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At first sight, there isn’t much potential in El Salvador’s Tentative List. I did visit a couple of the sites though, just to get a feel for different parts of this small country. I choose El Imposible because of its intriguing name. It lies in the “far” northwest of the country. This national park shares its entry with the Cara Sucia archaeological site in the nearby larger town, which I did not visit. The name “El Imposible” comes from the time when this was a cacao farming area. The mules had a hard time crossing a difficult mountain pass that would bring the product to the ports at the Pacific Ocean.

I went there with a car+driver from San Salvador. It’s only a 115 km drive, but El Salvador has a serious traffic problem (probably related to its high population density) and the final 13km to the park are on a very bad unpaved road. So it took us about 3 hours. There’s even a local bus that struggles up the road! This last stretch also introduces you to what El Salvador once was. I really enjoyed watching the people here, the older men proudly wearing their machetes, and the women carrying a small bag of flour fresh from the mill to prepare lunch. The traditional wooden houses now are often replaced by stone ones, funded by money sent home from the US (“to show off”).

The park protects the largest extant forest in El Salvador. It has …

I visited this WHS in December 2021 focusing on three locations offering some of the best interior murals and exterior architectural details: namely Atlatlahucan, Tepotzlan and Cuernevaca.

Coming from Puebla, on the way we stopped to take some photos of the puffing Popocatepetl volcano since the three locations we chose were quite deep in the Popocatepetl valley far from the volcano proper. First we stopped at the sleepy town of Atlatlahucan to see the monastery of San Mateo Atlatahucan which was founded by Fray Jorge de Avila of the Order of the Augustinians in the 16th century. Fray Jorge de Avila also founded the monasteries of Tlayacapan, Ocuituco, Yecapixtla and Totolapan, which are all part of this WHS.

The complex is rectangular. There is an open chapel in the northwest corner built with three arches. The facade of the church has an undecorated arched door; above that is a rectangular coral window set in a niche surrounded by small pilasters. Above it there is a classic clock dating from the latter part of the 19th century. To the rear of the church, there is a bell tower which appears to have been built later than the church, although it is in the same style. Around the monastery there is a tall wall with the characteristic crenellated walls of the Popocatepetl monasteries and the whole setting is now a tranquil garden or park. Like most monasteries and structures in the region, the Septemper 2017 earthquakes had a significant toll …

Ugh, I hate it when a site it in a farm village. Sheep herds, cow pies everywhere, and people stare at you like an alien.

Could be all avoided if Turkey would make sense of their sites and clean the tentative site list up a little because by itself it has almost nothing to show for, but I can see it part of a Hittite serial nomination.

Entrance is free and you can walk around to see lion and sphinx statues in various stages of completion, although the best is still not a looker. Time hasn't been kind to these statues. Also according to the info panel there are more quarries around Turkey so I am guessing this is more special for being a workshop as well but all that remains are leftover products. Can't recommend this site at all and the roads leading to the village aren't fun to drive either. One is even washed out I think you may need to check with someone how to drive and not trust Google navigation.

This place is closed in off season but it doesn't matter because you can see everything from the fence. And by everything it's pretty much just the pool of water with the wall you see in every picture. There are many Roman thermal baths in the world and better condition, I think the only difference being that the thermal heating is still used by modern buildings nearby. Can't say that's special enough. Like the previous reviewer I only used it as a stopover better Göreme NP and Hattusha so not really anything lost, but definitely not a highlight worth gunning for.

I visited this WHS in December 2021 (the aqueduct proper) and in January 2022 (Otumba and Zempoala). After a magical hot air balloon ride experience over Teotihuacan, I drove for a few kilometres on the highway to the Father Tembleque Aqueduct.

Coming from Teotihuacan it's a very easy drive and the best panoramic views are indeed from the highway. However, just when you get to about 500 metres from the aqueduct, suddenly there is no paved road, so you either park in a quiet side street or do some offroading while paying attention not damage the car if you don't have much clearance. I opted for the latter as we had our valuables in the car and slowly but surely we made it to the aqueduct. As others have said, the aqueduct is a fine construction and was vital for the local populations at the time, but it is less impressive than others in Mexico such as in Morelia, Zacatecas or Queretaro and especially others in Europe (Segovia, Pont du Gard, Evora, Pontcysyllte, etc.). It isn't large either, so I made an extra effort to walk from one end to the other, crossing the Papalote River and enjoying the ancient volcano landscape. Half way through there are also railway tracks underneath the aqueduct. Along the aqueduct there are three arcades: the first with 46 arches, the second with 13 arches, and the third with 67 arches, with the tallest arch being slightly less than 39 metres high.

In …

If anyone wants to persuade me that this should get thumbs up I'm all for it, because ever since checking into what the Titus Tunnel was I really wanted to go. I made sure to take a trip down the Turkish "Florida" as I call the little section to the south, even though it's nothing like Florida but maybe on a map, and the last half an hour of driving through small suburbs wasn't fun either. However, people here were super friendly everywhere, and the trip to the tunnel didn't disappoint.

I almost missed the small ramp to the entrance, then there is some sort of parking lot up there that might fill up in summer but you can easily walk up from the main road if necessary. The entrance is super cheap and then you start a small 10min hike to the tunnel. When you get to the entrance you can also go to a nearby cave but I didn't bother. The top left of pic is actually still a footbridge across used by villagers.

It then becomes clear that this isn't an easy visit. I even met an elderly couple when leaving and wanted to warn them about it but, well, let them see for themselves. There is a small wooden boardwalk that enters the tunnel and then you are on your own to get across rocks and water that flows inside. The start is probably the toughest part as eventually you'll be able to hoist …

Although the most obvious visit may seem the mosque in Ankara I wanted to do as little as necessary in the capital. While road tripping I visited the Hittite spring nearby Eşrefoğlu Mosque but even with two sites to visit it hardly makes it worth a side trip, especially 2h from Konya and back doesn't seem worth it at all.

The laid-back town has almost no traffic and plenty of parking around the mosque. There is a sign for prayer but it was open and not a soul inside. Like most bigger mosques in Turkey there is a woman's section leading around the back and and up to the balcony, which I'll refer to as the VIP seats to make myself feel better about it.

As there was nobody in the mosque I took some pics from the entrance before ascending. In this case the roof can be seen better from up there anyway.

While I think the craftsmanship is solid and well done, I don't think they quite have the same class of wooden churches in Eastern Europe, and I'm not entirely sure how re-roofed these are now. It's been over 700 years since they were built and I can't see these wooden beams being original.

I visited this tWHS in January 2022 as a half day trip from Guadalajara, Jalisco. While hovering on Mexico's country map I noticed the rather close location of Isla de los Alacranes del Lago Chapala and decided to give it a try.

From the little research I did on the web, I wasn't expecting much from this site. First of all because it is very small and very much a tourist trap with all sorts of caged animals (iguanas, tropical birds, and even a baby monkey) near makeshift restaurants, and mostly because the Wixaricas (or Huichol in Spanish) of Jalisco, Zacatecas, Durango and Nayarit mostly visit this sacred site on the Huichol Route in October.

Lago Chapala is a pleasant place to wind down and not bad for some birdwatching either (many American white pelicans, kingfishers and waders). There are plenty of parking spaces by the lake itself and since the parkometers were out of order (apparently for quite some time), there was a sign that parking was free. From the middle jetty, several boats take you to and from Scorpion Island or Isla de los Alacranes for 500-700 pesos (depending on the waiting time) which can be shared among a maximum of 6-8 persons during COVID times and as much as 15 persons during normal times. The island was born from a volcanic outbreak at the bottom of Lake Chapala and through millions of years it emerged with a strange shape of a scorpion when seen from …

Lovely little pond made by the Hittites 3,000 years ago. I suppose it shows that they were smart to build it and use spring water to make a... fountain of sorts, if not for all the plants it would be a nice swimming pool. You can walk around the entire thing in 2 minutes, and all there is to see is the triple statue and the rock wall, as nice as it is considered the age I think a Hittite serial nomination makes more sense.

I visited this WHS in December 2021 and spent 2 nights here to have ample time for taking photos at sunrise and sunset, at the WHS proper, from a distance and from high above, knowing beforehand that climbing the Pyramid of the Sun and of the Moon was forbidden as part of the COVID restrictions in place.

I would agree with Els that prohibiting tourists from climbing the pyramids will remain post-COVID, and it really isn't a bad thing at all. Like Uluru in Australia, the end result is a picture-perfect site for everyone to enjoy safely without the need of too many security guards, railings, etc and much restoration. Moreover, it is very easy to make up for the views from the top of the pyramids by joining a sunrise hot air balloon flight with one of the many companies providing the service. On a sunny day, the views over the empty pyramids, the platforms, the citadel and the avenue of the dead (without the pre-COVID crowds on the pyramids for sunrise).

Unlike Chichen Itza, all the structures at Teotihuacan lack the intricate sculptures and designs, except the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. This temple is an architectural delight almost half way through the avenue of the dead after the Pyramids of the Moon and the Sun. Unlike the steps with sculptures alternating the rain god Tlaloc and the feathered serpent heads, with long undulating feathered serpents in profile underneath them on the rear side, the temple, …

Unless you come here for "nearby" Karatepe you'll be wasting your time. This one was added a bit hastily, or rather like all of Turkey's T-list: just a collection of interesting sites that were never internally reviewed for OUV, management plans, potential future excavation. This site is relatively new.

Found in a farming village near some mountains, the site stretches far north but all is in ruins, or under farm fields. At the village you can see an amphitheater and a somewhat impressive entrance gate, one that had extensive work done to look this good. There is no entrance fee and the only info you get is that panel at the gate. 

I parked at the gate, the cops drove right on through, but I didn't see anything in the distance that would have been worthy to seek out. Needs a lot of work before it's worth visiting.

First things first: The naming of the site is a bit misleading, as these are very historic places with multiple different names and spellings:

• Harran was known to the Romans as Carrhae. It is here that the Battle of Carrhae took place where Crassus and his army were slaughtered.
• Sanliurfa was known for most of its history simply as Urfa. The Turkish authorities added Sanli (glorious) in 80s to commemorate the valiant efforts of the locals during the Turkish War of Independence after WW1. Effectively, everyone still calls the place Urfa. You may also know the town as Edessa, which is the Greek name and was for a short while a crusader state.

Both cities are referenced (or claim to be referenced) in the bible, specifically relating to Abraham. Harran was a temporary home of Abraham and his ancestors. Urfa calls itself the City of Prophets and the birthplace of Abraham. This view is disputed. Still, the most prominent complex in Urfa is the area around the fish pond with the famous cave where according to local legend Abraham was born.

I came from cold Malatya in Anatolia. It was delight to leave the cold Anatolian plateau and arrive in Mesopotamia. Urfa and Harran more so no longer feel like Turkey, let alone Europe: This is the Middle East, After my mandatory visit to Göbekli Tepe, I dropped my luggage off at the hotel, a gorgeous historic town house in the old town. …

Teyuna, Colombia's Lost City, was inhabited between roughly 800 and 1650. It was only rediscovered about 50 years ago (ca. 1973) by looters. To get there now, you have to go on a roughly 30 mile round-trip trek, usually covering about 4 days. The site itself covers a few dozen hectares that have been cleared away, but there is thought to be a lot more still unrestored in the nearby jungle. The main features of the site are large circular terraces which used to hold the city's buildings. These circular terraces are one of the site's unique features. It's impressive to see how much was built here by the original inhabitants. Seeing how sparsely populated the jungle area is now, it also makes you appreciate how much bigger the population had to be in pre-Columbian times to build such a place. At the end of the trek to get there, the Lost City is 1280 stone steps up from the river. After a set of several circular terraces at the entrance, there's another impressive broad stairway that leads to the ceremonial apex of the site. 

With my guided trek, I had plenty of time to enjoy the site, and watch the morning sunlight slowly illuminate the line of terraces at the primary center. There is more to the site than the one standard photo you always see (like the one I attach) and it exceeded my expectations. The site is still used ceremonially by the indigenous people. There aren't …

I visited this tWHS as a stopover en route from Tequila to Punta Mita, Nayarit. Being just a slight detour, albeit adding several hairpins in a protected natural environment (on the way I spotted a coyote which probably was the only highlight of the day) and a few extra kilometres on cobbled streets which are mentioned in the nomination description, I sacrificed half day at the beach to explore the Historic Town of San Sebastian del Oeste in the western part of Jalisco.

Like Zacatecas, Guanajuato and Taxco, San Sebastian del Oeste (also a Puebla Magico) is a 17th-18th century gold and silver mining town. It is very small in comparison and it is set in a very rural setting in the Sierra Madre Occidental with several residents using horses as their main mode of transport along the few uphill and downhill cobbled streets of this quiet town. Distinguishing architectural features of this town, also mentioned in the nomination description, are the few white and red plastered brick and wooden constructions of this "pueblo minero". The best constructions which are still standing are those around the main square and the white church with light blue details, dedicated to the town's patron saint San Sebastian Martir. Most houses have small balconies adorned with bougainvillea adding more colours to the overall white and red atmosphere. I also diligently visited the tiny municipal hall to check out the two prison cells I read about in one of the many information boards in …

Getting here is not that easy. Looks easy on the map but the town of Antakya and it's typical Turkish double parking citizens cause massive traffic jams. You are almost better off taking the northern route back out of town and around the D-road, almost. Then if you do get to the church road, a small path leads up that is narrow enough for only two cars but of course half the side is being used for parking, so there is plenty of reversing and ducking into gaps to make space for other drivers. The small space at the church only has enough parking for 10 cars or less, but there is a big overflow lot just below.

For a site that offers very little the ticket price is quite expensive. Some ruins are a third of the price and gets you a lot. However, it's still not very expensive for tourist tickets really, and it is covered by the museum passes as well.

Once you paid the ticket you may enter through the shop, and wonder where the church is. Well, it's right there in the rock. So first thing is probably taking a pic from the outside (many locals prefer taking pics with the city in the backdrop), and then enter what supposedly is the first ever rock cave. Supposedly built by Saint Pierre, Apostle Peter, although there is no proof of any of that, it has some unique looks but I think their main goal …

I visited Taxco in Guerrero in December 2021. The Church of Santa Prisca and its surroundings are visible from quite a distance away from a viewpoint just before heading towards the chaotic but quaint town of Taxco. Its setting in the hillside reminded me a bit of Rocamadour in France and like it Taxco is very popular with Mexicans and international tourists alike.

Just next to the viewpoint before entering town, a makeshift information kiosk for tourists was a godsend not only for providing us a small map of the town and showing us from the viewpoint the approximate location of each highlight, but mostly for suggesting a number of estanciamentos (parking lots) immediately upon arriving, most of which charge around 15 pesos per hour. It is wise to park here not only because it's easy to leave town afterwards but also because on foot it's just a pleasant walk to the Church of Santa Prisca. When we visited there still was a Christmas flower display in front of the church making the intricate New Spanish Baroque facade of the church even more photogenic from the upper floor of the restaurants and bars just opposite. The intricate facade of the Church of Santa Prisca in a way is quite similar to that of the Zacatecas cathedral. Both churches proudly display the wealth generated by the silver mines in the 18th century in pink stone.

The Church of Santa Prisca was the tallest building in Mexico at the time, …

Turkey and its bridges... I think it's because of the already inscribed WH bridges that it thinks they should be worthy too. Well, it's a nice bridge from this angle but very ugly from the other due to the new bridge crossing the river, because once cars appeared it was clear the steps wouldn't work out for crossing. You can still walk over it and it's a sturdy, solid bridge.

The rooms used for "rest" are nowadays smelly and trashed so do yourself a favor and don't descent the narrow passages. After walking over and back you'll have seen everything. The highlight are a side shot that hides the ugly new bridge behind and you should be able to find a cat to pose for you too.

I visited this WHS in December 2021 and January 2022. I visited several locations that are already WHS on their own such as Mexico City, Zacatecas, Guanajuato, Queretaro and San Miguel de Allende, as well as a few other locations such as Aguacalientes, San Luis Potosi and Guadalupe.

Having walked 1,100km of the Routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and France and then visited other different sites along these European pilgrimage routes, I didn't have high expectations since I wasn't willing to walk any particular stretch of the Camino Real in Mexico. That said, from what I visited during my road trip from Mexico City to Zacatecas and back, I wasn't able to find any particular individual site or collection of sites which in my opinion would be deserving of inscription or possess any OUV. Unlike the Routes to Santiago de Compostela in Europe, the inscribed Camino Real is just part of the way in Mexico, perhaps the uninscribed part to Santa Fe, New Mexico, US has more to offer and would add more value to this WHS.

Most of the locations which are already a WHS, highlighting a particular minor building for the Camino Real WHS too, pale in comparison to the other colonial WHS in Mexico or other inscribed ways on the WH list. For example the former royal hospital of San Juan de Dios in San Miguel de Allende is now just another colourful building in a not so popular part of town which …

When you first get here it seems like something magical is awaiting inside the curious looking building, but turns out inside (don't forget to remove shoes but it's mot a mosque and women are allowed in) are just Ismael F. Inside isn't all that great and I always feel that tombs of religious or political figures should never be considered as an inscription, how Xerxes made it on the list is still debatable.

What's apparently great about the place is the light refraction mechanism. Once a year light is supposed to shine on the tower and refract it into the tomb. Does it really happen only once a year or is it not happening more often because they block off the light on other days. It seems more of a religious procedure that occurs once a year, and that would not fall on the same day due to modern calendars having leap years.

Either way, there is no way for me to see the magic of refraction and the tomb without it is not worth the sidetrip. Even on the day it occurs in March there will be no way to see it because the room is so tiny that only 10 people can fit in to see it and there are probably hundred lining up to see it.

*½ stars.

Turkey's worst entry into the world heritage list by miles (I think Xanthos gets a bad rep and should be a collection of sites anyway), it's not even easy to visit. The location is in the suburbs of Malatya and we are talking farm community, with odd roads and not even a proper parking lot. So I stopped at what had a "no parking" sign anyway just in front of the site. A 100m walk to the entrance and you are greeted by a guard. There are opening hours on a small sign but it seems one can only enter with a custodian, and they take turns. Maybe this isn't the case in high season but it makes sense because one enters a digsite and touching/damaging the walls is done easily. I had to wait for a couple of people to come out first and then the guard let me in. There are excellent displays as you make your way into the digsite, in Turkish, English and ITALIAN?!

There are layers of history here, the building isn't really recognizable as a palace, and all findings are taken to the nearby Malatya museum so you should make time for both. Just seeing the site is rubbish, but my rating is for the site alone. The remaining bits are shards of pottery and some sort of plumbing, and the highlight was clearly the "motif" as he said, the wall paintings. Usually they are roped off but he let …