Quite often we hear that a particular monument, natural site or even an entire city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. And recently they even began to talk about the intangible heritage of mankind. What it is? Who includes monuments and landmarks in the famous list? What are the criteria for identifying these World Heritage Sites? Why is this done and what does it give? What famous objects can our country boast of? States of the former Soviet Union? Europe and Asia? And the whole world? Let's investigate this question.
List History
Oddly enough, the UNESCO list, which is now on everyone's lips, has a rather short history. It all started in 1972 when this division of the United Nations tookConvention, designed to protect and safeguard the cultural heritage of all people of the world. At the same time, the first criteria were developed by which these World Heritage sites of human creation were determined. The international document entered into force in 1975. But later a “skew” was discovered: it turned out that most of the people on the list are in Europe, while in Australia, Oceania, and America there were very few of them. But after all, in these parts of the world there is also something to protect and protect. Breathtakingly beautiful nature, unusual mountains, ecosystems, the same Great Coral Reef, for example, or the famous Grand Canyon. Then it was decided to expand the scope of the Convention and include natural heritage sites in the list. They also developed their own criteria. And, finally, already in the twenty-first century, they started talking about the fact that there are non-material phenomena. They cannot be "touched" like the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico or the mangroves of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh. However, they are also unique, having contributed to the spiritual development of mankind. Thus, a new list was established - intangible property. It includes, for example, the method of Georgian winemaking in kvevri clay amphora and the basic principles of Mediterranean cuisine.
What does ratification of the Convention mean?
What is this document and what is its role? Now the UN Convention on the Protection of the World Natural and Cultural Heritage has been signed by one hundred and ninety states. By doing so, they have pledged to protect the World Heritage sites that are located on their territory. It turns out that only obligations arise from ratification. BUTwhat about bonuses? They also exist. Firstly, being on the UNESCO list means sending a significant tourist flow to this country. After all, many people are interested in looking at the very best, what is designated as a World Heritage Site. And secondly, there is a simple material benefit in this. If a country is not able to fully ensure the protection of a natural or cultural object, financial assistance is allocated to the state from a special World Heritage Fund to maintain it in proper condition. Basically, this concerns historical buildings that are in need of expensive restoration. Therefore, many countries are interested in UNESCO recognizing certain monuments of nature or culture as world heritage. Fortunately, a special Committee under this organization holds field sessions every year at the request of states in order to consider, according to the accepted criteria, whether this or that object is worthy of being included in the famous list.
The status of an object is for life?
Thus, the honorary list is replenished every year. But does this mean that once a local landmark has been promoted to the list of World Heritage Sites, the country can relax and rest on its laurels? Far from it. The same Committee vigilantly monitors the constant compliance with the accepted criteria. For example, after the construction of an ugly modern bank building in the center of Lviv (Ukraine), the local government was warned that another such building, violating the integrity of the architectural ensemble, - andthe city can say goodbye to membership in the UNESCO list. But in Oman, in 2007, the Arabian white oryx reserve was removed from the honorary list, as the Committee found that the authorities did not even think to interfere with the hunt for the endangered beast. The same fate befell the Elbe Valley near Dresden in 2009. And all because of the road bridge that the local authorities so thoughtlessly began to build in the cultural heritage zone.
Since wars break out in one place or another on the globe, as well as earthquakes, floods, and other natural or man-made disasters, UNESCO has established a special list that includes World Heritage sites in danger of destruction. Special attention is riveted to them, and if possible, urgent measures are taken to preserve these attractions. These include "Lonely George" - the most famous bachelor in the world. This is a male giant tortoise that lives in the National Park in the Galapagos Islands. It is interesting in that it is the last living representative of an extinct species. Scientists are working to find a female genetically close to George. Just in case, semen was taken from a forced bachelor. When science reaches a higher level of development, there is hope to recreate the species artificially.
Evaluation criteria
What remarkable qualities must a natural or cultural object have in order to be included in the famous list and fall under the auspices of UNESCO? The first thing that comes to mind is its extraordinary beauty. And byin relation to natural phenomena or territories, this really applies. So, Ha Long Bay in the Vietnamese province of Quang Ninh, is a spectacle of "extremely aesthetic importance." Thousands of islands of bizarre outlines are scattered across the calm surface of the sea. In order to see this splendor, millions of tourists from all over the world go to Vietnam. But beauty is not the only criterion. For example, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve or the El Vizcaino Blue Whale Sanctuary in Mexico are also listed as they are an important natural habitat for endangered animal or plant species. A natural World Heritage site can represent a typical example of one of the main stages of the evolution of our planet or be a symbol of geological processes. According to this criterion, the Egyptian valley of Wadi al-Khitan, where fossils of ancient pangolins are found, volcanoes of Kamchatka, and other interesting natural attractions that thousands of people strive to see and capture, were included in the List.
World Heritage Sites
In this respect, the selection criteria are more complex and confusing. At first there were six of them. To get into the List, the object had to answer at least one of them. For example, it can be something exceptional, unprecedented, what is called a masterpiece of human genius. The Great Wall of China just meets this criterion. But a landmark can also be a typical example of some culture or civilization. Parking lot of the ancient"Peking" man in Chinese Zhoukoudian, the Neolithic city of Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan or the center of medieval Bruges give us a complete picture of how people lived in those distant and interesting eras. The definition of such an object includes not only one architectural structure, but an entire urban development, with streets, walls and gates. Accra, Damascus, Nessebar, Jerusalem and Salzburg - all these settlements are connected by one thing - their historical center is a cultural heritage of mankind. By this criterion, the dwarf state of the Vatican is entirely included in this list.
But the list of honor may include individual attractions: cathedrals, bridges, squares, aqueducts, citadels, town halls and seigneurial towers. The main thing is that this architectural structure or technological design be unique and outstanding for the period of human history. Chartres Cathedral, an ancient Roman bridge near Nimes, windmills near Kinderdijk Elshout in Holland, and even a steam pumping station in Waude (Netherlands) are all World Heritage Sites. But that's not all. Landmarks that are directly related to beliefs, literary works, traditions and ideas are also considered an invaluable spiritual asset of mankind. Therefore, the list includes many monasteries, temple complexes, ancient temples, dolmens, and burial places. And some of them are not so ancient. For example, the terraced gardens surrounding the Baha'i World Spiritual Center in the city of Haifa (Israel) have no historical value. But the main temple, as well as the golden-domed tomb of the Bab, the founder of the Baha'i religion, were declared world heritage sites five years ago.
Natural, cultural and scientific attractions
There are places on our planet that have acquired their significance not only under the influence of natural processes, but also due to the anthropogenic factor. These are such UNESCO World Heritage Sites as the highlands of central Sri Lanka, loess rice terraces in the Philippine Cordillera, s alt mines in Wieliczka (Poland) and others. It is impossible to separate the pleasant softness of the hills from the cultivated vineyards and proud feudal castles in the Rhine Valley from Mainz to Bonn (Germany). Also connected are the ruins of the city of Hieropolis and the limestone springs of Pamukkale in Turkey.
But if these sights are breathtaking for ordinary, inexperienced tourists, then only narrow specialists will be able to appreciate the objects of the technological and scientific heritage of mankind. Take, for example, the Struve geodesic arc. On the territory of Russia, only two geodetic polygons have survived near the city of Kingisepp: “Point Z” and “Point Myakipyallus”. For an uninitiated person, these are just simple pyramids made of cobblestones. But geographers and cartographers know that only thirty-four of the once 258 geodetic signs have survived in the world, according to which the brilliant scientist Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve was able to calculate the shape and size of our planet with great accuracy. The chain named after him passesalong the twenty-fifth meridian of eastern longitude and crosses several countries - from Norway to Moldova. In some places, these European World Heritage Sites look like a granite ball on a pedestal or a beautiful obelisk.
There are in the list of UNESCO and such sights that remind us of the sad, and even bloody pages of human history. You will not find anything beautiful in the barracks, crematoria and gas chambers of the Auschwitz (or Auschwitz) concentration camp near Krakow. The dome of the Genbaku (Peace Memorial) in Hiroshima looks ominous. However, they are also World Heritage Sites. Although you can’t call them “cultural” in any way.
Wonders of the World and UNESCO List
Do not confuse these two lists. There are not so many wonders of the world. The objects that captivated the imagination of travelers of the ancient world have disappeared from the face of the earth. The modern world has compiled a new list, which includes new natural and cultural attractions. But such "wonders of the world" can be counted on the fingers. But the UNESCO list consists of 981 items - and this is only as of 2013! Of this list, most (759) are cultural attractions, another 193 are natural, and 29 are mixed. Many World Heritage Sites, photos of which are very replicated, are located in Italy. This country is a leader in the concentration of valuable attractions on its territory. There are forty-nine of them. Right in the back of Italy breathe China (45) and Spain (44). Russia, on the other hand, has twenty-five such objects and, thus, is included intop ten, ahead of the US (21).
Wonders of Europe
World Heritage sites abroad are quite numerous. Their concentration is especially dense in Western Europe. There are eight of them in small Austria alone. Anyone who has visited this alpine country knows that the state does not occupy the natural beauties. But there are also cultural attractions. The list includes the historical centers of Vienna, Salzburg and Graz, as well as the Schönbrunn Palace and park ensemble. There are also mixed objects here: these are the cultivated landscapes of Hallstatt-Dachstein, Wachau (between the cities of Krems and Melk) and Fertö-Neusiedler See. There is even one phenomenon of scientific and technical value - the old Semmering railway.
Especially dense European World Heritage Sites are "stumbled" in Italy - the champion of the UNESCO list. There are many historical sights here, and leading their origin from time immemorial. Lovers of the Stone Age can see the rock paintings in Val Camonica in this country. Those who are interested in the ancient world may not limit themselves to the heritage of Ancient Rome. At their service are the Etruscan necropolises near Tarquinia and Cerveteri, the well-preserved ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii near Naples, Syracuse with the rocky necropolis of Pantalica, archaeological excavations in Agrigento and Torre Annunziata. In Sicily, you can see the ancient Roman villa Del Casale, in Sardinia - the ancient fortifications of "Su Nuraxi", and in the town of Alberobello - traditional dwellings "trulli".
ObjectWorld natural heritage - the Dolomites - attracts tourists in both winter and summer. But the Venetian lagoon is a mixed attraction, created by both nature (washed sandy islands) and human genius. The first centuries of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire, the Renaissance and the Baroque - all these eras left their mark on marble, canvases, sculpture and architecture in Italy. It is rare to find a city in which, if not the whole historical part, then at least individual churches or seigneurial towers would not be included in the UNESCO list.
Every person, if not live, then at least in a photo in a history book, has seen such a world heritage site in Greece as the Acropolis in Athens. In addition to this attraction and a huge number of artifacts taken to museums around the world, the country can boast of the ancient ruins of Delphi and Epidaurus, the temple of Apollo in Bassae, Olympia, Mystra, the sanctuary of Hera on Samos, Pythagorean, Mycenae and Tiryns. Greece is also famous as the center of Orthodoxy. The famous monasteries of Meteora, Mount Athos, early Christian monuments in Thessaloniki, hermitages at Nea Moni, Ossios Loukas and Daphni are also included in the list of honor. The cave of the Apocalypse with the monastery of the Apostle John on the island of Patmos will not leave anyone indifferent.
Asian World Heritage Sites
"Do not count the treasures in India as wonderful" - is sung in the song of the oriental guest in the opera "Sadko". His rightness was recognized by UNESCO. However, the championship in the number of natural and cultural attractions was awarded to China. Apart from the monumental Great Wall, visible even fromspace, tourists can admire here the palaces and tombs of the emperors of the Qing and Ming dynasties in Shenyang and Beijing, the Temple of Confucius in Qufu, the Potala historical ensemble in Lhasa, the royal residence in Chengde, the ancient city of Pingyao and other equally interesting buildings. This huge country has a rather impressive list of World Natural Heritage Sites. Some mountains, such as Taishan, Huangshan, Emeishan, Wuyishan, are completely under the protection of UNESCO. There are many national parks in China, where endangered species of animals and birds live.
The Hindustan Peninsula is considered not only the place where Buddhism originated, but also the cradle of all Aryan civilizations. Here you can see both rock paintings and burials of the Stone Age (Champaner-Pavagadh), and cave temples (in Ajanta, Ellora, on the island of Elephanta, in Bhimbetka). India's World Heritage Sites include not only historical and cultural attractions, but also the national reserves of Kaziranga, Sundarban, Valley of Flowers, Nanda Devi, Keoladeo and the Manas Wildlife Reserve. There are also technical and military facilities in this country under the auspices of the UN cultural department: the fort in Agra, the Chhatrapati-Shivaji station in Mumbai. But the generally recognized pearl of India is still the Taj Mahal mausoleum in Agra.
Home side
As we remember, the Russian Federation takes an honorable ninth place in the TOP-ten leading countries in terms of the number of objects on the UNESCO list. Why is our native country so significant? World Heritage Sites in Russia can be combined into several groups. The first one iskremlin. In addition to Moscow, this group includes Kazan, Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Rostov-Veliky. The second group is urban complexes. These are, as a rule, the historical centers of Veliky Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl, Dagestan Derbent. Another group is represented by religious buildings: the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Kizhi, the Solovetsky Monastery and others.
If we ask ourselves the question of the uniformity of the distribution of cultural and historical attractions throughout the territory of our country, we will notice that most of these objects are concentrated in the North-Western and Central districts. It is not surprising: Siberia was mastered much later. Novgorod land hides many antiquities. The sights of the Volga cities can tell about the life of the ancient Russians. But St. Petersburg with the surrounding palaces illustrates the era of the great empresses Catherine, Elizabeth, Anna Ioannovna.
But the eastern part of our country can boast of unique natural beauties. Of the "most-most" one cannot fail to mention the deepest and cleanest Lake Baikal in the world. Some mountain systems are also objects of the world natural heritage of Russia. These are the Western Caucasus, Altai, Sikhote-Alin, volcanoes of Kamchatka. Some ecosystems are also under the auspices of UNESCO, which, due to their isolation, have preserved a unique species composition of flora and fauna. This group of attractions includes the Komi Forests, Wrangel Island and the Putorana Plateau. But from the technical facilities in our country there is onlytwo points of the Struve geodesic arc.
