UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

‘The plunder of human beings was complete. They chose the healthy ones for a slow death through overwork, exhaustion, and starvation; while the others were straightaway shot, or gassed.’ - Auschwitz - Homage to the WW-II Holocaust Victims - Travelure ©

48,000 people once lived within these walls. Shah Jahan built Lal Qila as a city unto itself — palaces, mosques, markets, and a stream of paradise running through it all.

Göbekli Tepe is the most ancient site of humans practising religion. Schmidt called it the first human-built holy place. The religion originated here. - Göbekli Tepe Turkey - World’s oldest temple? - Travelure ©

With no water supply, no heating facility, and no provision for cooking, these tiny houses advocate traditional simple living. This spartan lifestyle continues to define the Church Town, even now. - Sweden’s best-preserved Church Town, Gammelstad - Travelure ©

Snake-like, it slithered along the undulating mountain ridge. Between relentless long stretches, watchtowers provided relief. But, only to the eyes. Not an easy stroll. - The Great Wall of China - Travelure ©

A water channel with fountains that opens out into an enormous reflecting pool, leads you from Darwaza-i-rauza to the Taj. This pool does what humans couldn’t - duplicate the beauty of Taj in its reflection. - The Taj Mahal Agra India - Travelure ©

On this graceful epochal edifice of the Bridge Tower, it was a pity to see the terrible repair work. Despite regal decorations, the refurbishing seemed more an overhaul that a careful restoration. Still, UNESCO rightly lumped the bridge with the Old Town Centre of Prague to inscribe it on its World Heritage Sites List in 1992. - Charles Bridge Prague Czech Republic - Travelure ©

Ayutthaya today is a historical park. What remains of this former capital tells a tale of glory and gore. While there, spare a thought for the fact it is a site of mass murder, rape, and enslavement of Siamese people. - UNESCO Heritage Site Ayutthaya Thailand - Travelure ©