Many people don’t know that they have a world heritage in their country. Why don’t
they know that? We have Stonehenge in Britain, the high coast in Sweden, the Rila
priory in Bulgaria and Piazza del Duomo in Italy. Why not find out a little bit more
about these four.

What is a World heritage?

The convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage, often called World Heritage Convention, is an international agreement about protection for the world’s culture- and nature objects.
It was accepted by UNESCO in Paris 1972. Countries that is in the convention have agreed to protect the world heritage for next generation.
A cultural heritage is for example a building or a landmark that has a big meaning for the history or in a scientific point of view.
A natural heritage is for example a formation that has a great value from a scientific or a geologic point of view, or a place because it’s beautiful.
If a country has a cultural or a natural object or place that they think should be a world heritage, they make a suggestion about it to the World Heritage Convention. Then a judgement is made by the International Council of Monuments and Sites, or the World Conservation Union, then they decide if it should be on the world heritage list.

The High coast in Sweden

About 20 000 years ago Sweden was covered by inland ice. No other part of Sweden’s coasts has been so pressed down by the inland ice, that is why the land is so unique. The reason why the high coast is on the world heritage list is because the land has risen 285 meters over the sea seance the inland ice melted away about 9600 years ago. Even today the land rise faster than anyone else in the world. The High coast has recently become a world heritage. The main reason that the High coast became a world heritage is because it’s unique geology. The High coast is well known and many people like to come here and spend their holiday here.

It’s a very peaceful place with beautiful nature. Stonehenge in Britain

Stonehenge is the most powerful monument in Britain’s history. It was built on Salisbury Plain sometime between 3050 and 2300 BC. It is one of the most famous and mysterious archaeological sites in the world. What was the purpose with this huge place? Scientists say that it appears to function as a kind of clock, it was used by the Druids for ceremonies to mark the passing of the seasons. Today Stonehenge is not only a place for tourists, it is also a gathering place for hippies and "New Age Travellers". Because the risk for damage, it’s now fenced off to protect it.

The Rila Priory in Bulgaria

Outside Rila you find the Rila priory. It is one of the most beautiful church- and priory buildings in the world. The priory was first built in the beginning of 1000’s by a monk named Ivan Rilski but was destroyed in the 1400’s. It was rebuilt in the middle of the 1800’s. In the Priory, you can find a museum. There are many valuable objects in there, one of them is a crucifix. It’s made of wood and shows 140 different scenes from the bible. It’s over 1500 figures on the one meter high crucifix, some of them smaller than a grain of rises. You should also visit the church and look at the icons, adorning and paintings.

Piazza del Duomo in Pisa, Italy

One of the most famous squares in the world is Piazza del duomo in Pisa , Italy. It was built over a period of several centuries. Piazza del duomo is the cathedral in Pisa. It is known all over the world for its four buildings, the cathedral, the baptistery, the campanile (the leaning tower) and the cemetery. The most famous in Piazza del Duomo is the leaning tower. This monument bear witness to the time when Pisa was a powerful seaport. It seems like piazza del duomo is the heart of Pisa, because people are everywhere around it.

Have you ever been to a world heritage?

© 2002 Freeway
Writers: Linnéa Eriksson (sp04-29@park.se) and Christine Persson (sp04-38@park.se)
HTML by: Tomas Sjölund (te04-43@park.se).