UNESCO-WORLD HERITAGE SITES-ANDORRA

UNESCO-WORLD HERITAGE SITES-ANDORRA

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 / No Comments

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley

The cultural landscape of Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley offers a microcosmic perspective of the way people have harvested the resources of the high Pyrenees over millennia. Its dramatic glacial landscapes of craggy cliffs and glaciers, with high open pastures and steep wooded valleys, covers an area of 4,247 ha, 9% of the total area of the principality. It reflects past changes in climate, economic fortune and social systems, as well as the persistence of pastoralism and a strong mountain culture, notably the survival of a communal land-ownership system dating back to the 13th century. The site features houses, notably summer settlements, terraced fields, stone tracks and evidence of iron smelting.[whc.unesco.org] 

Vall del Madriu Perafita Claror[source]

The valley corresponds with the Madriu river basin. Its highest part is a glacial landscape. The rest of it was and still is used as pastures for the grazing of cows and horses during the summer. There are two settlements within the valley, with 12 houses in total and only used in the summer months. Terraced fields have been constructed to grow rye, wheat and to provide hay. The land is communally owned.[source]

 Vall del Madriu Perafita Claror[source]

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley Andora Mountain Hicking Scenery[source]

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UNESCO - WORLD HERITAGE SITES - ALBANIA

UNESCO - WORLD HERITAGE SITES - ALBANIA

Monday, January 12, 2015 / No Comments

Butrint

Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development.[whc.unesco.org] 

 The theatre of Butrint (modern Albania), early 2nd century BCE. Due to the low-lying terrain the floor is now flooded.[Source]

Archeological investigation of the site was begun by an Italian mission in the 1920s, and was continued under the post-war communist government of Albania. Since 1994 excavations have been undertaken by the Albanian Institute of Archeology and Institute of World Archaeology, University of East Anglia, Norwich (working under the auspices of the Butrint Foundation).

 Aerial view of Butrint and fish traps in the Vivari Channel[Source]

Remains of the 6th-century baptistery.[Source]

View of the Roman baths from the upper fortress.[Source]

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Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra

 Berat and Gjirokastra are inscribed as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in central Albania, Berat bears witness to the coexistence of various religious and cultural communities down the centuries. It features a castle, locally known as the Kala, most of which was built in the 13th century, although its origins date back to the 4th century BC. The citadel area numbers many Byzantine churches, mainly from the 13th century, as well as several mosques built under the Ottoman era which began in 1417. Gjirokastra, in the Drinos river valley in southern Albania, features a series of outstanding two-story houses which were developed in the 17th century. The town also retains a bazaar, an 18th-century mosque and two churches of the same period.[whc.unesco.org]

 Berat has been particularly marked by the peaceful coexistence of Ottoman Islam with a large Christian minority. The designated area includes Berat castle, mosques, churches and the Gorica bridge.

 Traditional Gjirokastër Houses.[Source]

 The Clock Tower of The Citadel[Source]

Compiled from;
whc.unesco.org
and web