FireFly

Table of Contents

Foreword
World Heritage sites -- mapped by continent
World Heritage sites -- descriptions, locations and photographs
UNESCO's World Heritage Mission Statement, inscription criteria and information about UNESCO worldwide
Country by country index
Index
Acknowledgements

Foreword
by Mr Koïchiro Matsuura,
Director-General of UNESCO

Fifty years ago, the construction of the Aswan High Dam resulted in the flooding of an extensive stretch of the Nile Valley, home to numerous ancient Nubian treasures, such as the Abu Simbel temples. Mindful that the threatened temples and artefacts were an urgent priority transcending national interests and pride, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) launched its first international safeguarding campaign. Funds and expertise were mobilized to dismantle and reassemble the monuments in new locations. UNESCO's appeal to save the truly outstanding vestiges of one of the world's richest and oldest civilizations made people all over the planet appreciate the universal dimension of cultural heritage. Thus, in addition to its triumph as a technical feat of unprecedented scale, this hugely successful campaign paved the way for the key notion of the common heritage of humankind that underpins the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, developed by UNESCO and adopted by its Member States in 1972.

Commonly known as the World Heritage Convention, this international treaty has been ratified by 186 countries to date, and the famous World Heritage List now includes 878 sites in 145 countries across the planet. For over thirty-five years, the Convention and List have proved invaluable tools in UNESCO's constant efforts to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. Moreover, they contribute significantly to advancing UNESCO's mission to safeguard the world's precious culture and biodiversity.

Although every year new sites are inscribed by the World Heritage Committee, many sites of outstanding universal value have yet to be included on the List, which strives to ensure a true representation of the full diversity of all types of tangible heritage. The open-ended nature of the List is precisely what makes it such a vibrant and attractive instrument for preservation.

The prestigious List includes some of the most famous places in the world, such as the ancient Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan, the legendary Acropolis in Athens, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and Machu Picchu, the 'Lost City of the Incas,' in Peru. These renowned breathtaking sites are obvious inclusions on the List as they represent extraordinary examples of our cultural and natural heritage. However, many are in need of extensive conservation efforts, partly as a consequence of their immense popularity. Fortunately, inclusion on the World Heritage List and the resulting economic benefits can give a huge boost to these conservation efforts so that future generations can enjoy this irreplaceable heritage.

Along with the well-known sites on the List are a number of lesser-known places. In reading this handsome book, you will gain a wealth of information about our common heritage: that the largest coliseum in North Africa is located in the small village of El Jem in Tunisia; that Ethiopian emperors were crowned at Aksum; that one of the most influential cultural centres of antiquity was Palmyra in present-day Syria; and that the world's largest free-roaming bison herd can be found in Canada's Wood Buffalo National Park. Other more unusual features revealed in these pages include the massive moai (carved heads) found in Rapa Nui National Park in Chile, the monastery-crowned rock pinnacles of Meteora in Greece, and the 'dragon' whose home is at the Komodo National Park in Indonesia. These are just a few of the many highlights to be discovered in this publication.

All currently inscribed UNESCO World Heritage sites are described in this single volume of The World's Heritage, which is illustrated with over 650 stunning full-colour photographs. It is my sincere hope that you will enjoy this unique guide to the planet's outstanding cultural and natural treasures, and that it will contribute to the dissemination of the universal ideals and values that UNESCO endeavours to uphold in its worldwide action.

 

Highly attractive and informative.... What makes this compact, sturdily covered and bound paperback an invaluable reference book is its coverage of the complete list of the current sites.... Though the phrase "recommended for all libraries" is overused, no school, public, or academic library could go wrong including the very affordable World Heritage Sites in both reference and circulating collections. The official World Heritage Web site, which includes many additional photographs and features, is also highly recommended. YA: For teens, this very browsable book will provide numerous historical, geographic, aesthetic, and perhaps even moral lessons.
- Craig Bunch  Booklist  2010 02 15

Covering 141 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America, the Arab States, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the World Heritage List is a valuable guide to the world's cultural and natural heritage.... The beauty of this book is in both the lavish photographs and the accessibility of information. Each site can be found on the continent maps or in the alphabetical or country-by-country index. All entries are presented in a similar manner and are arranged chronologically by the year in which they were inscribed on the World Heritage List... UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to encourage the identification, protection, and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This treasure trove of a book reinforces that mission and, through spectacular photographs, shows how remarkable and beautiful our planet truly is. An excellent (and affordable) addition to any library.
- Kathleen A. Welton  Library Journal  2009 11 01

This volume is a must for the serious traveller's bookshelf.
- Ryan Murdock  Outpost Magazine  2010 02

Think of it as the world's greatest hits.
- Ellen Creager  St. Paul Pioneer Press  2009 11 22

Firefly Books is the first to compile a guidebook that attempts to cover all of the World Heritage sites.... It's a fascinating look at these remarkable sites.
- Ann Tutko-Peterson  Valley Times  2009 10 25

Whether your gift recipient is a traveller or someone who prefers to travel imaginatively in the comfort of home, World Heritage Sites is a splendid gift. With more than 650 colour photos, the book is a luscious visual treat. And as some sites are grievously damaged (Angor Wat) or destroyed (Buddhas of Bamiyan), the book is a record of what exists now and what once was.
- Candace Fertile  Victoria Times-Colonist  2009 11 29

The cover boasts a gorgeous photo of the pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The back shows the Taj Mahal, pink in the light of dawn. And in between there are more than 800 pages-and almost two kilograms' worth -that are filled with information about natural and cultural wonders from every corner of the globe. In a way, the book is a book of dreams - for people with the travel bug or those who just like to imagine what it would be like to see places the forces of nature and human ingenuity have wrought. All of these places are sites of physical or cultural significance on a list maintained by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). Canada is well represented, with 15 sites, most of which are of natural rather than historic value.
-   Waterloo Region Record  2009 12 12

History buffs, travel gurus and cultural enthusiasts alike will delight in this global guide to hundreds of locations. Supported by the United Nations' Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, this book features more than 650 photographs and 900 maps that detail 878 locales, each accompanied by a pithy description about their cultural impact.... The guide is comprehensive, providing a treasure trove of information about the world's most historically significant structures and locations.... Readers are sure to be swept away by this all-encompassing testament to world culture.
-   Kirkus Reviews Reference Supplement  2009 09 01

World Heritage Sites: A Complete Guide to 878 UNESCO World Heritage Sites is a great reminder that it isn't just land that we need to protect, but the hundreds of thousands of treasures from ancient civilizations, cultural relics, natural habitats and other sites important to human history.... This guide arranges them chronologically by the year they were designated by UNESCO, and offers color photos, a brief history and explanation of their further significance, the criteria that put them on the list and, for some of the sites, additional trivia.
- Kyle Wagner  Denver Post  2009 10 11

Instead of reading about places you may already be familiar with, this book will take you around the world to the best natural and manmade features on the planet.
- Terry Richard  Oregon Live  2009 10 21

Pat Carrier, owner of the Globe Corner, says his customers have been very enthusiastic about World Heritage Sites.
- Beth J. Harpaz  ABC News  2009 11 15

You won't find a guidebook that comes closer to painting a complete picture about such a large body of tourism haunts.
- Ann Tatko-Peterson  San Francisco West County Times  2009 10 25

Most places-to-see-before-you-die books are a dime a dozen, but this one comes with the moral authority of the United Nations. World Heritage Sites: A Complete Guide to 878 UNESCO World Heritage Sites features gorgeous photos ands pithy descriptions of Earth's most culturally, historically and geologically significant locations.
- Rob Howatson  Westworld  2009 11 23

Best Reference 2009
-   Library Journal  2010 04 15

Impressive...a true travelogue throughout the book, as we are taken to the most beautiful sites the world has to offer, further proof of why UNESCO wants to preserve them for future generations, to enjoy centuries from today. In the meantime, we get to enjoy their charm, right in our hands.
-   Shelf Life  2010 06 01

Really a great and informative publication!
-   www.digonsite.com  2010 06 01

This 856-page volume offers a good introduction to the range and scope of this global preservation program.
-   Blog on Books  2011 03 01

Guides you to visually thrilling locales around the world.
- Sheldon Kirshner  Canadian Jewish News  2010 12 09

This book contains a tremendous amount of information about these well-known and not-so-well known historical and natural areas which UNESCO has identified as being of outstanding value to humanity. This book would be a great addition to reference sections of public and junior and senior high school libraries.
- Victoria Pennell  Resource Links Vol. 16 No. 4  2011 03