. (Learn More)
OLD CITY OF HERAT
Herat, Afghanistan2010, 1998
The Old City of Herat in Western Afghanistan has a long history of rebuilding and restoration. The city was destroyed twice by the Mongols, in 1221 A.D. (Learn More)
Albania
BUTRINT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Sarandë, Albania2000, 1998, 1996
Archaeological evidence indicates that Corfiot traders founded Butrint in the eighth century B.C. (Learn More)
VOSKOPOJË CHURCHES
Voskopojë, Albania2004, 2002
Twenty-six churches were built between 1630 and 1780 at Voskopojë, situated along the trade route from Venice to Constantinople in southeastern Albania. (Learn More)
Algeria
Antarctica
SCOTT'S HUT AND THE EXPLORERS' HERITAGE OF ANTARCTICA
Ross Island, Antarctica2008, 2006, 2004
At the turn of the 20th century, Antarctica remained the only continent untouched by humans. (Learn More)
Argentina
BUENOS AIRES HISTORIC CENTER
Buenos Aires, Argentina2010
The first permanent European settlement on the site of modern-day Buenos Aires was founded in 1580 by Spanish conquistador Juan de Garay. (Learn More)
JESUIT GUARANÍ MISSIONS
Several towns, Argentina2004
Beginning in the seventeenth century, the Jesuit Order founded a series of thirty missions in the lush rainforest of what is now Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. (Learn More)
SAN IGNACIO MINÍ
San Ignacio, Argentina1996
In the midst of the Argentine rainforest stand the ruins of San Ignacio Miní, a 17th-century Jesuit mission complex. (Learn More)
USHUAIA PRISON
Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina1998
Armenia
Australia
DAMPIER ROCK ART COMPLEX
Dampier Archipelago, Australia2008, 2006, 2004
The Dampier archipelago stretches from northwestern Australia into the Indian Ocean, its landscape marked by crags and ridges that were formed by the erosion of Precambrian lava activity. (Learn More)
Austria
BELVEDERE PALACE & GARDENS
Vienna, Austria1996
At the turn of the 18th century, famed military commander Prince Eugene of Savoy purchased a tract of land in Vienna and commissioned Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt to design the Belvedere, a complex (Learn More)
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
MORGAN LEWIS SUGAR MILL
St. Andrew, Barbados1996
The Morgan Lewis Sugar Mill is the last of the many Barbadian windmills once used to produce sugar, and one of only two functioning sugar windmills in the world. (Learn More)
Belarus
Belgium
PREVIOUS RADIO AND TELEVISION BUILDING
Brussels, Belgium1998
Designed by the Belgian architect Joseph Diongre and completed in 1938, the Radio and Television building was one of the first broadcasting centers in Europe. (Learn More)
TOUR AND TAXIS (TRANSPORT HUB)
Brussels, Belgium2000, 1998, 1996
Beginning in the early 20th century, Belgian railroad, customs, and maritime interests converged at Tour and Taxis, a model transportation hub designed by architect Van Humbeek. (Learn More)
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
RIO LAUCA BURIAL TOWERS
Sajama, Bolivia1998
Nestled in the Sajama National Park in the Bolivian altiplano, a complex of prehistoric burial towers (chullpas) comprises the most important surviving monumental complex of the Aymara peo (Learn More)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
MOSTAR HISTORIC CENTER
Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina2002, 2000
The Ottomans conquered Mostar in 1463 and brought Islamic influences and urban growth to the small town straddling the banks of the Nerevta River. (Learn More)
VILLAGE OF POČITELJ
Čapljina municipality, Bosnia and Herzegovina1998, 1996
Počitelj, once a feudal seat on the Neretva River, is dominated by a fortress that fell to the Ottoman advance in 1471. (Learn More)
Brazil
HISTORIC CENTER OF SALVADOR DE BAHIA
Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil2012
Founded in 1549 as Brazil’s first capital, and the seat of the Portuguese government for more than two centuries, today Salvador de Bahia is a metropolis with over three million inhabitants. (Learn More)
HISTORIC OLINDA AND THE CONVENT OF SAN FRANCISCO
Olinda, Brazil2006
PARANAPIACABA
Santo André, Brazil2002, 2000
In the mid-19th century, the Saõ Paulo Railway Company laid a snaking network of tracks over Brazil’s green mountains. (Learn More)
SAN FRANCISCO CONVENT
Olinda, Brazil2006, 2004
San Francisco Convent lies along the sandy coastline of northeastern Brazil in the historic town of Olinda, which was founded in 1535. Its economy was fueled by the sugar trade. (Learn More)
SÃO NICOLAU
São Nicolau, Brazil2004
With the aim of converting the native Guaraní population, the Jesuits established 30 missions in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in an area of South America that now includes parts (Learn More)
Bulgaria
IVANOVO ROCK CHAPELS
Ivanovo, Bulgaria2000, 1996
Founded in the first half of the 13th century, the rock chapels near the village of Ivanovo constitute a remarkable Eastern Orthodox Hesychastic monastic complex. (Learn More)
Burkina Faso
LOROPENI RUINS
Loropeni, Burkina Faso2008
Spanning lands that cross the modern borders of Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana, the Loropeni ruins are part of the larger Lobi Ruins, a 120-mile-by-60-mile cultural landscape, c (Learn More)
Cambodia
ANGKOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
Siem Reap, Cambodia1996
Angkor was once the seat of the Khmer Empire, which ruled a large portion of Southeast Asia between the ninth and fifteenth centuries A.D. (Learn More)
BANTEAY CHHMAR TEMPLE OF JAYAVARMAN VII
Thmar Puok, Cambodia2002, 2000, 1998
A complex of eight temples deep in the Cambodian jungle, Banteay Chhmar was commissioned by the twelfth-century Khmer ruler Jayavarman VII in honor of five heroes, including his son, who died defen (Learn More)
Cameroon
BAFUT PALACE
Bafut, Cameroon2006
Bafut Palace is located in the heart of the Bafut kingdom in northwest Cameroon. (Learn More)
Canada
ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada2004
The second oldest Protestant church in Canada, St. John’s was built in 1753 to serve as a meeting house for its local community in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. (Learn More)
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Chile
CHILOÉ CHURCHES
Chiloé Island, Chile1996
At least 150 wooden churches once stood on the Chiloé archipelago, a group of islands off the coast of central Chile. (Learn More)
EASTER ISLAND (RAPA NUI)—MOAI CONSERVATION PROJECT
Easter Island, Chile2000, 1996
A Polynesian volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean, at the southeastern most point of the Polynesian triangle, Easter Island—known locally as Rapa Nui—is a special territory of Chile that was annexe (Learn More)
EASTER ISLAND (RAPA NUI)—ORONGO
Easter Island, Chile2000, 1996
Easter Island, a special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, is most famous for the hundreds moai statues scattered throughout its coastline. (Learn More)
EASTER ISLAND (RAPA NUI)—RANO RARAKU
Chile2000, 1996
Easter Island, one of the world’s most remote inhabited places, some 3,700 kilometers off the coast of South America, is home to an extraordinary archaeological heritage that spans over a thousand (Learn More)
ELEVATORS OF VALPARAÍSO
Valparaíso, Chile1996
With its labyrinth of interconnecting stairways, cobblestone alleys, pedestrian plazas, and vistas, Bellavista Hill is one of the most distinctive of Valparaíso’s 45 hill neighborhoods (Learn More)
IGLESIAS DE ARICA PARINACOTA (CHURCHES OF ARICA PARINACOTA)
Municipios de Arica y Putre, Chile2010
Between 1570 and the middle of the seventeenth century, the port of Arica was the main commercial shipping port for mercury and silver to and from Potosi, Bolivia. (Learn More)
China
GREAT WALL OF CHINA CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
China2004, 2002
The “Great Wall” refers to a series of defensive barriers erected between the 5th century B.C. and the mid-17th century to deter invaders from the north. (Learn More)
OHEL RACHEL SYNAGOGUE
Shanghai, China2004, 2002
Jewish communities have existed in China for over 13 centuries, but today architectural traces are hard to find. (Learn More)
PUNING TEMPLE STATUES
Chengde, China2004
The buildings at the imperial mountain resort at Chengde were built in stages between 1703 and 1792 and were where Qing emperors from Kangxi (r. (Learn More)
SAN XING DUI ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Guang Han City, China1996
In 1984, following the discovery of a few bits of jade in an irrigation ditch, excavations near Guang Han City in Sichuan Province uncovered the earthen outer walls of an ancient city dating from t (Learn More)
SHAXI MARKET AREA
Yunnan Province , China2002
The Shaxi Market Area, located in China’s Yunnan Province on the historic Tea and Horse Caravan Trail that links Tibet with Southeast Asia, is the most complete surviving example of a trading (Learn More)
STONE TOWERS OF SOUTHWEST CHINA
Various Locations, China2006
Spread throughout Sichuan Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, 250 stone towers rise above the trees of southwest China. (Learn More)
XIANNONGTAN (TEMPLE OF AGRICULTURE)
Beijing, China2000, 1998
The temple complex dedicated to Xiannong, the father of agriculture, was built in 1420 below the Forbidden City and adjacent to the famed Temple of Heaven in Beijing. (Learn More)
XUANJIAN TOWER
Yuci City, Shanxi, China2000
Xuanjian Tower, part of a complex dating to the 13th century, is the main feature of the Town God’s Temple in Yuci. (Learn More)
Colombia
Comoros
Croatia
DIOCLETIAN'S PALACE
Split, Croatia1996
Built for use by Emperor Diocletian who in AD 305 became the first Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate, the palace at Split on the eastern coast of the Adriatic is the preeminent classical herita (Learn More)
DUCAL PALACE
Zadar, Croatia1998
From the High Middle Ages through the 20th century, the Ducal Palace of Zadar stood witness to the evolution of the city and survived countless attacks and occupations. (Learn More)
FRANCISCAN MONASTERY LIBRARY
Dubrovnik, Croatia1998
Founded in 1235, the Franciscan monastery in Dubrovnik was an essential visit for pilgrims traveling between Europe and the Holy Land. (Learn More)
MARITIME QUARANTINE-LAZARETI
Dubrovnik, Croatia2002
Between the 14th and 16th centuries, Dubrovnik was a key hub in the trade between the Ottoman Empire and the West, and its lazaret, or quarantine station, was built in 1627 to isolate the ill and p (Learn More)
SAINT BLAISE CHURCH
Dubrovnik, Croatia2006
Cuba
PARISH CHURCH OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA DE LOS REMEDIOS
San Juan de los Remedios, Villa Clara Province, Cuba2012
Cyprus
HISTORIC WALLED CITY OF FAMAGUSTA
Famagusta, Cyprus2010, 2008
Located along the busy shipping lanes of the eastern Mediterranean, Famagusta rose to prominence after a large number of Christians resettled in the city following the fall of the Levantine city of (Learn More)
Czech Republic
ČESKÝ KRUMLOV GARDEN
Český Krumlov, Czech Republic1996
The Český Krumlov gardens lie between the imposing castle of the 18th-century Schwarzenburg princes and the surrounding Bohemian town, connecting the Gothic castle to the cobblestone streets (Learn More)
KUKS FOREST SCULPTURES
Kuks, Czech Republic2000
In the New Forest bordering the town of Kuks in the Czech Republic, Mary Magdalene reclines amidst the fallen leaves while the three Magi perform their act of adoration nearby. (Learn More)
LEDNICE AND VALTICE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Lednice and Valtice, Czech Republic1998
Over the centuries, the rural countryside between the southern Moravian towns of Lednice and Valtice had been a landscape divided by shifting national borders, scarred by conflicts like the Thirty (Learn More)
PRAGUE HISTORIC CENTER
Prague, Czech Republic1998
ST. ANN'S CHURCH
Prague, Czech Republic2004
Built in 1316, St. Ann’s Church stands at the foot of the Charles Bridge in the Old Town of Prague. (Learn More)
TEREZIN FORTRESS
Terezin, Czech Republic2002
Terezin Fortress, a vast military complex with a perimeter of over 12 miles (20 kilometers), guards the confluence of the Elbe and Eger rivers in the northwest Czech Republic. (Learn More)
Dominican Republic
PUERTO PLATA LIGHTHOUSE
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic2000
Built in 1879 by R. Deeley & Co., a New York firm, the Puerto Plata Lighthouse once served as a beacon for ships traversing the Atlantic. (Learn More)
Ecuador
BOLIVAR THEATER
Quito, Ecuador2004
Built in 1933 in the historic center of Quito, the 2,200-seat Bolivar Theater became the city’s most opulent movie palace and premier performance venue. (Learn More)
LAS PEÑAS
Guayaquil, Ecuador2004
The highest concentration of historic houses and structures in the coastal city of Guayaquil is in the neighborhood of Las Peñas. (Learn More)
TODOS SANTOS COMPLEX
Cuenca, Ecuador2010
The Todos Santos complex, also known as Todosantos, is located in the heart of Cuenca, Ecuador, deep within the Tomebamba River Valley. (Learn More)
Egypt
CEREMONIAL ENCLOSURE OF KHASEKHEMWY AT HIERAKONPOLIS
Kom el-Ahmar, Egypt2004, 2002, 2000
Hierakonpolis was the Predynastic capital of Upper Egypt, and grew to prominence in the mid-third millennium BC. (Learn More)
JAMA’A Al -AQSUNQUR (BLUE MOSQUE)
Cairo, Egypt2008
The Blue Mosque is the largest mosque in the Bab al-Wazir district of Cairo. (Learn More)
NEW GOURNA VILLAGE
Luxor, West Bank, Egypt2010
New Gourna Village, an experimental earthen village on the West Bank of the Nile, is a testament to how the relationship between heritage and society is often fraught with multiple meanings and con (Learn More)
QA'ITBAY SABIL
Cairo, Egypt1996
SHUNET EL-ZEBIB
Abydos, Egypt2008
Shunet el-Zebib was built circa 2750 B.C. and served as a funerary cult enclosure of the Khasekhemwy, a second dynasty king. (Learn More)
SULTAN QA'ITBAY COMPLEX
Cairo, Egypt2000
Mamluk sultan Qa’itbay’s fountain-school complex was constructed in 1477 in central Cairo. (Learn More)
TARABAY AL-SHARIFY
Cairo, Egypt2006
The monumental complex of Tarabay al-Sharify stands at the southern end of Al-Azhar Park. (Learn More)
THE MORTUARY TEMPLE OF AMENHOTEP III
Luxor, Egypt2004, 1998
The mortuary temple of Amenhotep III was erected between 1390 and 1353 B.C. for New Kingdom Pharaoh Amenhotep III. (Learn More)
VALLEY OF THE KINGS
Luxor (Ancient Thebes), Egypt2002, 2000
Thebes, now the modern city of Luxor in central Egypt, was the royal capital of the Ancient Egyptian civilization during the New Kingdom (1539-1075 B.C.). (Learn More)
El Salvador
Eritrea
KIDANE-MEHRET CHURCH
Senafe, Debub, Eritrea2006
The Church of Kindane-Mehret is a rare representation of Eritrean religious architecture dating to the Axumite Empire (A.D. 100-700). (Learn More)
Ethiopia
MENTEWAB-QWESQWAM BANQUETING HALL
Gondar, Ethiopia2000, 1998
The buildings at this archaeological site date to the 17th and 18th centuries when the court of Gondar was the capital of Christian Ethiopia beginning in 1632. (Learn More)
Fiji
Finland
France
CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY
Chantilly, France2002, 1998
The Château de Chantilly sits at the confluence of the Oise and Seine Rivers in northern France and is a magnificent stone complex surrounded by manicured lawns, farms, ponds, and stables. (Learn More)
SAINT PIERRE CATHEDRAL
Beauvais, France2002, 2000
SAINT-EMILION MONOLITHIC CHURCH
Saint-Emilion, France1996
In the 8th century, a Breton monk named Emilion fled to southern France to escape persecution by the Benedictine order and adopted an eremitic existence, living in a cave. (Learn More)
Gambia
JAMES ISLAND
Lower Niumi District, Gambia1998
First settled in 1651 by traders from present-day Latvia on an earlier native site, James Island on the River Gambia was a cultural crossroads from the late 15th to the late 19th centuries. (Learn More)
Georgia
CHURCH OF THE VIRGIN
Timotesubani, Georgia2004
Adorned with a series of mural paintings dating from the twelfth century, the medieval Church of the Virgin in Timotesubani was built during the reign of Queen Tamar (r. (Learn More)
IKORTA CHURCH OF THE ARCHANGEL
Zemo Artsevi Village, Georgia2000
According to lapidary inscriptions on its exterior walls, King George III of Georgia commissioned the construction Ikorta Church in 1172. (Learn More)
JVARI MONASTERY
Mtshekta, Georgia2006
According to local history, in the early fourth century a wooden cross was erected over a pagan sanctuary on a rocky mountaintop overlooking Mtskehta, the former capital of the Georgian Kingdom of (Learn More)
PITARETI MONASTERY
Tetristskaro District, Pitareti Village, Georgia1996
Located some 25 some from Tbilisi, Pitareti Monastery sits in a secluded landscape surrounded by mountains. (Learn More)
TBILISI HISTORIC DISTRICT
Tbilisi, Georgia2002, 2000, 1998
Located at a crossroads of Europe and Asia on the famous Silk Road, Tbilisi has faced repeated invasions since its founding in the fifth century as rival powers have sought to control its strategic (Learn More)
Germany
GARTENREICH DESSAU-WÖRLTZ
Dessau, Germany2000
In 1765, a visionary prince, Leopold III Friedrich Franz of Anhalt-Dessau, collaborated with architect and art theorist Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff to develop Gartenreich Dessau-Wörlitz alo (Learn More)
KARL-THEODOR BRIDGE
Heidelberg, Germany2002
Over more than 700 years, nine bridges were built in succession at a single spot along Europe’s Neckar River, where the waterway weaves through the German city of Heidelberg. (Learn More)
THOMASKIRCHE
Leipzig, Germany2000
Constructed in Leipzig, Germany, in the early 13th century by the Augustinian monastic order, Thomaskirche, or St. (Learn More)
Ghana
LARABANGA MOSQUE
Larabanga, Ghana2002
Dating from the 17th century, Larabanga Mosque is the oldest mosque in Ghana, and one of the country’s most revered religious sites. (Learn More)
WA NAA'S PALACE
Wa, Ghana2008
Wa Naa’s Palace, home to the King of Wala people, the major local population of Wa region, is located in the heart of Wa Town and is a major cultural attraction. (Learn More)
Greece
CHURCHES OF LESVOS
Lesvos, Greece2010, 2008
The island of Lesvos contains a large number of historic churches, many with fine religious iconography. (Learn More)
ETZ HAYIM SYNAGOGUE
Hania, Greece1996
In the 17th century, the Jewish community of Hania acquired a vacant Venetian church, the 15th-century Church of St. (Learn More)
KAHAL SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
Rhodes, Greece2000
Synagogue Kahal Kadosh Shalom (Holy Congregation of Peace), better known as the New Synagogue, is the only Sephardic temple remaining on the Greek island of Rhodes and the oldest surviving synagogu (Learn More)
Guatemala
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK AND RUINS OF QUIRIGUÁ
Los Amates, Izabal Department, Guatemala2012
Located near the Motagua River in Guatemala, Quiriguá is an archaeological site dating to the Classic Maya period. (Learn More)
CAPITANES GENERALES PALACE
Antigua, Guatemala2008
The city of Antigua was founded in 1543 in the valley of Panchoy, surrounded by the Agua, Fuego, and Acatenago volcanoes. (Learn More)
KAMINALJUYU
Near Guatemala City, Guatemala2010
The archaeological park of Kaminaljuyu is located in Guatemala’s highland central valley, in close proximity to the ever-expanding urban development of Guatemala City. (Learn More)
NARANJO
El Petén, Guatemala2006
Naranjo, the second largest Maya city in Guatemala after Tikal, developed between 500 B.C. and A.D. 950, although the main period of construction took place during the Late Classic period (A.D. (Learn More)
PIEDRAS NEGRAS
Peten, Guatemala2002
Piedras Negras (Black Stones) was the capital of a Maya kingdom that stretched along the banks of Central America’s Usumacinta River between the 4th century B.C. and the 9th century A.D. (Learn More)
USUMACINTA RIVER CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Usumacinta River Valley, Guatemala2004, 2002, 2000
Today, the Usumacinta River defines the border between Guatemala and the Mexican state of Chiapas, but in antiquity its waters lay between the rival Maya cities of Piedras Negras and Yaxchilán. The two settlements were founded in the 1st millennium B.C., separated by 25 miles (40 kilometers) of dense jungle and the white rapids of the Usumacinta. (Learn More)
Guyana
Haiti
GINGERBREAD NEIGHBORHOOD
Port-au-Prince, Haiti2012, 2010
In October 2009, the gingerbread houses of Port-au-Prince were included on the 2010 World Monuments Watch in order to raise international awareness about this unique architectural heritage. (Learn More)
Hungary
ROYAL GARDEN PAVILIONS
Budapest, Hungary1996
The Royal Garden Pavilion was designed by Miklós Ybi, an important nineteenth-century Hungarian architect, and built between 1875 and 1882 on the embankment of the Danube River at the foot of Castl (Learn More)
India
AMBER TOWN
Amber Town, Jaipur Municipality, Rajasthan, India2008
Once the capital city of the Kachwahas—one of the legendary Rajput clans that rose to power during the Middle Ages in what is now the northern Indian state of Rajasthan—Amber Town was first occupie (Learn More)
BALAJI GHAT
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India2012
Dating from 1735, Balaji Ghat is located on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi, one of the world’s oldest continuously occupied cities and an important Hindu pilgrimage destination. (Learn More)
BASGO GOMPA (MAITREYA TEMPLES)
Leh, India2000
The mud-brick fortress of Basgo Gompa is perched high in the hills of Ladakh, between the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges in northern India. (Learn More)
CHAMPANER-PAVAGADH
Panchmahal, India2000
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the city of Champaner was an important post along the trade route linking the states of Malwa and Gujarat in western India. (Learn More)
DALHOUSIE SQUARE
Kolkata, India2006, 2004
The former Dalhousie Square, now known as Benoy-Badal-Dinesh Bagh, is an oasis at the heart of modern Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, in eastern India. (Learn More)
DWARKA DHEESH MANDIR TEMPLE
Ahmedabad, India2002
Dwarka Dheesh Mandir Temple is one of the oldest surviving haveli, or house-temple, complexes in Ahmedabad. (Learn More)
JAISALMER FORT
Jaisalmer, India2000, 1998, 1996
Built in 1156 by King Rawal Jaisal, Jaisalmer Fort dominates the countryside in the far northwestern corner of Rajasthan, near the border of India and Pakistan. (Learn More)
LEH OLD TOWN/LEH PALACE
Leh, India2008
In the early fifteenth century, Dragpa Bumdey, King of Ladakh, built the first fortifications in Leh as well as a small royal residence along a mountain ridge high above the town. (Learn More)
NAKO TEMPLES
Kinnaur Region, Himachal Pradesh, India2002
Situated 3,600 meters above the Spiti River, Nako is one of the most isolated villages on earth. (Learn More)
OSMANIA WOMEN'S COLLEGE
Hyderabad, India2004, 2002
SAINT ANNE CHURCH
Talaulim, Goa, India2000
The Church of Saint Anne, also known as Sant’Ana or Santana Church, is the parish church of the small village of Talaulim, located about 10 miles from Panjim, the capital of Goa, and about se (Learn More)
SUMDA CHUN MONASTERY
Leh, India2006
Located at 12,700 feet above sea level in a remote part of the Himalayas, the village of Sumda Chun is accessible only by a 3- to 4-hour hike up a steep and winding river valley trail. (Learn More)
TAJ MAHAL
Agra, India1996
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jahan for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth in 1631. (Learn More)
Indonesia
DESA LINGGA
Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia2012
Located in the Karo district west of Lake Toba in North Sumatra, the village of Desa Lingga is emblematic of the challenges of maintaining local culture and vernacular practices in a rapidly changi (Learn More)
OMO HADA
Nias, Indonesia2006, 2004, 2002, 2000
Omo Hada is a rare surviving 18th-century traditional Indonesian village. (Learn More)
TAMANSARI WATER CASTLE
Yogyakarta, Indonesia2004
Tamansari, meaning perfumed garden, is the name for the gardens and associated structures built in 1765 for Hamengku Buwono I, the Sultan of the kingdom of Yogyakarta. (Learn More)
TANAH LOT TEMPLE
Beraban, Bali, Indonesia2000
Tanah Lot Temple is a complex of wooden structures with origins in the 15th and 16th centuries, built on a large coral rock separated from the nearby island of Bali. (Learn More)
Iran
Iraq
NINEVEH AND NIMRUD PALACES
near Mosul, Iraq2004, 2002
More than 2,700 years ago, two Assyrian kings, Sennacherib (704-681 B.C.) and Assurnasirpal II (883-859 B.C.), recorded their successful military campaigns on the walls of their palaces at the anci (Learn More)
Ireland
HEADFORT HOUSE
Kells, Ireland2004
In the early 1770s Thomas Taylor, the first Earl of Headfort, commissioned Irish architect George Semple to build Headfort House. (Learn More)
SAINT BRENDAN'S CATHEDRAL
Clonfert, County Galway , Ireland2000
Clonfert Cathedral, also known as St. Brendan’s Cathedral, is a 12th-century Hiberno-Romanesque structure on the site of Saint Brendan’s 6th-century monastery in Clonfert, Ireland. (Learn More)
Israel
RAMLA WHITE MOSQUE
Ramle Municipality, Israel2000, 1998
TEL-DAN CANAANITE GATE
Upper Galilee, Israel2000
Italy
ANCIENT POMPEII
Pompeii, Italy1998, 1996
The ancient Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum and villas near the Bay of Naples were buried by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in August A.D. (Learn More)
BARTOLOMEO COLLEONI MONUMENT
Venice, Italy1996
The Bartolomeo Colleoni equestrian statue, located beside the Scuola Grande di San Marco in the Campo SS Giovanni e Paolo, was erected in fulfillment of a request made by the condotierro b (Learn More)
CHAINS BRIDGE
Bagni di Lucca, Italy2002, 2000
Il Ponte della Catene, or the Chains Bridge, spans the Lima River in Tuscany, connecting the towns of Fomoli and Chifenti. (Learn More)
CINQUE TERRE
Liguria, Italy2002, 2000
Cinque Terre describes the Mediterranean coastline between Genoa and Tuscany, where the hills are carved into green terraces that descend toward the water. (Learn More)
FENESTRELLE FORTRESS
Fenestrelle, Turin, Italy2008
GARDENS OF VILLA MEDICI AT CASTELLO
Florence, Italy1996
GROTTOES OF SAN MICHELE
Salerno, Italy1996
Along a narrow valley in the Picentini Mountains, the flowing water of the Tusiano River gradually excavated a deep natural cavern on the western slopes of Monte Raione. (Learn More)
LIMONAIA AT BOBOLI GARDENS AND GARDEN OF VILLA MEDICI AT CASTELLO
Florence, Italy1998
Design and construction of the Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti began in 1549 under Cosimo I de Medici. (Learn More)
MURGIA DEI TRULLI
Murgia dei Trulli, Italy2006
RUPESTRIAN CHURCHES OF PUGLIA AND THE CITY OF MATERA
Puglia and Matera, Italy1998
In 1464, Pope Paul II gave the Ciminelli family his blessing to enhance the church of San Pietro Barisano in the I Sassi district of Matera, the northernmost province in the Puglia region of Italy. (Learn More)
SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA CHURCH
Rome, Italy2004
Located at the base of the Palatine Hill in the Roman Forum, the sixth-century church of Santa Maria Antiqua is one of the earliest surviving Christian monuments in Rome. (Learn More)
SANTA MARIA IN STELLE HYPOGEUM
Verona, Italy2006, 1996
Publio Pomponio Corneliano and his family constructed the hypogeum of Santa Maria in Stelle in the early third century A.D. (Learn More)
SANTI AMBROGIO E CARLO AL CORSO
Rome, Italy1996
SANTI QUATTRO CORONATI CLOISTER
Rome, Italy2000
Within the fortress-like Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati complex is an early-13th-century cloister that is possibly the earliest structure in Rome in the Cosmatesque style, which is characterize (Learn More)
TEMPLE OF HERCULES
Rome, Italy1996
The Temple of Hercules, situated in the Forum Boarium on the eastern bank of the Tiber, is one of the oldest extant buildings in Rome. (Learn More)
TEMPLE OF PORTUNUS
Rome, Italy2006
The Temple of Portunus, dating to the first century B.C., is a rare survivor of Roman Republican architecture and a reminder of the magnificence of the Forum Boarium in Antiquity, once a major comm (Learn More)
TUFF TOWNS AND VIE CAVE
Lazio, Tuscany, and Umbria, Italy2006, 2004
The towns of Pitigliano, Sorano, Manciano, and Civita di Bagnoregio lie balanced on the crests of steep Italian hills, built into the tufa (or tuff) bedrock, a soft stone formed from volcanic ash. (Learn More)
Jamaica
OLD IRON BRIDGE
Spanish Town, Jamaica1998
In the late 18th century, Jamaica’s House of Assembly passed an act commissioning the construction of a much-needed bridge between Kingston and Spanish Town in St. Catherine. (Learn More)
Japan
EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE HERITAGE SITES
Tōhoku and Kantō Regions, Japan2012
On March 11, 2011, a powerful earthquake struck the northeast coast of Japan. (Learn More)
MACHIYA TOWNHOUSES
Kyoto, Japan2012, 2010
The machiya of Kyoto are traditional townhouses dating from the Edo period (1603–1867). Born out of the city’s growing merchant class, they functioned as both residences and workspaces. (Learn More)
TOMO PORT TOWN
Fukuyama, Japan2004, 2002
For over 1,000 years Tomo, in the city of Fukuyama, has existed as a fishing village and an active port along the Seto Nakai, or Inland Sea. (Learn More)
Jordan
PETRA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Wadi Mousa, Jordan2002, 2000, 1998, 1996
The magnificent ruins of ancient Petra occupy a high plateau that rises out of Wadi Mousa, the Valley of Moses, in southwest Jordan. (Learn More)
PETRA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE—SOUTHERN TEMPLE
Wadi Mousa, Jordan1996
QUSAYR 'AMRA
Azraq, Jordan2008
Qusayr ‘Amra, located 85 kilometers to the east of Amman, is a small residence discovered by the Czech traveler Alois Musil in 1898. (Learn More)
Kazakhstan
Kenya
MTWAPA HERITAGE SITE
Mtwapa, Kenya2006, 2004
With its vast architectural remains, abundant wildlife, and idyllic location, the ancient port of Mtwapa is one of the most important sites on Kenya’s Swahili Coast. Occupied between a.d. (Learn More)
THIMLICH OHINGA CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Migori District, Kenya2002, 2000
Built in the 14th century on a hill, Thimlich Ohinga is a complex surrounded by stone walls now partially covered under Savannah bush land. (Learn More)
Laos
CHOM PHET CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Luang Prabang, Laos2006
Latvia
RIGA CATHEDRAL
Riga, Latvia2006
Riga Cathedral, the centerpiece of Latvia’s capital city, was built in the early 13th century in the Romanesque style. (Learn More)
Lebanon
ANCIENT TYRE
Tyre, Lebanon1996
Tyre, situated approximately 50 miles south of Beirut, was founded by Phoenician settlers in the third millennium B.C. (Learn More)
Libya
WADI MATHENDOUS ROCK ART
Fezzan, Libya2008
Lithuania
Macedonia
TRESKAVEC MONASTERY AND CHURCH
Prilep/ Dabnica, Macedonia2006
Treskavec Monastery, a medieval pilgrimage site founded in the twelfth century, sits atop a remote mountain in southern Macedonia, a steep eight-kilometer hike from the town of Prilep. (Learn More)
Madagascar
ROYAL HILL OF AMBOHIMANGA
Ambohimanga Rova, Antananarivo Province, Madagascar2012
First occupied in the fifteenth century, the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga has long been one of the most important spiritual and historic sites for the Malagasy people. (Learn More)
Malaysia
GEORGE TOWN HISTORIC ENCLAVE
Georgetown, Penang Island, Malaysia2002, 2000
George Town, established as a British trading port in 1786, displays its vivid and varied cultural heritage through the array of buildings and architectural styles found along its streets. (Learn More)
KAMPUNG CINA RIVER FRONTAGE
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia2002, 2000, 1998
A line of modest wooden buildings follows the gently curving waterfront at Kampung Cina, the oldest street in what is now one of Malaysia’s largest cities, Kuala Terengganu. (Learn More)
Mali
BANDIAGARA ESCARPMENT CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Dogon Country, Mali2004
The dramatic 95-mile long Bandiagara Escarpment in Mali, West Africa, has been inhabited since at least the 3rd century B.C. (Learn More)
DJENNÉ-DJENO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Djenné, Mali1996
Although the archaeological site of Djenné-Djeno is located just three kilometers southeast of the modern village of Djenné, the site was unknown until the 1970s. (Learn More)
Malta
MNAJDRA PREHISTORIC TEMPLES
Qrendi, Malta2002, 2000, 1998
The Mnajdra Prehistoric Temples lie along the southern coast of Malta amidst the blue waters of the central Mediterranean. (Learn More)
Mauritania
Mexico
CHALCATZINGO
Morelos, Mexico2006
Established around 1500 B.C., Chalcatzingo, which means venerated place of sacred water in the Náhuatl language, is an important prehistoric site in central Mexico that initially developed (Learn More)
INMACULADA CONCEPCIÓN CHAPEL
Nurio, Mexico2002
JESÚS NAZARENO CHURCH IN ATOTONILCO
Atotonilco, Mexico1996
Constructed by Father Felipe Neri Alfaro, the Sanctuary of Jesus Nazareno of Atotonilco is famous for its murals that reflect a syncretism of Catholic religious iconography mixed with native religi (Learn More)
LAS POZAS
Xilitla, Mexico2010
In 1944, Edward James, a wealthy British poet and artist and early patron of surrealist art, purchased a plot of land in Mexico’s Huasteca region. (Learn More)
MADERA CAVE DWELLINGS
Madera Municipality, Mexico2000, 1998
The Madera Cave dwellings are pre-Colombian sculpted clay structures nestled in the natural caves and cliffs in Chihuahua’s western Sierra Madre. (Learn More)
MEXICO CITY HISTORIC CENTER
Mexico City, Mexico2006
Seven centuries of Mexican history are recorded in the architectural landscape of the Centro Histórico, or Historic Center, of Mexico City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Learn More)
MODERN MURAL PAINTINGS
Mexico City, Mexico1996
Jose Vasconcelas, Mexico’s first Minister of Education following the country’s revolution, saw the value of public art as a vehicle to foster civic pride and national spirit. (Learn More)
MONASTERIES OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA IN TETELA DEL VOLCÁN AND TLAYACAPAN
Tetela del Volcán and Tlayacapan, Morelos, Mexico1998
MONTE ALBÁN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Oaxaca, Mexico2008
The ancient Zapotec metropolis of Monte Albán was founded in the 6th century B.C. on a flattened mountain overlooking the city of Oaxaca. (Learn More)
PALACE OF FINE ARTS (PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES)
Mexico City, Mexico1998
A stunning Art Nouveau masterpiece, originally designed by Adamo Boari and envisioned for the centenary celebrations of Mexico’s independence in 1910, the Palace of Fine Arts was completed by (Learn More)
RUTA DE LA AMISTAD
Mexico City, Mexico2012
Ruta de la Amistad, or the Route of Friendship, consists of twenty-two large-scale sculptures that were commissioned ahead of the 1968 Summer Olympics to serve as permanent markers of the event in (Learn More)
SAN FRANCISCO DE TZINTZUNZAN CONVENT
Tzintzuntzan, Michoacán, Mexico2004
San Francisco de Tzintzuntzan Convent was the first foundation of the Franciscan Order in New Spain created for the conversion of the indigenous population to Christianity. (Learn More)
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA IN CUAUHTINCHAN
Cuauhtinchan/Puebla, Mexico2006
Located in the Mexican state of Puebla, the San Juan Bautista convent in Cuauhtinchan was built between 1528 and 1554 on the site of a 12th-century Tolteca-Chichimeca foundation to support the reli (Learn More)
SAN JUAN DE ULÚA FORT
Veracruz, Mexico2002, 2000, 1996
For nearly 350 years, the San Juan de Ulúa Fort in Veracruz served as the primary military stronghold of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. (Learn More)
SANTA PRISCA PARISH CHURCH
Taxco de Alarcón, Mexico2000
Santa Prisca Church was built following the discovery of a silver mine on the property of José de la Borda. (Learn More)
TEOTIHUACAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE—QUETZALCOATL TEMPLE
San Juan Teotihuacan, Mexico2004, 2000, 1998
For the first half of the first millennium, A.D, Teotihuacán was the dominant civilization in Mesoamerica and one of the great cities of the ancient world. (Learn More)
YAXCHILÁN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Chiapas, Mexico2002, 2000
Yaxchilán is located on the border between Guatemala and Mexico, sandwiched between the Usumacinta River and the Lacandon Forest, and across the river from another ancient Maya city, Piedras Negras (Learn More)
YUCATÁN INDIAN CHAPELS
Yucatán State, Mexico1996
The “visiting” chapels created by the Spanish to evangelize the indigenous Maya populations in the Yucatán region of Mexico are known, collectively, as the Capillas de Indios, or Indian Ch (Learn More)
Moldova
Mongolia
BOGD KHAN PALACE MUSEUM
Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), Mongolia2000, 1998, 1996
In 1911, at the time of the collapse of the Qing Dynasty in China, the independence of Outer Mongolia was proclaimed. (Learn More)
Morocco
RABBI SHLOMO IBN DANAN SYNAGOGUE
Fez, Morocco1996
Fez, home to a flourishing Jewish community during the 17th century, was also the location of two well known temples, Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Danan Synagogue, built and founded by the Ibn Danan family, an (Learn More)
SAHRIJ AND SBAIYIN MADRASSA COMPLEX
Fez, Morocco2004
A sacred city of Islam, Fez is the oldest of Morocco’s four imperial cities and the country’s third-largest. (Learn More)
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nepal
ITUM BAHA MONASTERY
Kathmandu, Nepal2002, 2000
Kathmandu Valley, a fertile bowl nestled among peaks of the Himalayan mountain range, has been a base of religious activity for centuries. (Learn More)
PATAN ROYAL PALACE COMPLEX
Patan, Nepal2006
The Patan Royal Palace Complex was constructed in the 17th century as part of the extensive building program of King Siddhinarasimha Malla, which was continued by his son Srinivasa. (Learn More)
Netherlands
New Zealand
CANTERBURY PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS
Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand2012
With a vision to build a "Better Britain," 19th century colonial settlers to New Zealand constructed government buildings reminiscent of those in London, combining the English Gothic Revival style (Learn More)
Niger
GIRAFFE ROCK ART SITE
Agadez, Niger2000
The engravings of Agadez, on the edge of the Aïr Natural World Heritage Site, is one of the most extraordinary rock art sites in the region, consisting of over 800 prehistoric images drawn on (Learn More)
Nigeria
Norway
VÅGÅ OLD CHURCH
Vågåmo, Norway1996
Set in the landlocked mountains north of Jotunheimen, Vågå Old Church represents a singular case among the renowned stave- or timber-framed churches of Norway. (Learn More)
Old City of Jerusalem
Pakistan
PETROGLYPHS IN THE DIAMER-BASHA DAM AREA
Northern Areas, Pakistan2010
Meandering through gorges of the Indus River valley and across high mountain passes, ancient arteries of the fabled Silk Road cut through the Diamer District of Northern Pakistan. (Learn More)
UCH MONUMENT COMPLEX
Uch, Pakistan2002, 2000, 1998
The ancient city of Uch, located west of Lahore on the edge of the Cholistan Desert, was one of several metropolises founded by Alexander the Great on his crusade through Central Asia in the late 4 (Learn More)
Palestinian Territory
Panama
HISTORIC CENTER OF COLÓN
Colón, Panama2010
Colón, originally a low-lying coral island, lies at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. (Learn More)
PANAMA CANAL AREA
Panama City, Chagres River, Panama2006, 2004
In the late nineteenth century, a French company began building what would come to be considered one of the greatest engineering achievements in human history. (Learn More)
SAN GERÓNIMO FORT
Portobelo, Panama2002, 2000, 1998
San Gerónimo Fort was built in several stages between 1596 and 1779 to protect the transportation of goods from South America to Spain. (Learn More)
SAN LORENZO CASTLE
Portobelo, Panama2002, 2000, 1998
The first fortifications of San Lorenzo castle were built by prominent military engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli in 1595. (Learn More)
Paraguay
LA SANTÍSIMA TRINIDAD DE PARANÁ
Trinidad, Paraguay2010, 2004
La Santísima Trinidad, established in 1706 and completed in 1712, was one of the 30 missions established by the Jesuits in the region in the 17th and 18th centuries in what is now Paraguay, (Learn More)
Peru
CHANKILLO
San Rafael District, Peru2010
Chankillo was built as a fortified temple complex over 2,300 years ago in the coastal desert of Peru, near the Casma-Sechín river basin. (Learn More)
CUSCO HISTORIC CENTER
Cusco, Peru2002, 2000, 1996
KUELAP FORTRESS
Amazonas, Peru2004
Kuelap, one of the largest ancient monuments of the Americas, was a fortified citadel in northern Peru on the slopes of the Andes. (Learn More)
LARAOS TERRACES
Yauyos, Peru2008
The andenería, or terraced landscape of Laraos, is believed to date to the pre-Inca period and is a defining feature of the steep slopes of the Peruvian Andes. (Learn More)
LIMA HISTORIC CENTER
Lima, Peru2008
Founded by Francisco Pizarro in 1535 as "the City of Kings," Lima was laid out according to the standard Spanish colony grid plan that was superimposed on a crossing point of pre-existing (Learn More)
LOS PINCHUDOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Rio Abiseo National Park, Peru2002, 2000
Among rock shelters, ceremonial structures, houses, terraces, and funerary chambers is the cemetery of Los Pinchudos, a key feature of the National Park of Río Abiseo. (Learn More)
OYÓN VALLEY MISSIONARY CHAPELS
Taucur, Andajes, La Chimba, Nava, Quichas, Mallay, and Rapaz, Peru2002
The 40 surviving chapels in the Oyón Valley were built in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries as part of a Spanish program to convert Peru’s indigenous population to Christianity. (Learn More)
SAN CRISTÓBAL DE RAPAZ CHURCH
Rapaz, Peru2002, 1996
In the 16th and 17th centuries colonial Catholic missions were established in the Oyón Valley in Peru and built in a style described as Rural Andean Baroque. (Learn More)
SAN FRANCISCO DE ASIS DE MARCAPATA
Municipality of Marcapata, Peru2010
Located in the Marcapata Valley, the church of San Francisco de Asís was built between the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries and exemplifies the “Andean baroque,” a form of architectur (Learn More)
SAN PEDRO APÓSTOL DE ANDAHUAYLILLAS CHURCH
Andahuaylillas, Peru2008
San Pedro Apóstol was built by Jesuits in the sixteenth century over a pre-Columbian huaca, or ceremonial space. (Learn More)
SAN PEDRO DE MÓRROPE CHAPEL
Mórrope, Peru2002
The chapel of San Pedro de Mórrope was constructed in the 16th century during the Colonial period in Peru in an effort to convert the indigenous Mochica people to Christianity. (Learn More)
SANTA CATALINA MONASTERY
Arequipa, Peru2008
The Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena was built in 1579 and is located in the historical center of Arequipa, Peru. (Learn More)
SANTUARIO DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE COCHARCAS
Chincheros, Peru2002
TÚCUME ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Located in the Lambayeque Region in the District of Túcume, Peru2006, 2004
Túcume Archaeological Site is located on Peru’s arid north coast and stretches across 220 hectares. (Learn More)
Philippines
ANGONO PETROGLYPHS
Angono, Rizal, Philippines1996
Discovered in 1965, the Angono Petroglyphs are believed to be the oldest known artworks in the Philippines. (Learn More)
KABAYAN MUMMY CAVES
Kabayan, Philippines1998
When industrial activity began in the forests north of Manila, loggers discovered ancient burial caves hewn out of the rock containing mummified remains and hundreds of coffins and skulls. (Learn More)
Poland
DEBNO PARISH CHURCH
Nowy Targ, Podhale , Poland1998, 1996
Nestled among the foothills of the Pieniny and Gorce mountains, Debno Parish Church is an exceptional example of the wooden Gothic churches of southern Poland. (Learn More)
OUR LADY'S ASSUMPTION BASILICA
Hebdów (near Krakow), Poland1996
The Church of Our Lady’s Assumption was founded in the mid-twelfth century within a Norbertine monastery. (Learn More)
VISTULAMOUTH FORTRESS
Gdansk, Poland2000, 1998
The origins of Vistulamouth Fortress probably date to the early medieval period, when a lighthouse and watchtower guarding the mouth of the Vistula River occupied the site of the current structures (Learn More)
WIŚLICA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Wiślica , Poland2002
Now a neglected outpost near Krakow, the village of Wiślica was once a thriving religious and political center of medieval Poland. (Learn More)
Portugal
ROMAN VILLA OF RABAÇAL
Rabaçal, Portugal2004
The 4th-century Roman villa of Rabaçal is perhaps the most important ruin at the site of ancient Conimbriga, one of the largest Roman sites, and the best preserved, in Portugal. (Learn More)
Romania
BÁNFFY CASTLE
Bontida, Romania2000
From the 14th century through 1944, Bánffy Castle was occupied by members of the aristocratic Bánffy family, whose ranks included the first governor of Transylvania under the Hapsburg (Learn More)
BRANCUSI’S ENDLESS COLUMN ENSEMBLE
Târgu-Jiu, Romania1996
Erected in 1934, the Endless Column by famed Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957) has been hailed as one of the great works of twentieth-century outdoor sculpture. (Learn More)
ROMANO CATHOLIC CHURCH
Ghelinta, Romania1998, 1996
The Romano Catholic Church of Saint Emeric was built in the thirteenth century by the first Christian settlers in present day Ghelinta. (Learn More)
Russia
AGATE PAVILION
St. Petersburg, Tsarskoje Selo, Russia1998
ALEXANDER PALACE
St. Petersburg, Tsarskoje Selo, Russia1998, 1996
Designed by the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi and completed in 1796, Alexander Palace housed three generations of Russian monarchs before it was abandoned by the royal family in the months pr (Learn More)
ARKHANGELSKOYE STATE MUSEUM
Moscow, Russia2002, 2000
In the 18th century, Prince Nikolai Golitsyn commissioned French architects to craft an elaborate palace and grounds on the outskirts of Moscow. (Learn More)
ASSUMPTION CHURCH
Kondopoga, Republic of Karelia, Russia2002
Constructed in 1774 on a rocky cape overlooking Lake Onega, Assumption Church is an elegant wooden structure with a distinctive nebo, or sky, a highly decorated painted ceiling made up of (Learn More)
CHINESE PALACE AT ORANIENBAUM STATE MUSEUM
Oranienbaum, Russia2004, 2002, 2000
The Chinese Palace at Oranienbaum, an addition to Prince Alexander Menshikov’s estate at Oranienbaum, was the first palace commissioned by Russian empress Catherine the Great following her se (Learn More)
CHURCH OF OUR SAVIOR ON THE MARKETPLACE AND ROSTOV VELIKY HISTORIC CENTER
Rostov Veliky, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia2002, 2000
Located on the shores of Lake Nero, 210 kilometers northeast of Moscow, Rostov Veliky can trace its origins to the year 862, making it one of Russia's oldest cities. (Learn More)
KIZHI POGOST
Kizhi Island in Lake Onega, Republic Of Karelia, Russia1996
Kizhi Pogost is located on one of the many hundreds of islands on tranquil Lake Onega in the northern region of Karelia. (Learn More)
NEW JERUSALEM MONASTERY
Istra, Russia2002
Founded under Patriarch Nikon in the 17th century in Istra on the outskirts of Moscow, the New Jerusalem Monastery was meant to evoke the Holy Land and serve as a pilgrimage site. (Learn More)
PAANAJÄRVI VILLAGE
Kemi Province, Republic of Karelia, Russia2000, 1998, 1996
Located on the Russian-Finnish border, Paanajärvi is the last intact village in the district of Viena Karelia along the Kemi River. (Learn More)
ROSTOV VELIKY HISTORIC CENTER
Rostov Veliky, Russia2000
RUSAKOV CLUB
Moscow, Russia2000, 1998
The avant-garde architect Konstatin Melnikov designed the Rusakov Club as a theater for workers who labored in nearby printing factories. (Learn More)
VIIPURI LIBRARY
Vyborg, Russia2002, 2000
The Viipuri Library in Vyborg, Russia, was designed and built by modernist Finnish architect Alvar Aalto between 1927 and 1935. At the time of construction the land was held by Finland. (Learn More)
YELAGIN ISLAND PALACE AND PARK ENSEMBLE
St. Petersburg, Russia1998
Yelagin Island, located in the Neva River just north of St. Petersburg, was one of the Romanov dynasty’s retreats in the 18th and 19th centuries. (Learn More)
Saint Helena
Samoa
Senegal
Serbia
DEČANI AND PEĆ MONASTERIES
Metohija and Pec, Serbia2002
SUBOTICA SYNAGOGUE
Subotica, Serbia2006, 2002, 2000, 1996
Designed in the late 1890s and built in 1902, Subotica Synagogue is among the most impressive examples of Art Nouveau ecclesiastical architecture in the region. (Learn More)
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
BANSKÁ ŠTIAVNICA CALVARY COMPLEX
Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia2008
The town of Banská Stiavnica was once an important silver-mining town, enjoying particularly strong economic growth in the 18th century, when it became the third-largest town in the Kingdom (Learn More)
BASIL THE GREAT CHURCH
Krajné Cierno, Slovakia2000
Basil the Great Church belongs to a small and precious collection of wooden churches in the rural Carpathian mountain region of Slovakia, a significant border between Eastern and Western Christian (Learn More)
SAINTS COSMOS AND DAMIAN
Lukov-Venecia, Slovakia2004
The distinctive wooden architecture of the Church of Saints Cosmos and Damian reflects the unique cultural and religious traditions the Greek Orthodox Church maintained in Slovakia in the seventeen (Learn More)
Slovenia
Somalia
LAS GEEL ROCK ART
Las Geel District, Somaliland, Somalia2008
South Africa
Spain
AQUEDUCT OF SEGOVIA
Segovia, Spain2006
The Aqueduct of Segovia was built during the second half of the 1st century A.D. under the rule of the Roman Empire and supplied water from the Frío River to the city into the 20th century. (Learn More)
MOORISH HOUSES OF GRANADA
Granada, Spain1996
The neighborhood of Albayzin in Granada, Spain, contains several Moorish houses, some dating to the period of the Alhambra, many of which were built in the 16th century. (Learn More)
PAZO DE SAN MIGUEL DAS PENAS
Monterroso/Lugo, Spain2004
Twelve centuries of art and architecture are chronicled in the buildings found in the hills of northwestern Spain. (Learn More)
WINDMILLS OF MALLORCA
Mallorca, Spain1998
Flour windmills, dating from the 16th to the 19th centuries, are still a significant feature of the landscape of the Balearic Islands, and are a strong symbol of prosperity and engineering acumen, (Learn More)
Suriname
JODENSAVANNE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Redi Doti, Suriname2000, 1996
Jodensavanne (Jewish Savannah) was settled by a population of Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition on mainland Europe in the mid-seventeenth century. (Learn More)
Sweden
Syria
AMRIT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Near Tartous, Syria2006, 2004
Amrit is an ancient Phoenician site located on the Mediterranean coast of Syria. (Learn More)
AYYUBID PALACE COMPLEX IN THE CITADEL OF ALEPPO
Aleppo, Syria2002
Aleppo is one of the oldest continuously inhabited centers of human settlement and has flourished for millennia. (Learn More)
CITADEL OF ALEPPO
Aleppo, Syria2002
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Aleppo preserves remnants of more than four millennia of Near Eastern history. (Learn More)
CYRRHUS (NEBI HOURI)
Azaz, Syria2008
The ancient site of Cyrrhus is located 70 kilometers northeast of Aleppo. The city was founded in the early third-century B.C. (Learn More)
SHAYZAR CASTLE
Shayzar, Syria2006
Built along the banks of the Orontes River just northwest of Hama, the Syrian town of Shayzar was, for much of its history, a strategic prize for the Muslim and Christian forces who battled for con (Learn More)
TELL MOZAN
Al-Hasakah Governorate, Syria2006
Tell Mozan, located in northeast Syria in the Khabur River plain, is the site of ancient Urkesh, a place associated with the Hurrians, a Bronze Age people of Upper Mesopotamia. (Learn More)
TEMPLE OF THE STORM GOD IN THE CITADEL OF ALEPPO
Aleppo, Syria2002
The storm god is an ancient divinity that manifested itself in awe-inspiring thunderstorms and was important for agriculture. (Learn More)
THRONE HALL FORECOURT IN THE CITADEL OF ALEPPO
Aleppo, Syria2002
The Citadel of Aleppo, one of the oldest continuously occupied settlements in the world, richly preserves layers of its occupation from the Hittite, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, Zangid, Ayyubid, (Learn More)
Taiwan
Tanzania
HISTORIC SITES OF KILWA
Lindi Region, Tanzania2008, 1996
The island of Kilwa Kisiwani is located in the south of Tanzania, a short boat ride from the mainland. (Learn More)
Thailand
AYUTTHAYA AND OTHER FLOODED SITES
Chao Praya River, Thailand1996
WAT CHAIWATTHANARAM
Ayutthaya, Thailand1996
Wat Chaiwatthanaram is a Buddhist temple located within the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Thailand. (Learn More)
Trinidad and Tobago
BANWARIE TRACE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Oropuche Lagoon, Trinidad and Tobago2004
Tunisia
Turkey
ANI CATHEDRAL
Ani, Turkey2002, 2000, 1998, 1996
Located in modern-day eastern Turkey, Ani Cathedral is one of the most significant architectural structures remaining from the prosperous Armenian Bagratid period in the 10th and 11th centuries A.D (Learn More)
APHRODISIAS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Geyre Beledesi, Turkey2006
Aphrodisias, named after its patron goddess Aphrodite, was founded in the 2nd century B.C. on the site of a rural sanctuary of Aphrodite. (Learn More)
ÇATALHÖYÜK ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Cumra area, Turkey2000, 1996
CENTRAL IZMIR SYNAGOGUES
Izmir, Turkey2004
At the end of the fifteenth century, Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition began to settle in the Kemeralti district of Izmir. (Learn More)
CHURCH OF THE HOLY SAVIOR
Ani, Turkey2002, 2000, 1998, 1996
Located in modern-day eastern Turkey, Surp Amenap’rkitch, or the Church of the Holy Savior, is one of the few structures still standing at Ani from the prosperous Armenian Bagratid period in (Learn More)
CHURCH OF THE MONASTERY OF CHRIST PANTOKRATOR (ZEYREK CAMII)
Istanbul, Turkey2000
Shortly after Constantinople fell to the invading Ottoman armies in 1453, the twelfth-century Church of the Monastery of Christ Pantokrator was converted into the Zeyrek Camii mosque. (Learn More)
EPHESOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Selçuk, Turkey2004
The ancient city of Ephesos (also known as Ephesus) has a rich history dating back to 6000 B.C. In the eighth century B.C., Ephesos became one of 12 major Ionian cities. (Learn More)
HAGIA SOPHIA
Istanbul, Turkey1998, 1996
Justinian I, one of the earliest Byzantine rulers, ordered the architects Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus to design Hagia Sophia in the heart of what was then Constantinople. (Learn More)
MERYEM ANA - MOTHER OF GOD CHURCH
Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey2008
MOUNT NEMRUT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Adiyaman Province, Turkey2000
Antiochus I, an Armenian king whose lineage connected him to the Seleucids, Ptolemies, and Macedonians, ruled the small territory of Commagene in Asia Minor in the 1st century B.C. (Learn More)
PATARA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Kas, Turkey1998
Wide, protective sandy beaches and a deep Mediterranean bay helped make Patara the wealthy capital of the Lycian-Pamphylian province during the Roman Empire. (Learn More)
RED CHURCH
Güzelyurt, Sivrihisar, Cappadocia, Turkey2008
Kizil Kilise, also known as the Red Church, is one of the oldest churches on the vast plains of the Cappadocia region of Turkey. (Learn More)
TEMPLE OF AUGUSTUS AND ROME
Ankara, Turkey2004, 2002
The Temple of Augustus and Rome was built between 25 and 20 B.C. following the Roman conquest of central Anatolia and the designation of Ancyra (modern-day Ankara) as the new capital of Galatia. (Learn More)
Turkmenistan
ANCIENT MERV ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Bairam Ali, Turkmenistan2002, 2000
The oasis of Merv is strategically sited in the Karakum desert and formed an essential military headquarters and staging post on major east-west trade routes. (Learn More)
Uganda
MASAKA CATHEDRAL
Kitovu Village, Uganda1998
In 1909, a small church was built in the Ugandan village of Kituvo. (Learn More)
Ukraine
ANCIENT CHERSONESOS
Sevastopol, Ukraine2002, 1998, 1996
ZHOVKVA SYNAGOGUE
Zhovkva, Ukraine2000
Zhovkva Synagogue was built in the 1690s for a rapidly growing Jewish community. During the eighteenth century, it became an important center of Jewish study and worship. (Learn More)
United Kingdom
BRADING ROMAN VILLA
Isle of Wight, United Kingdom2002
Discovered in 1879, Brading Roman Villa is an important Roman country house on the Isle of Wight notable for its mosaics. (Learn More)
CASTLE SINCLAIR GIRNIGOE
Wick, Caithness, Scotland, United Kingdom2002
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe is a complex of ruined stone structures built and modified over a 200-year period by the Sinclair earls of Caithness, historically one of northern Scotland’s most pow (Learn More)
EDINBURGH HISTORIC GRAVEYARDS
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom2010
Five historical burial grounds are scattered around Edinburgh’s city center, oases amid the dense urban surroundings often full of students and tourists. (Learn More)
MUSSENDEN TEMPLE
Castlerock, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom1998
The Downhill estate was constructed in the late eighteenth century for Frederick Hervey, the Bishop of Derry and Earl of Bristol. (Learn More)
RUINS OF THE FORMER CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. MICHAEL, COVENTRY
Coventry, West Midlands, United Kingdom2012
After Coventry Cathedral was gutted by incendiary bombs during World War II, a conscious and collective decision was taken to build a new cathedral and to preserve the ruins as a constant reminder (Learn More)
SAINT FRANCIS AND GORTON CHURCH AND MONASTERY
East Manchester, United Kingdom2000, 1998
Edward Pugin’s Saint Francis and Gorton Church and Monastery in Gorton, Manchester is recognized as a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture. (Learn More)
SAINT MARY'S STOW CHURCH
Stow, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom2006
St. Mary’s Church in Stow is one of the oldest parish churches in England. Founded in the seventh century in what had been the Roman town of Sidnacester, St. (Learn More)
SAINT VINCENT STREET CHURCH
Glasgow, United Kingdom2006, 2004, 1998
Saint Vincent Street Church is the sole survivor of three churches designed for the city of Glasgow by the influential and renowned Scottish architect Alexander Thomson. (Learn More)
SELBY ABBEY
Selby, United Kingdom2002
Although Selby Abbey is now a parish church, it was one of England’s great monastic churches, built on a grand scale and to a high level of architectural and artistic mastery. (Learn More)
SHEERNESS DOCKYARD
Sheerness, United Kingdom2010
Since Roman times, the strategic location of Sheerness—on the western tip of the Isle of Sheppey, where the Thames and Medway Rivers converge and spill into the North Sea—has enabled it to serve as (Learn More)
ST. GEORGE’S BLOOMSBURY
London, United Kingdom2002
Nicholas Hawksmoor, protégé of Sir Christopher Wren, built six churches resulting from the 1711 Act of Parliament, which demanded 50 new churches in London. St. (Learn More)
ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST PARISH CHURCH, SHOBDON
Leominster, United Kingdom2010
Standing within an idyllic, pastoral landscape in Shobdon, the stone exterior of St. (Learn More)
STOWE HOUSE
Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom2004, 2002
Stowe House was originally the country seat of the Temple-Grenville family. The first house on its footprint was built between 1677 and 1683 for the third baronet, Sir Richard Temple. (Learn More)
STRAWBERRY HILL
Twickenham, United Kingdom2004
As the first true Gothic Revival structure in Europe, Strawberry Hill seamlessly blended landscape design, architecture, and decorative arts to forge a new direction in eightheenth-century design a (Learn More)
United States
2 COLUMBUS CIRCLE
New York, New York, United States2006
The former Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art, known for decades as 2 Columbus Circle, was designed by Edward Durell Stone, one of America’s most prolific architects, and built in 1964 (Learn More)
A. CONGER GOODYEAR HOUSE
Old Westbury, New York, United States2002
When the A. Conger Goodyear House was completed in 1938, Edward Durell Stone was already well-known as one of the country’s leading architects working in the International Style. (Learn More)
ADOBE MISSIONS OF NEW MEXICO
Various, New Mexico, United States1996
The adobe churches of New Mexico were built as part of the Franciscan missionary campaign in the New World. (Learn More)
CHARLESTON HISTORIC DISTRICT
Charleston, South Carolina, United States2012
Charleston was founded in 1670 by English colonists and relocated in 1680 to its present location, where the Ashley and Cooper rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean. (Learn More)
CHURCH OF ST. ANN AND THE HOLY TRINITY
Brooklyn, New York, United States2004, 2002
The Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity is one of the most important monuments of the Gothic Revival in America. (Learn More)
CYCLORAMA CENTER
Gettysburg, United States2006
DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH
Newburgh, New York, United States2006
Built between 1835 and 1837, the Dutch Reformed Church in Newburgh, New York, sits on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River and is a reminder of the wealth that came early to settlements in New York (Learn More)
FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE
Lakeland, Florida, United States2008
Located on a hillside overlooking Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern College contains the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in the world. (Learn More)
FORT APACHE
Apache Tribal Lands, United States1998
Established by President Grant in 1871, the 7,500-acre Fort Apache Reservation served as operations base from which the U.S. (Learn More)
GOLDEN GATE PARK CONSERVATORY OF FLOWERS
San Francisco, California, United States1996
The Conservatory of Flowers is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and one of only a few large Victorian greenhouses in the United States. (Learn More)
GULF COAST AND NEW ORLEANS
Mississippi and Louisiana, United States2006
HISTORIC LOWER MANHATTAN
New York, New York, United States2004, 2002
In 1625, Dutch settlers founded New Amsterdam on a stretch of land that would eventually grow into one of the world’s most famous and populous cities. (Learn More)
HISTORIC ROUTE 66
Chicago, IL, to Los Angeles, CA, United States2008
Route 66, once the primary highway from America’s interior to the West Coast, has played a now-legendary role in U.S. history since its designation in 1926. (Learn More)
HOLY ASCENSION RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Unalaska, Alaska, United States1996
Built in 1896 on the site of an earlier church, Holy Ascension Russian Orthodox Church in Unalaska is a reminder of the sizeable Russian community that once thrived in Alaska. (Learn More)
LANCASTER COUNTY
Pennsylvania, United States2000, 1998
The green fields of Lancaster County in southeastern Pennsylvania constitute a historic cultural landscape representing the founding ideals of the United States of America. (Learn More)
MAIN STREET MODERN: GROSSE POINTE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Grosse Point Farms, Michigan, United States2008
Grosse Pointe Public Library was built by Bauhaus-trained architect Marcel Breuer in 1953. (Learn More)
MAIN STREET MODERN: RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL
Sarasota, Florida, United States2008
Designed by Paul Rudolph (1918-1997), Riverview High School first welcomed students in 1958. (Learn More)
MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Montezuma County, Colorado, United States1998
Mesa Verde, a large, gently sloping plateau etched with deep canyons, was occupied by the Ancestral Puebloan civilization between the 6th and 13th centuries AD. (Learn More)
MIAMI MARINE STADIUM
Miami, Florida, United States2010
Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe Miami Marine Stadium was the first purpose-built venue for powerboat racing in the United States. (Learn More)
MOUNT LEBANON SHAKER VILLAGE
New Lebanon, New York, United States2006, 2004
At its height in 1860, the Shaker village of Mount Lebanon, New York, spanned some 6,000 acres and contained more than 100 buildings. (Learn More)
NEW YORK STUDIO SCHOOL OF DRAWING, PAINTING AND SCULPTURE
New York, New York, United States2012
The New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture is located in New York’s Greenwich Village, in a complex of structures assembled over an extended period of time by the American sculp (Learn More)
SAN ESTEBAN DEL REY MISSION
Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico, United States2002
Built in 1629, San Esteban del Rey Mission at Acoma Pueblo combines traditional materials and building technology with European Renaissance architectural ideals. (Learn More)
SAN JOSE CHURCH
Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, United States2004
The San José Church, originally known as the Iglesia de Santo Tomás de Aquino, is considered by many scholars to be one of the finest and oldest examples of Gothic-influenced religiou (Learn More)
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO MISSION
San Juan Capistrano, California, United States2002
The expansive San Juan Capistrano Mission was initially a small adobe chapel when it was established by Padre Junípero Serra on November 1, 1776. (Learn More)
SOUTH SIDE OF ELLIS ISLAND
New York Harbor, New York & New Jersey, United States2006, 1996
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the principle point of entry for immigrants to America from 1892 until 1924, during which period an estimated 12 million people were processed. (Learn More)
TAOS PUEBLO
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, United States2010
Situated in the sun-baked valley of a Rio Grande tributary and continuously inhabited for 1,000 years, the community and architecture of Taos Pueblo exemplify the enduring spirit of the Pueblo peop (Learn More)
TREE STUDIOS AND MEDINAH TEMPLE
Chicago, Illinois, United States2000
Commissioned by philanthropist Judge Lambert Tree, the Tree Studios were designed as an artists’ residence by the Parfitt Brothers architectural firm. (Learn More)
TUTUVENI PETROGLYPH SITE
Hopi Tribal Land, United States2008
The Tutuveni Petroglyph site boasts more than 5,000 Hopi clan symbols that were inscribed during the ceremonial pilgrimage to Ongtupqa, or the Grand Canyon, which is for many Hopi the point of thei (Learn More)
WALPI VILLAGE
First Mesa, Arizona, United States2012
Perched on a narrow edge of the First Mesa, Walpi is the foundation for eleven Hopi settlements in the United States. (Learn More)
Uzbekistan
DESERT CASTLES OF ANCIENT KHOREZM
Republic of Karakalpakstan/Elli-Kala District & Beruni District, Uzbekistan2010
Venezuela
LA GUAIRA HISTORIC CENTER
La Guaira, Venezuela2006, 2004
The historic city of La Guaira was founded in the 16th century on the Caribbean Sea and served as the chief port for Venezuela’s future inland capital Caracas. (Learn More)
SAN FRANCISCO CHURCH IN CORO
Coro, Falcón, Venezuela2000, 1998
Among the first churches that the Franciscan Order founded in Venezuela, the original church at Coro was part of the Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Salceda, founded in 1614. (Learn More)
Vietnam
MINH MANG TOMB
Hué City, Huong Tho Village, Vietnam2000, 1996
King Minh Mang, the second ruler of the Nguyen Dynasty, governed southern and central Vietnam from 1820 to 1840. (Learn More)
MY SON TEMPLE DISTRICT
My Son, Quảng Nam-Ḍà Nẵng, Tỉnh , Vietnam2000, 1998, 1996
My Son, an architectural complex on the coast of Vietnam, was the spiritual and political capital of the Cham people (the Champa Kingdom). (Learn More)
TA TUNG TU, MINH MANG TOMB
Hué City, Huong Tho Village, Vietnam2000, 1996
Emperor Minh Mạng (1820-1841), the second ruler of the Nguyễn Dynasty, ruled southern and central Vietnam from 1820 to 1841. (Learn More)
Yemen
Zimbabwe
KHAMI NATIONAL MONUMENT
Bulawayo, Zimbabwe2000, 1996
Khami, a settlement founded in the mid-15th century, became the capital city of Great Zimbabwe in the mid-16th century and thus became the center of the kingdom’s political and economic power (Learn More)
