To Admire and Preserve: World Heritage Site News

World Heritage Sites have long been places that both inspire us by their beauty and evoke our protective instincts as we strive to preserve our cultural histories. Since the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage international treaty, UNESCO has officially encouraged conservation of sites the World Heritage Committee has found to have outstanding universal value.

The list has grown over the years. Now at 890 sites that include 689 cultural, 176 natural, and 25 mixed properties, the World Heritage Site list is a burgeoning collection of some of the world's greatest treasures. Two recent pieces of news have drawn attention to these sites once more:

First, the convention met late last month to admit 13 more sites, remove one site, and place three on the danger list. More information can be found here.

Also, an exciting partnership between UNESCO and the NHK Japanese broadcasting corporation has produced documentaries on World Heritage Sites. Selected videos have been edited by UNESCO and are available on its World Heritage documentary site.

Summer often draws out feelings of admiration for natural beauty the world has to offer. With these sites and resources available, it is very easy to continue this admiration.

City of Bath, World Heritage Site