Intangible culture with Related Tags
Heritage with Related Tags
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
Mapungubwe is located on the northern border of South Africa, linking Zimbabwe and Botswana. It is an open grassland at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shache rivers. Mapungubwe developed into the largest kingdom in the subcontinent until it was abandoned in the 14th century. What survives are the remains of a palace almost untouched and an entire settlement attached to it, as well as the remains of two early capital cities, all of which present an unparalleled picture of the development of social and political structures over more than 400 years.
Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba
The Kutamaku landscape in northeastern Togo, which stretches into neighbouring Benin, is home to the Batamariba people, whose mud towers (Takienta) have become a symbol of Togo. In this landscape, nature is closely linked to the rituals and beliefs of society. The 50,000-hectare cultural landscape is remarkable for the architecture of its towers, which reflect the social structure, farmland and forest, and the connection between people and the landscape. Many of the buildings are two-storey high, and those with granaries are almost spherical with a cylindrical base. Some buildings have flat roofs, others have conical thatched roofs. They are clustered in villages, which also include ritual spaces, springs, rocks and sites reserved for initiation ceremonies.
Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
This group of sites and monuments represents five hundred years of Ryukyu history (12th-17th centuries). The ruins of the castles, located on the site of the towering tower, are evidence of the social structure of much of that period, while the sacred sites are silent testimony to the rare survival of an ancient religious form in modern times. During that period, the extensive economic and cultural exchanges of the Ryukyu Islands gave rise to a unique culture.
Ruins of León Viejo
León Viejo is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas. It did not develop, so its ruins are an outstanding testimony to the social and economic structure of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. In addition, the site has great archaeological potential.
Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale
Located on the northern coast of Sicily, Arab-Norman Palermo includes a series of nine civil and religious buildings dating from the Norman Kingdom of Sicily (1130-1194): two palaces, three churches, a cathedral, a bridge and the cathedrals of Cefalù and Monreale. Collectively, they are an example of the socio-cultural fusion of Western, Islamic and Byzantine cultures on the island, which gave rise to new spatial, structural and decorative concepts. They also bear witness to the fruitful coexistence of peoples of different origins and religions (Muslim, Byzantine, Latin, Jewish, Lombard and French).
Stone Town of Zanzibar
Stone Town in Zanzibar is an example of a Swahili coastal trading town in East Africa. It has preserved its urban structure and townscape almost intact, with many fine buildings reflecting its unique culture, which has blended and homogenized different cultural elements from Africa, the Arab region, India and Europe for more than a thousand years.
Kulangsu, a Historic International Settlement
Gulangyu is a small island at the mouth of the Jiulong River, across from the city of Xiamen. With Xiamen opened as a port in 1843 and the establishment of an international concession in 1903, this island off the southern coast of the Chinese Empire became an important window for Sino-foreign exchanges overnight. Gulangyu is a prime example of the cultural fusion that resulted from these exchanges, which is still clearly visible in its urban structure. The architectural styles here are diverse, including traditional southern Fujian style, Western classical revival style, and balcony colonial style. The best example of this fusion of styles is a new architectural movement, the Xiamen Deco style, which is a synthesis of modernist style and art deco in the early 20th century.
Town of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional Laotian architecture and urban structure with that built by European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its unique, well-preserved townscape embodies a key stage in the fusion of these two very different cultural traditions.
Historic Site of Lyon
Lyon was founded by the Romans in the 1st century BC as the capital of the Three Gauls. Since then, it has played an important role in the political, cultural and economic development of Europe. Its urban structure and numerous exquisite historical buildings from various periods vividly demonstrate Lyon's long history.
Provins, Town of Medieval Fairs
The medieval fortified town of Provins is located in the old domain of the Counts of Champagne. It witnessed the early development of international trade fairs and the wool industry. The urban structure of Provins was built specifically to host fairs and related activities and is well preserved.
Ancient City of Aleppo
Located at the intersection of multiple trade routes since the 2nd millennium BC, Aleppo has been ruled by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamluks and Ottomans. The 13th-century citadel, 12th-century Great Mosque and various 17th-century madrasas, palaces, caravanserais and hammams all form part of the city’s cohesive, unique urban fabric, but it is now threatened by overpopulation.
Historic Monuments Zone of Tlacotalpan
Tlacotalpan is a Spanish colonial river port on the Gulf of Mexico that was founded in the mid-16th century. The city has largely retained its original urban structure, with wide streets, colorful colonnaded houses of varying styles, and large trees in public spaces and private gardens.
Ruins of León Viejo
León Viejo is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas. It did not develop, so its ruins are an outstanding testimony to the social and economic structure of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. In addition, the site has great archaeological potential.
Guyaju Primitive Tribe Tourist Resort
Ancient cliff dwellings were caves dug on steep cliffs by an unknown group of ancestors. There are 147 stone chambers preserved here, divided into three parts: front, middle and back, hanging on a cliff of about 100,000 square meters. The stone chambers are either facing each other or adjacent to each other, high or low, scattered and well-arranged. The stone chambers are either rectangular or square, the large ones are about 20 square meters, and the small ones are about 3 to 4 square meters. Some are single rooms, and some are connected by 2 to 3 rooms; some suites are parallel, and some are two-story. All the stone chambers are distributed in layers, and there are stone steps, stone ladders and plank roads between the layers. These stone chambers have complete living facilities such as doors, windows, kangs, stoves, mangers, closets, flues, and storage rooms. The windows are generally 2 to 3 square feet, and the doors are large and small. Some can be entered and exited freely, and some can only be climbed in; symmetrical axis holes are chiseled on the top, bottom, left and right of the doors and windows. There are often water chutes chiseled on the front eaves, and the chutes go directly into the room, which may be used to collect water. These stone chambers have different functions. Those with kangs seem to be for living, those with horse troughs seem to be for raising horses, and those with kitchen stoves seem to be kitchens. There are also two types of stone kangs. One is a kang platform carved on granite with no smokeway at the bottom, and the other is a curved road with a back dragon style, on which stone slabs or adobe can be laid. A stone stove is carved on the side of the stone kang, and there is a smokeway under the stove that leads to the kang. It winds around for a few circles and leads to the outside of the stone chamber through a hole in the wall. It looks like a fire kang, and its width can sleep two people. One of the stone chambers is a typical "three-bedroom" layout. The middle room is larger and has a door, which is considered the main room. The room on the right is the kitchen, which has a stone stove and smokeway, which is considered the kitchen, and the room on the left has a closet. The "official hall" is a representative of many stone chambers. It is located in the middle of the mountain beam and is similar to an ancient palace. It is not only tall and spacious, but also has excellent lighting conditions and fine carvings. There are 4 stone pillars in the stone chamber to support the cave ceiling. In the middle of the 4 pillars is a wide Buddhist niche, and 2 small rooms with kangs are carved symmetrically on both sides. The stone chamber of Guyaju has a complex structure and ingenious design. There is no exact record of its excavation age, history, background and purpose in historical books, and it remains a mystery to this day, with experts having different opinions.