Meet the Chankillo, the astronomical observatory of Peru 0:42
(CNN) -
A prehistoric solar observatory in the middle of a desert.
A decades-old railway running through two towering mountain ranges.
An amazing rock art that dates back 7,000 years.
These are some of the spectacular destinations recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
After several days of online deliberations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) decided to add 33 new sites to its list of World Heritage Sites until the moment, with more discussions to come.
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Unesco World Heritage Sites 2020/2021: Unesco has announced some of the new additions to its list of World Heritage sites.
Quanzhou: Song and Yuan China World Emporium, pictured, is one of the new places on the list.
(Credits: Wei Peiquan / Xinhua / Alamy) →
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Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple (Ramappa), Telangana, India: India's Ramappa Temple, known for its "floating brick" architecture, also made the list this year.
(Credits: Banda Sridhar Raju / ASI / Unesco)
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The Trans-Iranian Railway, Iran: Also on the list is this feat of engineering: a 1,300 km-long railway running through two mountain ranges.
(Credit: Hossein Javadi / Unesco)
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Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, Madrid, Spain: This historic area of the Spanish city of Madrid is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.
(Credit: Juan Medina / Reuters)
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Europe's Great Spa Towns: A number of spa towns across Europe, including Bath England, pictured, made the list as a collective group.
The city of Bath itself has been a Unesco site since 1987. (Credit: Matt Cardy / Getty Images)
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Ḥimā Cultural Area, Saudi Arabia: This area of Saudi Arabia is characterized by its amazing rock art, dating back 7,000 years, which has led it to be listed by UNESCO.
(Credit: Xinhua / Alamy)
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Cordouan Lighthouse, France: This imposing limestone lighthouse, located in southwestern France, entered the Unesco list this year.
(Credit: Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images)
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The Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, Germany: The Darmstadt Artists Colony dates back to the late 19th century and is now a Unesco World Heritage Site.
(Credit: Frank Rumpenhorst / picture alliance / dpa / Getty Images)
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Series of frescoes from the 14th century in Padua, Italy: This site comprises eight buildings, including the Scrovegni Chapel, pictured, which houses impressive frescoes.
(Credits: Comune di Padova Settore Cultura, Turismo, Musei e Biblioteche / Unesco)
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Sudanese-style Mosques, Ivory Coast: These eight small adobe mosques are another new addition to the UNESCO list.
(Credits: Unesco)
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Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex, Peru: This impressive place, located in northern Peru, is a solar observatory that was once used to track the sun in order to define dates throughout the year.
(Credit: Janine Costa / AFP / Getty Images)
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Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex, Peru: The site, seen here from above, comprises several elements, including 13 towers.
(Credit: Janine Costa / AFP / AFP Getty Images)
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Engineer Eladio Dieste's work: Iglesia de Atlántida, Uruguay: Inaugurated in 1960, this modernist church in Estación Atlántida, Uruguay, is known for mixing architectural influences.
(Credit: Matilde Campodonico / AP)
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Work of the engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida, Uruguay.
This is an inside view of the striking bell tower.
(Credit: Matilde Campodonico / AP)
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Colonies of Benevolence, Belgium / Netherlands: The Colonies of Benevolence, including Frederiksoord in the Netherlands, are made up of seven sub-sites in Belgium and the Netherlands.
They were created in the 19th century as part of an experiment in social reform.
(Credit: Vincent Jannink / ANP / AFP / Getty Images)
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Hawraman / Uramanat Cultural Landscape, Iran: This mountainous and isolated region of Iran is home to the Hawrami people.
(Credit: Matjaz Krivic / Getty Images)
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Unesco World Heritage Committee did not meet last year, so this year's session, based in Fuzhou, China, and attended by virtual participants from around the world , is reviewing the 2020 and 2021 nominations.
Criteria of the UNESCO World Heritage List
Work of the engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida, Uruguay: This is an interior view of the striking bell tower.
Matilde Campodonico / AP
Unesco designated its first World Heritage Sites in 1978, with Yellowstone National Park in the United States and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador among the destinations on the inaugural list.
Four decades later, being crowned a UNESCO World Heritage Site remains a highly coveted honor for many destinations.
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According to Unesco, to be included on the World Heritage List, sites must have "outstanding universal value".
The nomination process can take years, and if a monument is not selected one year, it could be re-examined when the next Unesco convention is held.
Cordouan Lighthouse, France: This imposing limestone lighthouse, located in southwestern France, entered the Unesco list this year.
Credits: Philippe Lopez / AFP / Getty Images
Destinations have to meet one of several criteria to enter the list.
Perhaps they are "a unique or at least exceptional testimony of a cultural tradition or a living or disappeared civilization".
Or they may contain "natural phenomena of great importance or areas of exceptional natural and aesthetic beauty."
If an iconic site gains Unesco World Heritage status, the country can get financial assistance and expert advice from Unesco to help preserve the site.
Unesco Committee does not classify the Great Barrier Reef as "endangered" despite expert recommendation
Unesco status also puts the destination on the map, and sometimes contributes to increasing the number of tourists.
On the other hand, some of the most famous UNESCO sites are also the destinations that have become the most synonymous with the phenomenon of excessive tourism in recent years: for example, the city of Venice, which has been threatened to lose its status. by UNESCO due to the impact of tourists, and the Peruvian archaeological wonder of Machu Picchu, which had to fight against the overwhelming influx of public before the pandemic.
Incredible destinations
A Unesco representative told CNN Travel that the deliberations will conclude on Friday, July 30.
A handful of natural sites have been added to the list so far, including Thailand's Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, a forest known for its endangered plants and birds.
Furthermore, some two dozen cultural sites have been confirmed, including the historic limestone town of As-Salt in Jordan.
Also on the list is the Chankillo Archaeoastronomic Complex in Peru, a prehistoric site that was used to track the sun, in order to mark dates over the course of a year.
Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex, Peru: The site, seen here from above, comprises several elements, including 13 towers.
Credits: Janine Costa / AFP / AFP Getty Images
For its part, the Transiraní Railway, a 1,394-kilometer track that crosses two mountain ranges, is also now a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Built in the 1920s and 1930s, the railway runs along some rugged routes, as well as an incredible 174 oversized bridges, 186 smaller bridges, and 224 tunnels, including 11 spiral tunnels.
Rock art from the Ḥimā cultural area in Saudi Arabia also made the list, as did the French city of Nice, while spa towns across Europe, such as Bath, in England, and Františkovy Lázně, in the Czech Republic , were confirmed as a collective group.
Two sites from India were also inscribed: the temple of Ramappa, also known as Rudreshwara, is now a Unesco site, thanks to its "floating" bricks, while the ancient city of Dholavira was also recognized.
Unesco also voted to remove the English city of Liverpool from its list, due to Unesco's concern about the impact of new building development.
The committee also proposed that Romania's Roșia Montană mining landscape, another new addition to the World Heritage List, should also be included on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
This time, no site has been removed from the endangered list.
Liverpool off the Unesco World Heritage list
The new World Heritage sites of Humanity
2020
Turkey:
Arslantepe Mound
Peru:
Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex
Belgium / Netherlands:
Colonies of Benevolence
France:
Cordouan Lighthouse
India:
Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple (Ramappa), Telangana
Germany:
The Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt
Italy:
Series of 14th century frescoes in Padua
Spain:
Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a space for Arts and Sciences
China:
Quanzhou: world emporium of Song and Yuan China
Romania:
Roșia Montană mining landscape
Brazil:
Roberto Burle Marx site
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy, United Kingdom
: The great seaside resorts of Europe
Uruguay:
The work of the engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlantis
Iran:
Trans-Iranian railway
Saudi Arabia:
Ḥimā cultural zone
Japan:
Amami Island- Oshima, Tokunoshima Island, northern part of Okinawa Island and Iriomote Island
Georgia:
Colchic rainforests and wetlands
South Korea:
Getbol, Korean intertidal plains
Thailand:
Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex
2021
Jordan:
As-Salt - The place of tolerance and urban hospitality
Iran:
Hawraman / Uramanat Cultural Landscape
India:
Dholavira: a Harappan city
Germany / Netherlands:
Borders of the Roman Empire: the Lower German Limit
Japan:
Jomon prehistoric sites in Northern Japan
France:
Nice, winter city on the Côte d'Azur
Chile:
Settlement and artificial mummification of the Chinchorro culture in the Arica and Parinacota region
Germany:
ShUM sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz (The acronym ShUM corresponds to the Hebrew initials of Speyer, Worms and Mainz).
Ivory Coast:
Sudanese-style mosques in northern Ivory Coast
Italy:
The porticoes of Bologna
Slovenia:
The works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana - Human-centered urban design
United Kingdom:
The slate landscape of northwest Wales
Russia:
Petroglyphs of the Lake Onega and the White Sea
Gabon:
Ivindo National Park
UNESCO World Heritage
