Humayun’s Tomb

Humayun's Tomb UNESCO World Heritage Site, India

From the World Heritage inscription: This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. Humayun’s Tomb is the burial site of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun. It was commissioned by …

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Agra Fort

Agra Fort UNESCO World Heritage Site, India

From the World Heritage inscription: Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and …

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Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri UNESCO World Heritage Site

From the World Heritage inscription: Built during the second half of the 16th century by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, …

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Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor

Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor

From the World Heritage inscription: The Silk Roads were an interconnected web of routes linking the ancient societies of Asia, the Subcontinent, Central Asia, Western Asia, and the Near East, and contributed to the development of many of the world’s great civilizations. They represent one of the world’s preeminent long-distance communication networks stretching as the …

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Biblical Tels – Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba

Biblical Tels – Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba

From the World Heritage inscription: Historic settlement mounds, known as tels, are characteristic of the flatter lands of the eastern Mediterranean, particularly in Lebanon, Syria, Israel and eastern Turkey. Of more than 200 such mounds in Israel, the three sites of Megiddo, Hazor and Beer Sheba are representative of those that contain substantial remains of …

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Visiting the Beit She’arim Catacombs in Israel’s Jezreel Valley

Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal

The fascinating catacombs that make up the Necropolis of Beit Shearim in the Jezreel Valley is a worthy addition to any trip around Israel, particularly those interested in places of deep significance and a long history. This UNESCO site is a series of catacombs estimated to have been developed in the second century AD and …

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Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves

Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves

From the World Heritage inscription: The presence in the Judean Lowlands of thick and homogeneous chalk sub-strata enabled numerous caves to be excavated and managed by Man. The property includes a complete selection of chambers and man-made subterranean networks, of different forms and for different activities. They are situated underneath the ancient twin cities of …

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Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev

Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev

From the World Heritage inscription: The Incense Route was a network of trade routes extending over two thousand kilometers to facilitate the transport of frankincense and myrrh from the Yemen and Oman in the Arabian Peninsula to the Mediterranean. The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat, and Shivta, with their associated fortresses and agricultural …

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