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World Heritage sites are treasures that have been inherited from our ancestors and belong to humanity as a whole, and they are protected through international cooperation. The World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972 by the General Conference of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization), and the countries that signed this treaty agreed to work together to decide which important natural or cultural treasures should be placed on a World Heritage List and preserved and passed on to future generations.
This idea came about because of plans to build a dam along the Nile River in Egypt. There was a danger that some ancient temples and other artifacts would be flooded and destroyed, so UNESCO called on the world to protect them. Many countries assisted and took part in the effort to move the monuments to another location, where they would be safe.
There are three different types of World Heritage site: natural, cultural, and mixed. Cultural sites are ruins and artifacts that were constructed by humans long ago. Natural sites contain land formations or scenery that has been created by nature, as well as living organisms. Mixed sites have both cultural and natural value. As of June 2002 the World Heritage List included 563 cultural sites, 144 natural sites, and 23 mixed sites, bringing the total to 730 sites in 125 countries around the world.
Photo: PANA
