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I had been in doubt whether to include the Selimiye Mosque in my Western Turkey itinerary, due to the ongoing renovations (would it be worth visiting anyway in this condition?) and the tiring detour one has to make from Istanbul to get to Edirne. But eventually, I decided to bite the bullet and clear all WHS in this region so I don’t ‘have to’ revisit. I solved the logistical problem by taking a direct bus from Istanbul Airport to Edirne. The company Istanbul Seyahat has one every 2 hours (bookable online via Obilet). The ride takes only 3 hours as this way you avoid the heavy traffic in the Istanbul metropolis.

It had been difficult to find information beforehand about the state of the renovations. I only knew that the mosque would stay open to visitors and worshippers. Well, I found the building completely covered in scaffolding – except for one of the minarets. Still, the sheer size of the building and the delicately slender minarets impressed me.

I then started looking for a way in. From the covered market (also part of the core zone) and a public toilet, you can enter the building near the minaret which is free of scaffolding. My guess would be that only 15% of the interior is currently accessible - the finely carved details and the tiles (all from Iznik) betray the building’s artistic wealth. The rest of the mosque is fully hidden behind cardboard partition walls, on which they have …

Visited in April 2023

7 components but officially only 2 of them can be visited:

Kintrishi-Mtirala component – two national reserves located in Adjara region; both can be visited as a day trip from the coast and are pretty well organized in situ, with small tourist information centres and some tracks you can follow; Kintrishi National Reserve is easily reachable from Kobuleti (even using public transportation – there are two minibuses from Kobuleti bus station all the way to Varjanauli, from where you can walk or hitchhike to the core zone), Mtirala National Park – from Batumi (two minibuses daily from Batumi new bus station, the first one at 9:30 am, going to the entrance to the park from where there’s another 3 km to the core zone) and from Chakvi (many marshrutkas to Khala and few to Chakvistavi); in both places you’ll have a chance to walk through Colchic rainforest – the higher you climb, the denser it becomes; in my opinion Mitrala looks more interesting, especially the loop path, very steep in some parts; it is recommended to divide it into two days (there’s a shelter on the way), but I did it in one day, it is around 20 km in total, but sometimes very exhausting… the ‘lower part’ of this park (not in the core zone) is very popular during weekends (zipline, canopy walks) so easily you will find somebody who can give you a lift back to the coast…

The component called …

Koutammakou, the land of the Batammariba, is currently the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Togo. If you are interested in local culture and ethnicities, visiting Koutammakou should be on your Togo travel itinerary. The site can be easily reached as a day trip from Kara via Kandé, which is a 2.5-hour drive one way. This day trip was the highlight of my Togo road trip itinerary. I left Kara at around 8:30 AM and arrived at the entrance at 10:00 AM. There is a small fee that must be paid, and you must be accompanied by a local guide. It is important to respect the local Tamberma people and their traditional way of life.

Tata or Takienta houses are mud and straw castles with a ground floor for livestock, a kitchen on the "middle" floor, and sleeping quarters on the roof. With one entrance and Voodoo deities protecting it, the homes are easily defendable. The Batammariba people live in small villages grouped around a water source and fertile land, and they maintain their long-standing traditions while living in harmony with nature.

For me, this was the highlight in Togo.I really enjoyed my visit and see the locals. When I left the were just brewing their local "beer"which I had the option to taste. If you have a overreacting stomach I would refrain from trying.

It's a site quite far away and maybe on many WHS visitors "to see list". The new Togo TWHS list is also …

I will rate my experiece in this valley (quebrada in Quechua) independant of the only cultural aspect of the WHS. For me the natural/ landscape experience was more fascinating than the cultural aspect which is also interesting. Already the ride from Salta or Jujuy into Tilcara is a highlight. While driving uphill the landscape changes from green hills, forests and meadows into a dusty, red- brownish mountain landscape which sees mainly huge cactus growing. Maybe it is because I haven't travelled such a landscape before that I was quite happy but also others on the bus liked what they saw during the ride. Tilcara is quite a picturesque town. My family thought I'm in the Wild West when I have sent them pictures. We visited the Pueäcará de Tilcara within 1,5 hours in the evening of the first day which was sufficient. There is a flyer with some basic info available in English which doubles partly with some information signs in the fortress, that is more an ancient village than a defensive structure. Additionally there are guided tours in Spanish, which we didn't take. In addition to the historical aspect of the site I found the archeological controversies that happened here in the first half of the 20th century the most interesting. In short archeologists rebuilt parts of the Pucará (fortress in Quechua) but with wrong techniques and built a road that destroyed parts of the archeological site. Finally others build a monument for the archeologists within the site which …

As a child, my family and I drove from Hamburg to Italy twice, with Lago Maggiore being our first stop after driving non-stop for 12 hours. The stunning scenery on the western side of the lake, near the Swiss border, left a lasting impression on me; not much else of those Italy trips did.

It took decades for me to return. Finally, some 40 years later, I stayed for a night in Dormelletto on the Southern shore. The next day I visited Arona, Stresa, and the Isola Bella, before heading to Basel by train. In comparison to my childhood memories, the lake felt more developed, with hotels, vacation homes, and campgrounds lining its shoreline. And heavy traffic running on the one road that runs along the western shore. It's not a pleasure to go walking as there is no trail or sidewalk running along the shoreline or the road.

The most notable structures around Lago Maggiore include the Isolas Borromeas, particularly the Isola Bella with its palace and garden (make sure to check out the basement), the city of Stresa and the Rocca di Angera castle on the Eastern shore. The boats to the islands go from Stresa and there are several providers. In Switzerland, Locarno/Ascona are also pretty. If my memory serves me well, as kid we felt the eastern shore was better as it had longer sun in the evening.

On a previous trip, I also had the chance to visit Lago d'Orta, and in …

The Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization comprise the remains of 7 major cities from the Lycian League, a kind of ‘United Arab Emirates’ from the 1st century BC – ‘democratic’ but with some cities having more votes than others. It includes the already inscribed Xanthos, so it should be considered as an extension although the Site description does not explicitly say so. ‘Lycian’ in this period refers to a regional identity: they lived nominally under Persian, Hellenistic and Roman rule but were granted a lot of autonomy in their affairs.

I focused my visit on Tlos, arguably the best among the 6 additional ones and in some respects even better than Xanthos (although it lacks the historically important inscriptions in the Lycian language of the latter). On the approach I knew already that it would be a worthwhile visit: the location of Tlos, amidst steep hills and canyons, is stunning. The excavated area is compact, with the Acropolis and rock-cut tombs to the right, the stadium in the middle and the theatre and baths to the left.

The site facilities are still on a basic level, in line with the relatively low 40 TL entrance fee. Parking is done just somewhere by the side of the road. The trails up to the rock-cut tombs are very slippery with loose stones. There is no signposted itinerary either. Part of the fun is to discover the various elements by yourself. There were a fair number of foreign tourists …

I won't speak to the heritage side of this, but only the logistics. [For reference I am a white American woman who knows only like 200 Urdu words]

The sites are definitely worth going to if you are in Karachi for more than a few days and it's a shame that more people do not go. Makli is only about 1.5 hours away from the city. Not extremely well-kept which is a shame, so worth seeing now before any more damage occurs. The necropolis itself is very large, so you can hire a long golf cart for 100 rupees per person at the entrance. Foreigners must show passport and visa at several stages. Chaukundi tombs can be seen on the way there, and Shah Jehan mosque in Thatta afterwards. When I was there, we were the only ones at the Chaukundi tombs (which are an extension of the Makli necropolis) except for the guards/caretakers. One man told us a lot of history there and details of the tombs. He was very knowledgeable and friendly and we tipped him upon leaving. At Makli, inside and outside the entrance has some beggars so it is advised to move quickly once exiting your car and you can enter the golf cart. Was disappointed to see a lot of trash outside of all of the sites, due to the corrupt nature of the Pakistani government in appropriating UNESCO funds.

The road from Karachi to Thatta is safe for a day trip, and …

Sulcis-Iglesiente is a historical mining region in southwestern Sardinia. Mining activities date back to prehistoric times with evidence of lead, silver, and copper extraction in the Nuragic era. The Roman period saw significant expansion of mining activities with the discovery of large deposits of lead, silver, and zinc. Mining activity declined in the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century with the discovery of rich coal deposits.

As is common for dormant tentative sites, it's not quite clear what is actually included in the nomination. I think we covered two parts of what would be included in a nomination:

• We visited the Coal Mine Museum in Carbonia. Carbonia is a planned coal mining city from 1938. Unfortunately, we didn't drive through the city.
• We stayed for a night in Sant'Antioco and went hiking the next day along the west coast. When you cross over to Sant'Antioco you pass a large saline.

OUV

It's hard to say given the limited state of the nomination what the OUV could be. The glimpses we got did not convince me, that this should be on the list. Seeing that Italy has streamlined their inscription process of late and this site hasn't been going anywhere for 20 years, I doubt this will ever make it to a WHC session.

While You Are There

The area boasts several Nuraghis (T) you can visit. The island of Sant'Antioco is lovely and it's West coast offers stellar …

Visited April 2023. As part of a 5-day private tour of Burkina Faso I stayed 2 nights in Bobo-Dioulasso and was able to visit this site. The most recognizable part of this site is the Sudano-Sahelian style mosque which sits on a square at the edge of the historical quarter. We were able to visit inside and on top of the mosque with a local guide to escort us. Due to the traditional nature of its construction it is constantly being repaired. Despite being in the center of the second largest city in the country, Sya has managed to maintain a traditional atmosphere and way of life that is centuries old. It somehow still feels like walking around a traditional village, isolated from the rest of the city. The traditional village is still populated and run by a few core families and is divided into 4 small sections, the muslim residences, the animist residences, blacksmith area and musicians section. It is still possible to see some of these activities still taking place, from brewing local to liquor to metalwork crafts. The authenticity factor feels very high.

Unfortunately the whole area is in desperate need of some maintenance and a clean up, there is garbage everywhere and walls are crumbling in many places. With the current state Burkina Faso is in there might not be much left by the time a nomination ever comes around. We spent 1.5 hours or so visiting the area.

I choose Konya for a 2-night stay to take a break from the daily driving during my road trip across Western Turkey. That turned out to be a good choice: it’s a modern city with plenty to see and do. I left the car at my hotel, 11km on the outskirts of the city, and used the tramway to get right to Aladdin hill. In the center there still is a lot of construction going on, it seems that a whole neighbourhood will be replaced by glitzy shops and apartments. This unbridled development is the main reason that Konya can’t just go for a nomination of its historic center – it would need to focus on specific monuments and/or a specific theme.

According to the Epic Subtitle already present in the name of the Tentative Site (“A capital of Seljuk Civilization”) the most straightforward theme would be the Seljuk Dynasty and its architecture. I started with a visit to two madrasahs from that period (these are also part of another TWHS): the İnce Minareli Madrasah (closed for renovation, but with a noteworthy facade) and the very pretty Karatay Madrasah. The TWHS description also mentions the Sirçali Madrasa: I found this closed as well, but you can peek into the courtyard which has some tilework. Another one, integrated into the Sahib-i Ata complex, lies next to the Archeological Museum of Konya.

The monuments at the top of Aladdin Hill are also from the Seljuk period. To me, they looked …

I have visited the Manzana Jesuítica and the crypta in Córdoba as well as the estancias Jesús María, Caroya and Alta Gracia. I have really enjoyed staying a week in Córdoba because this big student city is lively as it's full of young people, good food and it's cheap. The city center contains some highlights next to the WHS like the Cathedral and the Memorial place for the victims of the dictatorship in an old police station. The manzana jesuítica is the jesuit block in the town set-up and consists of a school, the law faculty of the university of Córdoba and the church. The university part is also a museum complex that can be nicely visited for currently 400 Pesos p.P.. We obtained a small bookled in German at the entrance and walked through the Jesuit rooms containing old books and maps. Also we asked a security guard to open the graduation hall which is the aisle of the church, but only accessible from the patio of the university. Finally we had a short look into the big and beautiful church during a mass. Additionally during two day trips we went to Alta Gracia (35 km from Córdoba) and Jesús María (50 km from Córdoba). To Alta Gracia buses run from the new terminal and take about an hour. Companies are Sierras de Calamulchita and Sarmiento and prices are around 400 ARS per ride. Only during the night there are no buses. You can check times in advance on …

Tashkent is one of the capital cities that does not have its own World Heritage Site yet. Although it has a long history as a trade hub in Central Asia, much of the historic city was destroyed by a major earthquake in the 1960s. Consequently, the city today is rather modern, heavily influenced by Soviet architecture principles.

In search of their own World Heritage Site, Tashkent settled on the makhallas, historic city districts that function as cities within the city. Tashkent has multiple makhallas, but based on the nomination file it is unclear which ones are actually included in the nomination. Indeed, the nomination file would have to be fleshed out, if Uzbekistan ever tried in earnest to get Tashkent inscribed. For my day in Tashkent, I had to do some research and make some educated guesses.

I started at Ko'kcha Darvoza which is a historic makhalla located in the North West of the city. I think I passed through the neighbourhood walking from Tinchlik station to Kukcha Mosque. The mosque features a large graveyard with the beautifully restored Yunus Rajabi Mausoleum. The mausoleum is dedicated to a revered Sufi saint who lived in the 15th century.

From there I walked to the makhalla of Eski Shahar, one of the oldest and most historic neighbourhoods in Tashkent. Most visitors will come here as it features the most prominent tourist site of Tashkent: the Hazrat Imam Complex. The complex includes several buildings, such as the Barak-khan Madrasah, …

This review will be one of disappointments and cautionary tales. I (almost) visited Ischigualasto and Talampaya parks in March 2023. I have been there and seen some elements of it, which by my standards is enough to count as a visit. However, my rating is definitely to be taken with a grain of salt.

I visited these parks with a tour operator in La Rioja (I can't remember for sure which one, but I think it was Corona del Inca). Since they didn't offer the Saturday tour I had targeted, I shifted my visit to Sunday. In doing so, I stayed an extra day in Cordoba (which has much more to offer than La Rioja) and spent one less in Salta. The tour operator picked me up at the hotel under a beautiful sun and we left for the parks with two other Argentinian tourists.

But it got ruined on the way, as it started to rain. Although the rain was just a light drizzle in Ischigualasto, the tour was delayed and ultimately cancelled. The excursion involved traveling in personal cars across some dry streams, which could become dangerous rivers when it rains. While waiting at the visitor's center, I visited the excellent Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Ischigualasto, which had fossils, bones, and replicas of the main dinosaurs found in the park. Outside, there was a rather banal viewpoint of the park's landscape.

We then proceeded to Talampaya, hoping that the tours there were not cancelled. …

In my lonely planet travelbook and in this community I encountered various distinctive ways how to reach these remote natural parks. In the end I decided to go into the Province capital of La Rioja which is still about 2 hours or 200 km from the park entrances but by this the next big city in reach. It's a pleasant town in autumn with summer like weather every day- I can imagine that it gets too hot in real summer here. We checked out the information kiosk on the plaza and it was giving us some outdated prices of the Talampaya park. Information about Ischigualasto was hardly available as this park which is connecting to Talampaya park at the province border of La Rioja and San Juan is on the wrong side of the province border. It's even greyed out on the tourist maps like anything else outside the province. Argentinian tourist information counters really don't care about how their customers are thinking especially when it comes to provincial borders. Nevertheless they could give us contacts of travel agencies and rental car services which was helpful. As we wanted to visit both parks and it became clear that Ischigualasto which is commonly named Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley) is not reachable by public transport. The tourist office guy even said that not all buses from La Rioja to Villa Unión pass by Talampaya but that it could be that they take a more northern route nowadays. But again this …

Kondoa Rock-Art Sites WHS. A series of ancient paintings on rock shelter walls in central Tanzania nine kilometres east of the main highway (T5) from Dodoma to Babati.

The landscape is large piled granite boulders on the western rim of the Maasai steppe and form rock shelters facing away from prevailing winds. These rock shelters often have flat surfaces due to rifting, and these surfaces are where the paintings are found, protected from weathering.
These paintings are still part of a living tradition of creation and use by both Sandawe in their simbó healing ceremonies, and by Maasai people in ritual feasting. About 1970, Sandawe men were still making rock paintings. The reasons were magical (depicting the animal that the painter intended to kill), casual, and sacrificial (on specific clan-spirit hills and depicting rain-making and healing ceremonies).
The paintings depict elongated people, animals, and hunting scenes. Older paintings are generally red hunter-gatherers superimposed by Bantu white cattle.
Individual sites include Kisese II Rockshelter: paintings, beads, lithics, pottery, and other artifacts. Used for the burial of seven Holocene individuals. Evidence of occupation on the floors dated to more than 40,000 years ago.
One of the paintings depicts a human figure holding a stick and an elephant. Nash commented on the peaceful posture of the human, doubting that the drawing was intended to depict a hunting scene. Other paintings portray giraffes, a possible rhinoceros fragment, a humanoid figure composed of concentric circles in the head and continuous lines from the top …

Arriving by car from Bukhara, the first thing I saw of Shakhrisyabz was the large blue dome of the Kok Gumbaz Mosque, an impressive 15th-century mosque. The mosque is a prime example of Timurid architecture. It's definitely one of the main sites to visit in Shakhrisyabz.

While I explored the other components of the site, my driver waited at the mosque's parking lot. There's essentially one long, modern walkway that connects the Kok Gumbaz Mosque and Timurid's crypt on the South side to the Ak Saray Palace at the North side, touching on all the important components like the statue of Timur, and the city walls. 

The Ak-Saray Palace was once a magnificent structure with intricate designs and beautiful tilework, but unfortunately, much of it has been destroyed. Only a few sections remain, such as the entrance portal and the massive pillars that once supported the building. Nonetheless, it's still possible to get a sense of the palace's grandeur and appreciate its impressive size and scale.

On the day I visited, Uzbeks were repurposing this piece of national identity. A youth wrestling competition took place on the palace grounds beneath the large pillars; wrestling being one of two Uzbek national sports.

While walking along the former capital of Timur and the wealth he brought to the city, I couldn't help but wonder if it's appropriate to venerate him given his brutal conquests. It is estimated that 17 million deaths were caused by Timur, the last of …

The Great Mosque of Sivrihisar is both a stand-alone entry on Turkey’s Tentative List and one of the locations of the five Wooden columned and wooden roofed mosques in Anatolia. It can be easily visited along the way from Iznik to Gordion, as the road passes the town. The mosque stands proudly at the main square, surrounded by a 14th-century mausoleum, an Ottoman clock tower, and some statues of a turbaned man which I think represent the local folklore character Nasreddin Hodja (who has his own spot at the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List).

The mosque dates back to the 13th century, as attested to by stone inscriptions above the gates. It is still in use as a mosque, so you have to take off your shoes and female travellers should keep their headscarves ready. An explanation in English about its history can be found next to the main gate. Not much natural light enters the building, you can switch on the electric lights yourself after entering to better be able to admire the decoration.

The use of wooden poles as a bearing system for the roof of a mosque was a Seljuk innovation. The number used in Sivrihisar (67) was exceptionally large. Wood is also used in the ceiling and as a dividing mechanism for the women’s section. Superficially they just look like bare poles, but some of them are finely decorated with flowers and motifs at the top. A few column heads even have spolia …

Visited Apr 2023. The Sudd wetland is a very important inland freshwater ecosystem on a scale with the already listed Pantanal and Okavango delta. Throughout the year it's size is highly variable, basically doubling from it's lowest point during the dry season to it's maximum during seasonal flooding. As a natural site it supports a wide variety of wildlife, including large, diverse fish populations and is an important stop for many migrating bird species. It's also home to many mammals and supports the largest antelope migration in the world. As a cultural site, the ecosystem supports a local population of up to a million who largely live a traditional lifestyle including fishing, seasonal farming and semi-nomadic cattle herding. All told it absolutely deserves inscription and protection, the sooner the better.

My visit was inspired by the previous review and followed a similar pattern although backwards as I went to Minkaman first to visit a cattle camp and then took a boat through the wetlands to Bor. April is the end of the dry season so water levels were low and there were more temporary islands in the waterways. The skies were also smoky at times from local slash and burn practices as they clear more land for short term farming. From Bor we visited more of the waterways and stopped at a small fishing village. It is a simple life but the kids seemed happy to have visitors.

From a wildlife perspective, there was not much to see …

Prior to my three night stay in March of 2023, I mostly knew Verona as the setting of Romeo & Juliet. Turns out, I found the Casa de Giulietta to be a pretty huge tourist trap. But beyond that, the number of interesting sights in its historical core makes it a great city to visit. From Roman times, the big attractions are the arena and theater (photo), even though we didn't see any performances. Coming across other Roman era city gates or pieces of the walls is also a treat as you explore the town and there's a nice Roman museum at the theater. The 14th century Castelvecchio and its museum and historic bridge are also not to be missed. The main cathedral is really gorgeous, and you can also view foundations of a very early Christian church that it was built upon. There are other beautiful churches in town and we attended mass at the very nice 13th century Basilica of St. Anastasia. We took the funicular up to the St. Peter "castle" for some great views over the town, but I also went to the top of the tall Torre dei Lamberti to enjoy more views. We also visited the Giusti Garden, which was pleasant enough, but I'd rate it as not worth the steep admission cost.

Around town, we also enjoyed some great food, such as the uniquely delicious "torta russa" cake at Pasticcerria Barria and small plates at the historic Osteria Monte Baldo. Overall, I …

I highly recommend hiking up Masada in the early morning, rather than taking the cable car. The hike is only about 45 minutes and snakes up the mountain via switchbacks, which makes the 1000 foot (350 meters) vertical much easier to handle. The Snake Path opens every day just 1 hour before sunrise, so make sure that you check the time before you go. Also, I would recommend that you bring plenty of water and snacks because you will not have access to any facilities until you reach the top. 

The history and story behind Masada is also fascinating, so make sure you read up on the information before you go or hire a guide for the journey. Masada was built sometime between 31 and 37 BCE by Herod the Great who was granted King of Judeo by the Roman Senate. The Siege on Masada was one of the final events that ended the "Great Revolt" of the Jews against the Roman Empire. It is estimated that 960 defenders of Masada died during the siege.

At the summit, you have a full view of the valley and lands around you. At sunrise, the experience is magical watching the sun rays shine across the Dead Sea and all the way into Jordan. I promise you will want to spend some time up here taking everything in. This was the first place that I visited where I felt a connection between the sky and earth. If you are Jewish and …