Two of The first 12 UNESCO World Heritages Were Lalibela rock hewn Churches and Semien Mountains Nat
- fklmtours
- Jun 13, 2014
- 2 min read
"The World Heritage List -- that most lauded and recognizable of preservation lists -- includes nearly 1,000 sites all over the world.
That number will almost certainly increase when the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization meets June 15-25 in Qatar.
Instead of sorting through that encyclopedic list, why not start at the very beginning with the first 12 sites?" says Katia Hetter, CNN reporter .
While we wait to learn the newest members of this prestigious list, here are the first 12 World Heritage sites, listed in the order in which they are listed in the minutes of the September 1978 meeting in Washington.
1. L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Park, Canada
2. Nahanni National Park, Canada
3. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
4. City of Quito, Ecuador
5. Simien National Park, Ethiopia
Incredible mountain peaks, deep valleys and rare animals callSimien National Park home. You'll find the Walia ibex (a goat found nowhere else in the world), the rare Gelada baboon and Simien fox. There are also leopards, spotted hyenas, jackals and 400 bird species.
The park holds incredible significance because of its biodiversity, with views said to rival the Grand Canyon in the United States. However, it was established in an area inhabited by people and faces human and livestock demands on its resources.
6. Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela, Ethiopia
At a time when Muslim conquests made it impossible for Christians to make pilgrimages to the Holy Land, King Lalibela decided in the 12th century to build a "New Jerusalem" in the mountain region of Ethiopia. The 11 medieval, monolithic cave churches of the 13th century are the result.
The churches were hewn from rock, and doors and windows and other parts of the structures were chiseled out. There's also an extensive system of passages, ditches, caves and catacombs.
Lalibela's churches and traditional village are still a place of pilgrimage and devotion where the faithful flock to celebrate the important dates of the Ethiopian Christian calendar.
7. Aachen Cathedral, Germany
8. Krakow's historic center, Poland
9. Wieliczka and Bochnia Salt Mines, Poland
10. Island of Goree, Senegal
11. Mesa Verde National Park, United States
12. Yellowstone National Park, United States
Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/13/travel/unesco-first-12-world-heritage-sites/
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