Apologies, once again, for the poor quality scans of film photos. All you have to do is close your eyes and imagine crisp white sand beaches, turquoise oceans and tranquility and you're there, anyway.#902 Boracay, Philippines
Apologies, once again, for the poor quality scans of film photos. All you have to do is close your eyes and imagine crisp white sand beaches, turquoise oceans and tranquility and you're there, anyway.South African Government Introduces Online Portal for Heritage Sites
South African Government Introduces Online Portal for Heritage Sites for the first time ever, South Africans are now able to air their views online regarding the protection of their cultural heritage.
South African Heritage Resources Agency
This after government through the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) introduced a heritage resource management web based database portal, the South African Heritage Resource Information System (SAHRIS) (www.sahra.org.za/sahris). SAHRA public relations officer, Berri Samuels said the portal is an exciting, first of its kind initiative in the country. "It takes SA heritage and puts everything into one place; it is accessible by all South Africans, through visiting the website and registering.
"This is an administrative tool that can be used by Heritage Resource Management and other bodies," she said.
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Samuels said the website is created in a way that will show all online users how to explore the site, guide them on how to create and submit their applications.
"All records created from now on, may be recorded, tracked and followed up by users," she said, adding that the application include permits for archaeology, sites, heritage objects, graves and wrecks.
According to Samuels, decisions about permit applications are recorded and may now be tracked online.
"This is great progress for accessibility, transparency, prevention of loss and delays. Public may even use the web portal as a means to submit a nomination site for declaration," she said.
Project manager Nick Wiltshire said with the introduction of the web portal, all permit applications are now being submitted and recorded online.
"It's fully digitalised, it's paperless and it uses a very sophisticated GIS platform and the first website in the world where people can see a map with all the developments taking place across the country.
"If people, think that a particular proposed development in their area will result in the demolition of their heritage site, they can visit the web portal and express their objections or even leave message of support," he said.
Wiltshire said currently they have 720 users and he further urged Tourism bodies and property owners to register on the site for free.
The development of the plan began in January this year using the Drupal Content Management System platform in line with SAHRA's overall adoption of free open source software.
However, the system has been tested and used by SAHRA's employees since May this year and it is now being rolled out to all the country's nine provinces.
The system enables the efficient and coordinated management of our heritage and the maximum benefit to heritage resources by appropriate promotion and use of these resources.
SAHRA acting chief executive officer, Mmabatho Ramagoshi said: "it is a critical for South Africans to have this portal because this is where is going to ensure that all our data is streamline and every South African from whatever corner they will be able to access more information about their heritage."
The agency has already trained four heritage authorities in Kwazulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Free State. In January, more training will the done in the remaining provinces.
SAHRA which is an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture is an administrative body responsible for the protection of South Africa's cultural heritage. - SAnews.gov.za
Browse All UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Africa. The original Source File!!!
Building a Broader History of Humanity
The History Channel recently sponsored a global teach-in in the hopes of confronting the tendency of textbooks to avoid a global approach to American history-a problem that often leads students to conclude that America’s story is largely separate from a broader history of humanity. The teach-in joined historians Albert Camarillo and Hsin-Mei Agnes Hsu with students from across the globe to discuss key events in world history that link nation-states in a shared history.
The panel focused on UNESCO heritage sites, because, as Hsu points out: “World heritage sites are not just beautiful things, beautiful places, they tell very powerful stories.” From the slave trading forts in Ghana to the Great Wall of China to the remnants of Auschwitz, UNESCO sites draw millions of people each year, and serve as the primary source for national histories for many of these visitors. There are 962 world heritage sites, including 745 cultural, 188 natural, and 29 mixed.The participants offered some valuable teaching tips, including how teachers can integrate world heritage sites into their curricula, and how these sites demonstrate to students how national histories often interconnect.
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Integrating UNESCO Heritage Sites into Curricula
Like a historical event, highlighting a physical landmark in class discussions offers several useful dimensions for analysis for students. Eric Langhorse, a history teacher in Missouri, described how he brought UNESCO sites-including Monticello and Independence Hall- to the forefront of his teaching curriculum. Likening a UNESCO site to a microhistory, this strategy allows teachers like Langhorse to discuss a wide variety of themes central to American history within a narrow field in which students can focus.Furthermore, integrating UNESCO sites into curricula is a gateway into approaching issues of preservation with students, and the ways in which younger generations can help preserve world heritage sites. According to Camarillo, preservation and activism is closely tied to an understanding of history. “First they have to do a little history. An appreciation of the history tied to the site … that’s when things begin to change, and you get the attention of others.”
A Global Approach to National Histories
Finally, looking at heritage sites helps students recognize the many ways in which history is a series of exchanges between disparate groups and cultures. As Camarillo noted, “Whether it the ValparaÃso of Chile, whether the slave ports in Ghana, or the Sahr-i-Bahlol parks in Pakistan, the students as they learn this realize it’s not just people from localities, these are the intersecting points where people, culture from all over the world come together.”What Camarillo suggests, then, is a much more significant shift in the way history professionals approach the education of landmarks and heritage sites. The statue of liberty, one of the most popular heritage sites in the United States, is a quintessential vista in American textbooks and yet its story is a global one—mingling with the stories of millions of immigrants greeted by the statue as they entered New York Harbor. It is links like these that demonstrate that American history does not begin or end in the United States, and approaching these global strands through heritage sites is one way to broach comparative history with K–12 students.
The AHA welcomes discussion, and would like to hear from you. Some potential questions for future discussion:
How can UNESCO heritage sites play a greater role in secondary education curricula?t
In what ways can teaching professionals promote broader issues in the history discipline through heritage sites, including preservation?
Will historical sites restore to its genuine glory?
Admitting that the department faced hardships in maintaining the historical places in Jammu and Kashmir due to years of violence, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) today said it will restore every such monument in the state to its pristine glory.
Restore every historical monument
"We will try to restore every historical monument to its pristine form. We faced difficulties during the years of violence, but now we are focusing on it," Director (Epigraphy) for Arabic and Persian Inscriptions, ASI G S Khwaja told reporters at a function here.The function marked the commencement of the first ever 10-day travelling photo exhibition on the theme of 'Islamic Calligraphy through the Ages' at Lal Ded Memorial Cultural Centre, Ganpatyar locality of Habba Kadal in downtown Srinagar.
“There is a need to make the new generation aware about the rich cultural heritage of the state," Khwaja said.
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He said calligraphy has taken the place of pictures, which are forbidden in Islam, to beautify the places of importance.
"It reflects our literal history and the coming generation have to save this art. The new generation should adopt calligraphy as a hobby," he said.
Kashmir University Vice Chancellor, Prof Talat Ahmad inaugurate the Photo Exhibition, being jointly organised by the ASI, Nagpur and J&K Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Ninety panels showcasing four to five art forms each are on display at the exhibition which attracted hundreds of visitors within minutes of its inauguration.
Cuban Education System Improved: An UNESCO Report
The UNESCO Director General, Irina Bokova, praised here today the high quality of the Cuban literacy method Yes I can, while recognized the educational history of the country.
Speaking to reporters, Bokova said Cuba is an important example for other countries in education with this method that is implemented in different regions of the planet as part of education campaigns. She added that recently had the opportunity to visit a literacy center in a community in Timor Leste that successfully applies Yes, I can, "which we are trying to enter in several African nations."During her working visit to the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), declared National Monument for its high value and architectural heritage, Bokova received a detailed information of this art schools work.
The ISA rector, Rolando Gonzalez Patricio, said the center is a result of the development achieved by Cuba in art education, and since its founding in 1976, has not only received students from around the country, but also from different regions, especially in Latin America, Africa and Europe.
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Gonzalez also announced that next year they will open a sixth school aimed at training professionals in conservation and restoration of art and museological works, from the experience gained in 15 years in this field.
Patricio Gonzalez highlighted the links between ISA and UNESCO through the grant system, and the feedback mechanisms they maintain with other cultures by serving as stage for important events or performances by renowned artists.
In her first visit to Cuba as director general of UNESCO, Bokova will visit the UNESCO regional headquarters for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Museum of Literacy and the International School of Film and Television in San Antonio de los Baños.
By Thursday, the last day of Bokova stay in the island, her agenda includes a meeting at the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and a tour of the Historical Center of Old Havana, declared in 1982 a World Heritage Site with its system of colonial fortifications.
Multi-storeyed Defensive Village Houses
Multi-storeyed defensive village houses in Kaiping display a complex and flamboyant fusion of Chinese and Western structural and decorative forms. They reflect the significant role of emigre Kaiping people in the development of several countries in South Asia, Australasia and North America, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Continent: Asia
Country: China
Category: Cultural
Criterion: (II) (III)(IV)
Date of Inscription: 2007
Kaiping Diaolou and Villages
In the Han period (255BC-220AD) Han people from the Central Plains of China began to move into the area and intermingled with the Yue people, who cultivated rice and fished. Settlements based on clan groupings emerged laid out according to Feng Shui principles and with houses built of mud bricks or fired bricks and timber.From the 16th century, in response to increasing raids by bandits from the north coming into the area along the rivers, and to frequent heavy floods, villagers begun to construct fortified towers, known as Diaolou. An example is Yinglong Lou in Sanmenli Village. Following the creation of the Kaiping County in 1649, the security of the area greatly improved and few Diaolou were constructed in the Qing Dynasty: Kaiping means ‘Beginning of Peace'.
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| Kaiping Diaolou and Villages |
Browse Gallery Plus UNESCO Storyline
Buddhist Religious Complex Sites of Chinese Heritage
Buddhist Religious Complex Sites of Chinese Heritage consists The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple Monastery and Norbulingka. The Potala Palace symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central role in the traditional administration of Tibet was founded in the 7th century. The Jokhang Temple Monastery is an exceptional Buddhist religious complex. Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's former summer palace, constructed in the 18th century, is a masterpiece of Tibetan art. The beauty and originality of the architecture of these three sites, their rich ornamentation and harmonious integration in a striking landscape, add to their historic and religious interest.
Continent: Asia
Country: China
Category: Cultural
Criterion: (I)(IV)(VI)
Date of Inscription: 1994
Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace
Construction of the Potala Palace began at the time of Songtsen of the Thubet (Tubo) dynasty in the 7th century AD. It was rebuilt in the mid-17th century by the 5th Dalai Lama in a campaign that lasted 30 years, reaching its present size in the years that followed, as a result of repeated renovation and expansion.The Potala is located on Red Mountain, 3,700 m above sea level, in the centre of the Lhasa valley. It covers an area of over 130,000 m2 and stands more than 110 m high. The White palace is approached by a winding road leading to an open square in front of the palace. Its central section is the East Main Hall, where all the main ceremonies take place. The throne of the Dalai Lama is on the north side of the hall, the walls of which are covered with paintings depicting religious and historical themes. At the top of the White Palace is the personal suite of the Dalai Lama.
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| The Potala Palace |
Browse Gallery Plus UNESCO Storyline
#903 Gold Souq, Dubai, UAE
I never really knew what rich was until I visited the Gold Souq in Dubai. It was a sweltering mid-July day when if you're wearing glasses and you try and go from inside to outside, they immediately fog up because of the humidity. It is so sweaty that being outside for any length of time is draining. The gold souq was empty, but the gleaming windows were free of onlookers so we could gawp all we wanted! Wow -- so much yellow (the preferred variety in this part of the world as purity is more important than durability). So big! So much! It's not much more than a block or two, but it feels like the concentration of shops and jewelry makes up for its small size. I could wander and find a favorite design or simply marvel at the styles. Some are ugly and others elegant. Some can clearly only be afforded by a rich oil baron, but almost all is intended to be part of a dowry. An amazing cultural exchange!
Will Armenian Cathedral of Holy Savior become World Heritage Site?
Entering Isfahan’s Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior on the UNESCO's World Heritage List is among the priorities of our organization, Head of the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Office in Isfahan Province Mohsen Moslehi told Iran’s news agency IRNA in an interview.
According to Moslehi, the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior, one of the valuable historical monuments in Isfahan, attracts many tourists from around the world. Referring to Armenian cultural monuments located in the territory of Iran, deputy head of Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization Masoud Alavian Sadr said to Iran’s news agency Fars recently in an interview, “Karakilisa Church located in Iran’s West Azarbaijan Province has already been entered on the UNESCO's World Heritage List along with 9 Iranian cultural and historical monuments. Another Armenian church, St. Mary, is located in Maku, West Azarbaijan. St. Stephanos (10-12 centuries) is another significant Armenian church, which is located in Julfa, East Azarbaijan Province, on the bank of Arax River.”Want to read UNESCO Daily News Updates? Click Here!!!
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| Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Savior Interior |
Armenian Cathedral of Holy Savior
Holy Savior Cathedral also known as Vank Cathedral and The Church of the Saintly Sisters, is a cathedral in Isfahan, Iran. Vank Cathedral was one of the first churches to be established in the city's Jolfa district by Armenian immigrants settled by Shah Abbas I after the Ottoman War of 1603-1605.The varying fortunes and independence of this suburb across the Zayandeh River and its eclectic mix of European missionaries, mercenaries and travellers can be traced almost chronologically in the cathedral's combination of building styles and contrasts in its external and internal architectural treatment.
Clean and Tidy programme to maintain heritage sites
The State Tourism Department, in association with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), will form a five-member committee for cleaning and maintaining hygiene at heritage sites in the State, besides, marketing Tiruchendur Kanda Sashti festival in a big way.
Under the clean and tidy programme
Under the clean and tidy programme, the department initially plans to cover Mamallapuram, Thanjavur Birhadeeswara Temple, Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, Tranquebar, Madurai Meenakshi temple, Srirangam temple, Tiruchi, Tiruvannamalai temple, Velankanni, Udhagamandalam and Kodaikanal. A meeting under the chairmanship of Tourism Minister S. Gokula Indira was held on Wednesday in which representatives of Archaeology Survey of India, Tourism Department, Municipal Administration, HR&CE, INTACH (Puducherry and Chennai regions) were present.It was resolved to prepare and submit an action plan within a week and form action committee at each site. It was also suggested to form friends of monuments group with the help of local self-help groups and collect cess along with the entry ticket by creating a separate fund account. The amount should be used for keeping the area neat and clean.
An official release said the five-member committee would carry out site inspection to implement the action plan in selected areas, proper care had to be taken at planning stage to avoid any hindrance to the existing heritage structure, while creating new structures around it.
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While expressing concern over the illegal encroachments by shoppers in Tiruvannamalai ‘girivalam path’ the members said necessary action should be initiated to clear them so that it would enable tourists/pilgrims to have free access to the pathway.
Southern African Primary School Enrolment Slowing Down
Enrolment into primary schools is slowing down in Sub-Saharan Africa especially Nigeria, Country Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Joseph Ngu, said in Abuja.
Very strong political will improve literacy rates
Ngu, who spoke at the Revitalizing Adult and Youth Literacy in Nigeria project review said, "very strong political will" is required to ensure that literacy rates improve to move Nigeria closer to achieving Education For All (EFA). He said the global economic crisis is threatening to erode past successes achieved under the EFA initiative but UNESCO is intensifying efforts to make quality education a reality for all.He said the international community acknowledges efforts of the Nigerian government to improve literacy not only by committing financial resources but also its level of cooperation with UNESCO.
Minister of State for Education Barrister Nyesom Wike said Nigeria as one of the countries with the highest number of illiterates will continue to collaborate with International Development Partners (IDPs) to increase access to quality education.
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Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), Jibrin Paiko, said to reach its target of educating 30 million illiterates by 2015, the commission is working towards increasing enrolment of learners and expanding mass literacy centres nationwide.
The Buddhist tradition of religious cave art
The Buddhist tradition of religious cave art achieved its first major impact at Yungang, where it developed its own distinct character and artistic power. The Yungang cave art represents the successful fusion of Buddhist religious symbolic art from south and central Asia with Chinese cultural traditions, starting in the 5th century AD under imperial auspices. At the same time it vividly illustrates the power and endurance of Buddhist belief in China.
Continent: Asia
Country: China
Category: Cultural
Criterion: (I) (II) (III)(IV)
Date of Inscription: 2001
Yungang Grottoes in Datong, China
Datong, known as Pingcheng in ancient times, became the capital of the Northern Wei dynasty between 398 and 494, and thus the political, economic and cultural centre of their kingdom. It kept its importance until 523, when it was deserted following a revolt. The statues of the Yungang Grottoes were completed in sixty years (460-525); this period marks the peak of development in Buddhist cave art of the Northern Wei dynasty. When the first emperor assumed the throne, Buddhism flourished and in 460 the monk Tan Yao started the carving of the Five Caves; since then, these grottoes have become the centre of Buddhist art in North China.By 525 the initial project, sponsored by the court, was mostly completed, but low ranking officials and monks continued to dig more caves and carve statues. During the Liao dynasty, wooden shelter structures were built in front of the caves, turning the grottoes into temple buildings, such as the Ten Famous Temples. In 1122 these temples were destroyed in a war.
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| The Yungang cave art |
Browse Gallery Plus UNESCO Storyline
China’s world heritage tentative list adds Fuzhou historic sites
Sanfang Qixiang (Three Lanes and Seven Alleys) and the “Maritime Silk Road”, two historic sites in Fuzhou, were included on China’s World Cultural Heritage Tentative List by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) at the World Cultural Heritage Conference held in Beijing on Nov 17. This is the first time that Fuzhou heritage sites made the list. It marks a significant step forward in UNESCO World Heritage recognition.
Fuzhou historic sites
World Heritage sites refer to natural landscapes and cultural relics with prominent significance and universal values confirmed by UNESCO and the World Cultural Committee. Fuzhou co-submitted the “Maritime Silk Road” with seven other cities, Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Ningbo, Yangzhou, Penglai and Beihai, for the tentative list. Historic sites along the “Maritime Silk Road” include King Langya’s Benevolent Rule Stele in Gulou district.In February, the Fuzhou government finished its application paperwork and heritage planning work and officially applied to the SACH.
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| Maritime Silk Road |
Fuzhou
Fuzhou is the capital and one of the largest cities in Fujian Province, People's Republic of China. Along with the many counties of Ningde, those of Fuzhou are considered to constitute the Mindong linguistic and cultural area.Fuzhou's core counties lie on the north bank of the estuary of Fujian's largest river, the Min River. All along its northern border lies Ningde, and Ningde's Gutian County lies upriver. Fuzhou's counties south of the Min border on Putian, Quanzhou, Sanming and Nanping municipalities. Its population is 7,115,370 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 4,408,076 inhabitants are urban standing around 61.95%, while rural population is at 2,707,294 standing around 38.05%.
#904 Musandam Peninsula, Oman
Very few people, if they know where Oman is, know about the enclave of Oman at the northern tip of Arabia, jutting into the straits of Hormuz. The most common visitors tend to be from the United Arab Emirates, as it is much closer than the main cities of Oman proper. Forming the land barrier between the Indian Ocean and the Arabian/Persian Gulf, the geology is similar to that of Oman on the other side, and is an ancient rock formation of spectacular arrangement. With barely one sealed road, and many off-road 4WD excursions available, it is a place to go with your own car. The main town on the western (and more developed side) is Khasab, but really, it is a one-service station town, with only a handful of hotels and even fewer restaurants. It is the setting off point for cruises into the isolated bays of Musandam, where you can find Telegraph Island, where poor souls were stationed for months on end to man the British telegraph station that was connecting continents here.
Because most of the peninsula is made up of small primitive villages, little has changed in the past millenia. Rock art can be seen in many villages, and the animal life is great -- many egrets and other birds nestle on the sea-side rocks, while dolphins frolic through the bays jumping over the wake of the relatively few boats that visit. Most boats are in the image of the ancient dhows that have plied the water routes across the gulf for centuries - a lovely day out!
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The Pitons Management Area Volcanic System
The Pitons Management Area contains the greater part of a collapsed stratovolcano contained within the volcanic system, known to geologists as the Soufriere Volcanic Centre. Prominent within the volcanic landscape are two eroded remnants of lava domes, Gros Piton and Petit Piton.
Continent: North America
Country: Saint Lucia
Category: Natural
Criterion: (VII)(VIII)
Date of Inscription: 2004
Pitons Management Area
Dominating the mountainous landscape of St Lucia are the Pitons, two steep-sided volcanic spires rising side by side from the sea. 770 metre Gros Piton is 3 km in diameter at its base, and Petit Piton (743 m) is 1 km in diameter and linked to the former by the Piton Mitan ridge. The Pitons are part of a volcanic complex, known to geologists as the Soufriere Volcanic Centre which is the remnant of one (or more) huge collapsed stratovolcano. The volcanic complex overlies a tectonic plate subduction (underthrusting) zone which stretches 700 km along Lesser Antilles, forming a volcanic arc.The Pitons are the eroded cores of two lava domes formed on the flanks of the stratovolcano. Today they tower above a caldera-like formation, produced by a gigantic gravity slide or structural collapse which formed the Qualibou Depression, 7 km in diameter. Near the centre of the depression are the Sulphur Springs, an active, high temperature geothermal field with sulphurous fumaroles and hot springs. The Pitons occur with a variety of other volcanic features including cumulo-domes, explosion craters, pyroclastic deposits (pumice and ash) and lava flows. Collectively, these fully illustrate the volcanic history of an andesitic composite volcano associated with crustal plate subduction.
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| Pitons Management Area |
Browse Gallery Plus UNESCO Storyline
The Heritage City of Meknes Morocco
The Heritage City of Meknes has exerted a considerable influence on the development of the civil and military architecture and works of art. The name of Meknes goes back to the Meknassa, the great Berber tribe that dominated eastern Morocco to as far as the Tafililet and which produced Moulay ldriss I, founder of the Moroccan state and the ldrissid dynasty in the 8th century AD.
Continent: Africa
Country: Morocco
Category: Cultural
Criterion: (IV)
Date of Inscription: 1996
The Almoravid period
The Almoravid rulers (1053-1147) made a practice of building strongholds for storing food and arms for their troops; this was introduced by Youssef Ben Tachafine, the founder of Marrakech. Meknes was established in this period, at first bearing the name Tagrart. The earliest part to be settled was around the Nejjarine mosque, an Almoravid foundation. Markets congregated around the mosque, specializing in firearms, woodwork, metal products, etc. Like other settlements of the time, Meknes was not fortified: walls were not added until the end of the Almoravid period.The town fell into the hands of the Almohad dynasty (1147-1269) at the start of their rule: it was taken by an army led by the caliph Abdelmoumen in person. During this period it was enlarged and urbanized. An inscription states that the Great Mosque was enlarged during the reign of Mohamed Annacer (1199-1213). Water from the Tagma spring was brought to the town to serve the various fountains, baths, and mosques. At that time there were four sets of baths (hammam), the location of which indicates how the town had spread.
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| The Heritage City of Meknes Morocco |
Browse Gallery Plus UNESCO Storyline
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