Francesca Street, CNN
A prehistoric solar observatory in the middle of a desert. A decades-old railway that bisects two soaring mountain ranges. Striking art etched into rocks that dates back 7,000 years.
These are just some of the spectacular destinations newly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
After several days of online deliberations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has voted to add 33 new spots to its list of World Heritage Sites so far, with more discussions to come.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee didn’t meet last year, so this year’s session, based out of Fuzhou, China, and attended by virtual participants from across the globe, is reviewing nominations from 2020 and 2021.
UNESCO World Heritage List criteria
UNESCO designated its first World Heritage Sites back in 1978, with Yellowstone National Park in the United States and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador among the destinations on the inaugural round-up.
Four decades later, getting crowned a UNESCO World Heritage Site is still a highly coveted honor for many destinations.
UNESCO says that to be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of “outstanding universal value.”
The nomination process can span years, and if a landmark fails to make the cut one year, it could be examined again when the next UNESCO convention rolls around.
Destinations have to meet one of several…
