UNESCO heritage sites. UNESCO Major 2015 Events

UNESCO Major 2015 Events   http://en.unesco.org/node/239892

UNESCO heritage sites in the Balkans

Albania

Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2005. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/569

 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2007. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1260

Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2005. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/946

Bulgaria

Boyana Church. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: A medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/42

Madara Rider. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: An early medieval large rock relief carved on the Madara Plateau. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/43

Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: Monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/45

Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: Ancient tomb, part of a large Thracian necropolis. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/44

Ancient City of Nessebar. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1983. Description: Ancient part of town, situated on a peninsula (previously an island). http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/217

Rila Monastery. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1983. Description: Medieval monastery, one of the region's most significant cultural, historical and architectural monuments. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/216

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1985. Description: A Thracian tomb dating back to 3rd century BC. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/359

Pirin National Park. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1983. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/225

Srebarna Nature Reserve. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1983. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/219

 Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: Over time, water has flown over the natural limestone and chalk, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of connecting lakes, waterfalls and caves. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/98

Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: The palace was built by the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, and later served as the basis of the city of Split. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/97

Old City of Dubrovnik. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: Dubrovnik became a prosperous Maritime Republic during the Middle Ages, it became the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/95

Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1997. Description: The episcopal complex, with its striking mosaics dating back to the 6th century, is one of the best examples of early Byzantine art and architecture in the Mediterranean region and the world. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/809

Historic city of Trogir. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1997. Description: Trogir's rich culture was created under the influence of old Greeks, Romans, and Venetians. It is the best-preserved Romanesque-Gothic complex not only in the Adriatic, but in all of Central Europe. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/810

Cathedral of Saint James. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2000. Description: The cathedral is a triple-nave basilica with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside) and is also one of the most important architectural monuments of the Renaissance the eastern Adriatic. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/963

Stari Grad Plain. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2008. Description: The Stari Grad Plain is an agricultural landscape that was set up by the ancient Greek colonists in the 4th century BC, and remains in use today. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1240

Greece

Acropolis, Athens. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1987. Description: A collection of massive, yet perfectly balanced architectural masterpieces in harmony with the natural landscape, the Acropolis of Athens is one the most important expressions of Classical Greek aesthetics. It was completed by the 5th century BC and has since then exerted a profound influence on architecture worldwide. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/404

Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina). Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1996. Description: The ancient city of Aigai was the first capital of the Kingdom of Macedon. In addition to the monumental palace, lavishly decorated with mosaics and painted stuccoes, the site contains a burial ground with more than 300 tumuli, one of which has been identified as that of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/780

Archeological site of Delphi. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1987. Description: The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, location of the oracle of Apollo, was the spiritual center of the Greek world. Situated in a spectacular natural setting at the foot of Mount Parnassus, it was a symbol of Greek cultural unity from the 8th century BC onwards. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/393

Archeological site of Mystras. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1989. Description: Long known as "the Wonder of the Morea", the remarkably well-preserved medieval city of Mystras played a central role in the final years of the Byzantine Empire. Built on a steep hill at the foot of Mount Taygetus, it was the last Byzantine stronghold to fall to the Ottomans, holding out until 1461. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/511

Archeological site of Olympia. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1989. Description: The site of Olympia, built on the banks of the Alpheios river in the Peloponnese, was the location of the ancient Olympic Games beginning in 776 BC. In addition to numerous temples and sanctuaries, it contains the remains of several sporting structures, such as its famous stadium. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/517

Archeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description: Mycenae and Tiryns were two of the most important cities of Mycenean Greece, which flourished between the 15th and 12th centuries BC. The Lion's Gate and Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae have been listed as "outstanding examples of human creative genius". http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/941

Delos. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description: The birthplace of Apollo and Artemis according to Greek mythology, the sacred island of Delos was one of the most important pan-Hellenic sanctuaries. The sanctuary of Apollo on Delos attracted pilgrims from all over Greece, making Delos a prosperous trading port. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/530

Historic Centre (Chorá) with the Monastery of Saint John. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description: The small island of Pátmos in the Dodecanese is reputed to be where St John the Theologian wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/942

Medieval City of Rhodes. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1988. Description: The Order of St John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and set about transforming the city into a stronghold. It subsequently came under Turkish and Italian rule. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/493

Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni of Chios. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1988. Description: Although geographically distant from each other, these three monasteries belong to the same typological series and share the same aesthetic characteristics. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/537

Old Town of Corfu. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2007. Description: The Old Town of Corfu, on the Island of Corfu off the western coasts of Albania and Greece, is located in a strategic position at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, and has its roots in the 8th century BC. The three forts of the town, designed by renowned Venetian engineers, were used for four centuries to defend the maritime trading interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/978

Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1988. Description: Founded in 315 B.C., the provincial capital and sea port of Thessalonika was one of the first bases for the spread of Christianity. Among its Christian monuments are fine churches, some built on the Greek cross plan and others on the three-nave basilica plan. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/456

Samos. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1992. Description: Many civilizations have inhabited this small Aegean island, near Asia Minor, since the 3rd millennium B.C. The remains of Pythagoreion, an ancient fortified port with Greek and Roman monuments and a spectacular tunnel-aqueduct, as well as the Heraion, temple of the Samian Hera, can still be seen. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/595

Epidaurus. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1992. Description: In a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the shrine of Asklepios, the god of medicine, developed out of a much earlier cult of Apollo, during the 6th century BC at the latest, as the official cult of the city state of Epidaurus. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/491

Bassae. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1986. Description: This famous temple to the god of healing and the sun was built towards the middle of the 5th century B.C. in the lonely heights of the Arcadian mountains. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/392

Kalabaka(Meteora). Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1988. Description: In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/455

Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1988. Description: An Orthodox spiritual centre since 1054, Mount Athos has enjoyed an autonomous statute since Byzantine times. The 'Holy Mountain', which is forbidden to women and children, is also a recognized artistic site. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/454

Macedonia

Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region. Type: Mixed. Date of inscription: 1979-80. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/99

Serbia

Gamzigrad-RomulianaPalace of Galerius. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2007. Description: The Late Roman fortified palace compound and memorial complex of Gamzigrad-Romuliana, Palace of Galerius, in the east of Serbia, was commissioned by Emperor Caius Valerius Galerius Maximianus, in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1253

Dečani Monastery. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2004. Description: The four edifices of the site reflect the high points of the Byzantine-Romanesque ecclesiastical culture, with its distinct style of wall painting, which developed in the Balkans between the 13th and 17th centuries. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724

Patriarchate of Peć Monastery. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2004. Description: The Patriarchate of Peć Monastery is a group of four domed churches featuring series of wall paintings. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724

Our Lady of Ljeviš. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2004. Description: Early 14th-century frescoes in the church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevisa represent the appearance of the new so-called Palaiologian Renaissance style. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/724

Gračanica Monastery. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2004. Part of World Heritage in Danger - cause: "Lack of legal protection and management, political instability and security". http://whc.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/partners-donors/the-actions/culture/safeguard-the-cultural-heritage-in-kosovo

Studenica Monastery. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1986. Description: The Studenica Monastery was established in the late 12th century by Stefan Nemanja, founder of the medieval Serb state, shortly after his abdication. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/389

Stari Ras. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1979. Description: On the outskirts of Stari Ras, the first capital of Serbia, there is an impressive group of medieval monuments consisting of fortresses, churches and monasteries. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/96

Romania

Churches of Moldavia. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1993. Description: Masterpieces inspired by Byzantine art. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/598

Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description: An unusual fusion of military and religious architectural techniques and concepts. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/906

Historic Centre of Sighișoara. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description:A fineexample of a small, fortified medieval town. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/902

Monastery of Horezu. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1993. Description:  A masterpiece of the Brâncovenesc style. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/597

Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1993. Description:  A picture of the cultural landscape of southern Transylvania. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/596

Wooden Churches of Maramureş. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description: Outstanding examples of a range of architectural solutions from different periods and areas. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/904

 Danube Delta. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1999. Description: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/588

Turkey

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1985. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/357

Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigi. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1985. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/358

Historic Areas of Istanbul. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1985. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/356

Hattusha: the Hittite Capital. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1985. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/377

Nemrut Dağ. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1987. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/448

Hierapolis–Pamukkale. Type: Natural. Date of inscription: 1988. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/485

XanthosLetoon. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1988. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/484

City of Safranbolu. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1994. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/614

Archaeological Site of Troy. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 1998. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/849

Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2011. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1366

Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük. Type: Cultural. Date of inscription: 2012. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1405