~ Top 10 UNESCO Sites ~

[MysteRy]

Top 10 UNESCO Sites

1. The Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx   



The very fact that a place is a UNESCO World Heritage Site means a lot, but there are hardly words enough to describe the magnificence of those man-made miracles. The Pyramids of Giza are maybe the most famous UNESCO site and one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world! They are situated nearby the city of Cairo and consist of three huge pyramids and the magnificent stone sculpture of the sphinx. The Pyramid of Cheops is the most ancient in Giza and is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The height of this creation of the ancient people was 146 meters, but now it is 138.8 meters. This gorgeous pyramid consists of almost 2.3 million stone blocks. The second in size pyramid is the one of Khafre. Smallest of all is the pyramid of Menkaure. The whole complex is absolutely unbelievable and is definitely one of the most precious world's treasures!

[MysteRy]

2. Easter Island   



Easter Island is one of the most amazing and astonishing places under the sun! It is situated in the Pacific Ocean, in Polynesian territory. What makes it unique is the existing of 887 monument statues, remaining from the culture of the Rapanui people, who lived there. It is believed that they distinguished because of a disease, brought by the white invaders or that were enslaved. The name of the island comes from the day it was discovered by Jacob Roggeveen in 1722 - Sunday Easter! The island is a tourist attraction, working like an open-air museum and one of the most desired destinations in the world. The statues, or as locals call them the "moai" are artefacts of greatest scientific and archaeological interest! There are also interesting stone houses, walls and petroglyphs that are one of the most impressive remains of the culture of Rapanui people!

[MysteRy]

3. Machu Picchu   



Machu Picchu has become one of the most famous remains of the Inca civilization and its most attractive culture heritage. The name Machu Picchu means the "Old Peak" and is situated about 2430 meters above the sea level in the Cusco region in Peru. This city of the Inca rulers has remained almost untouched by the years, and a part of it was restored to show the tourists how it looked like. It was built about 1450 year and its design is in the significant for the Inca culture style! Machu Picchu is a complex, consisting of two main areas - urban and agricultural. There could be found different structures like temples, residences and parks that reveal the Inca architectural genius and have preserved a culture, which has distinguished. Machu Picchu is definitely a world heritage of great importance that represents the culture of the Inca people!

[MysteRy]

4. Great Wall of China   



The Great Wall of China is another UNESCO site that needs no special description - everybody has heard of this gorgeous creation of men! This great fortification was built to protect the Empire from different enemies and there were several periods in the building process - the most ancient part of it was built about 220 years BC, but just a little piece of it remains till today! The main purpose of the wall was to enable control of anything passing the borders, except for its security service to prevent invasion of warriors. Today the Great Wall of China is one of the most interesting and attractive cultural sites and millions of tourists attend it! It is measured that the whole length of the Great China wall, including the barriers and trenches is 8851.8 meters, which makes it one of the most ambitious architectural creations!

[MysteRy]

5. Tikal   



In Guatemala you can find one of the most precious heritage sites of the Maya civilization - Tikal. It was the centre of the ancient Maya empire - its capital! Tikal was pronounced to be a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1979, and the number of tourists going there to see it increases every year. Being the hottest spot and main attraction in the country Tikal is the star of Guatemala!! As there are still scientists and archaeologists working there, visitors could enjoy observing the very process of discovering the artefacts and get even more involved in finding out all the important facts about the ancient Maya people! It is estimated that Tikal dates from about 400 year BC. There are so many things to be seen in this architectural complex - the mail plaza, the central and the north Acropolis, the lost world complex and the tallest temple in the park - Temple IV. There are so many Temples, structures, carved stone shafts, tombs and pyramids, that the Tikal complex represents one of the richest cultural heritage sites of ancient civilization!

[MysteRy]

6. Stonehenge   



One of The most famous and interesting attractions in England and maybe in whole Europe is definitely Stonehenge! According to scientists this prehistoric monument was built in the period between 3000 and 2000 BC, which makes it one of the most ancient monuments in the world! Stonehenge is an area very rich in artefacts and some of the most important discoveries from the Bronze and the Stone Age were found there. The very purpose of the monument is still enveloped in mystery, which makes it even more intriguing for the visitors, who can learn a lot about the legends and myths when visiting it. Being such a mysterious place, Stonehenge in England is definitely a world heritage site of greatest significance that still keeps the archaeologists curious, what exactly was its purpose and function! The very construction also raises many questions, regarding the specific methods used to arrange the rocks this way, but for now you should lean to your imagination for answering them.

[MysteRy]

7. Jerusalem   



Jerusalem is a city that hosts three of the major religions in the world - Islam, Christianity and Judaism! Holy for these three religions, the city of gold, as it has been called, it is one of the most important cultural and spiritual world heritage sites! It is a home of many significant religious landmarks. The city bears the signs from the bloody Crusades, when it was a question of honour for Christians and Muslims to take control over it. In the city you can find four different quarters - Christian, Armenian, Judaic and Islamic! Many temples located in the city make it one of the most important architectural treasures on Earth - there are 1204 synagogues, 158 churches and 73 mosques. The city was ruled by the Jewish people for about 3000 years, by Christians for almost 2000 and by Muslim for 1400 years and except all the temples that remained from those periods, there are so many other artefacts that the whole Jerusalem is like one big living museum!

[MysteRy]

8. Vatican City   



One of the most intriguing places on Earth is the Vatican. This city-state is situated inside the city of Rome, but is absolutely independent and follows its own rules. The whole city is surrounded by a wall and control is at an extremely high level! Being a home of the Pope, Vatican is a place where many architectural, cultural and religious masterpieces are concentrated. You will need a lot of time to be able to see all the temples, museums and cathedrals. Some of the most noticeable art creations in the world are situated in the Vatican area of 44 hectares - St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and many other temples, where masterpieces of Michelangelo, Raphael and many others are exposed. The greatest treasure of the city-state is of course its library, which is believed to contain some of the priceless samples of world's literature and history! The gardens of Vatican are also one of its most remarkable sights - decorated with sculptures they are more than unique! No matter what exactly you are interested in, in Vatican you will find at least 10 things that will amaze you and make you hold breath!

[MysteRy]

9. Chichen Itza   



In Yucatan, Mexico, you can find one of the most precious heritages of the Maya culture. Chichen Itza is one of the most interesting archaeological sites in Mexico. It was once one of the biggest and most powerful Maya cities. The ruins of this mythical city attract more than 1.2 million tourists every year and the number is increasing. The most important of the remains in Chichen Itza is definitely the Temple of Kukulkan, which is a thirty meter high step-pyramid, called by the locals just "El Castillo", second comes the Great Ball Court, which is the most impressive of the thirteen ball courts found there. In the Great Ball Court you can see the North Temple and The Upper and the Lower Temples of the Jaguar. Very interesting is also the complex - Temple of the warriors and the Group of Thousand Columns. It is hard to say how much time needs one to see all the attractive sites in Chichen Itza, but it is for sure that one day will definitely not be enough!

[MysteRy]

10. Angkor Wat   



One of the most interesting temple complexes in the world is Angkor Wat in Cambodia. It is situated at Angkor and it was built in the 12th century. Today the complex is the most attractive tourist destination in Cambodia and UNESCO World Heritage Site with cultural and historical significance! People, who want to see authentic masterpieces of the Khmer architecture style, must definitely visit Angkor Wat. The temple is surrounded by a wall and it is more than gorgeous, it is hard to describe with words the style of the decoration, the statues and all the beautiful ornaments that make this structure unique. It is definitely worth going there, because the temple is really amazing and there is hardly any other structure to compare with! Cambodia hosts one of the most intriguing sites with great historical and cultural significance, providing interesting artefacts and knowledge for the civilization that built this temple!