UNESCO has recently added to its list of World Heritage Sites. These are sites that have been determined to have “outstanding universal value” and meet at least one of their ten criteria. Some are fairly well known sites, while others are a bit more unusual.
For visitors staying in apartments in Hamburg, the Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District is a unique experience. This consists of a large complex of warehouses that were constructed from 1883 to 1927. The area covers more than 25 hectares, and it is thought to be the biggest continuous warehouse complex in the world.
The first Turkish site to make the UNESCO list is Ephesus, an ancient settlement on the country’s west coast. Some of the ruins here date as far back as 135AD. The site features a library and an amphitheater. The settlement includes both Roman and Hellenistic areas.
The Necropolis of Bet She’arim in Haifa, Israel, is a famous Jewish landmark. The set of catacombs was first built in the second century BC and used as a burial site. Visitors to the area can see some of the inscriptions in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
The island of Jamaica also sees its first entry on the list this year with the inclusion of the Blue and John Crow Mountains. These mountains are situated in a national park on the eastern part of the island. The range includes the highest peak on Jamaica. This is also where Blue Mountain coffee comes from, which is one of the most expensive varieties in the world.