Apr 22nd, 2013 at 4:00PM: A fort in The Gambia that was instrumental in stopping the slave trade has been given a new museum, the Daily Observer reports.
Fort Bullen was one of two forts at the mouth of the River Gambia, placed there in 1826 to stop slave ships from sailing out into the Atlantic. It stands on the north bank of the river, and along with Fort James on the south bank constitutes a UNESCO World Heritage ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
WorldHeritageSite posts
Gambia And UK Open Fort Bullen Museum, A Bastion Against The Slave Trade
Apr 22nd, 2013 at 4:00PM: A fort in The Gambia that was instrumental in stopping the slave trade has been given a new museum, the Daily Observer reports.
Fort Bullen was one of two forts at the mouth of the River Gambia, placed there in 1826 to stop slave ships from sailing out into the Atlantic. It stands on the north bank of the river, and along with Fort James on the south bank constitutes a UNESCO World Heritage ...China To Demolish Ancient Temple To Bolster World Heritage Site Bid
Apr 16th, 2013 at 8:00AM: Chinese officials have announced a controversial plan to demolish a number of buildings at an ancient Buddhist temple located in the city of Xi'an in the province of Shaanxi. This drastic move is intended to improve the site's possibilities for being designated a World Heritage Site, even as the inhabitants of the temple express their displeasure over the idea.
The 1300-year-old Xingjiao Temple ...Photo Of The Day: Morning Landscapes Of Hampi, India
Mar 15th, 2013 at 6:00PM:
The sun rises over boulders, the Tungabhadra River and the ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire's former capital to make a gorgeous golden landscape in today's Photo Of The Day, taken by Arun Bhat. Located in southwest India, this tide of rocks and history are a part of the Hampi World Heritage Site. At its height, the ancient capital was the largest city in the world. Now, it's home to countless ...Tallinn's Medieval Old Town
Feb 18th, 2013 at 10:00AM:
Tallinn is a medieval wonderland. The capital of Estonia isn't on a lot of people's bucket list but anyone at all interested in history, architecture or art will love this place.
The central attraction is Old Town, a medieval walled city filled with old buildings and fortifications. The sheltered bay and the easily defended Toompea Hill made it a natural place to settle. Sometime about 1050 ...Creationist Audio Tour Removed From Giant's Causeway
Oct 3rd, 2012 at 4:00PM:
The National Trust has removed a controversial creationist segment in their audio presentation from the visitor center at Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland, the BBC reports.
The National Trust, which manages the geological marvel and UNESCO World Heritage Site, opened a new visitors center there in July. Soon there were numerous complaints about one segment of the audio tour that stated ...Video: Virtual Tour Of Maeshowe, Scotland
Aug 30th, 2012 at 2:30PM:
I recently had the good fortune to visit the Orkney Islands to the north of Scotland and saw that region's amazing prehistoric archaeology. One of the most impressive monuments was the large vaulted burial chamber of Maeshowe. It was built around 2700 B.C., making it older than the pyramids at Giza, and is a masterpiece of stonework. Maeshowe is also famous for its much later (but still old) ...
Amazing 3-D Laser Scan Of Lalibela Rock-Hewn Churches In Ethiopia
Aug 23rd, 2012 at 9:00AM:
Of all the incredible monuments in Ethiopia, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are by far the most impressive. Starting in the 12th century A.D., Ethiopian rulers dug a series of churches out of the solid bedrock.
This architecture-in-reverse creates a bizarre and otherworldly scene. As you walk along the exposed rock, you come across giant holes in the stone filled with churches. Narrow ...
Google Street View Offers Virtual Trips Around Mexico's Ancient Monuments
Aug 22nd, 2012 at 4:00PM:
We've talked a lot about Google Street View here on Gadling. It seems that every month a new attraction is added to this amazing and somewhat sinister application.
The latest is a series of views of the great monuments of Mexico. Google has been cooperating with the National Institute of Anthropology and History to take images of important sites such as Teotihuacan, Palenque and Chichen Itza. ...The Leaning Colosseum Of Rome
Jul 31st, 2012 at 1:00PM:
Rome's iconic Colosseum is beginning to tilt, the Guardian newspaper reports.
The stadium where gladiators used to hack away at one another to cheering crowds has developed a distinct slant, with one side being 40 centimeters (15.7 inches) lower than the other. Archaeologists have been studying the tilt for a year and have confirmed that it is real and could pose a threat to the monument's ...Prehistoric Tombs And Viking Graffiti In Orkney, Scotland
Jul 26th, 2012 at 11:30AM:
There's something about death.
Graveyards, war memorials, mummified monks, Purgatory Museums ... if there's dead people involved, I'm there. That's why my 6-year-old son found himself crawling through prehistoric tombs with his dad on remote Scottish islands for his summer vacation.
He loved it, of course. He still has that wonderful sense of adventure children should keep into adulthood. ...The Heart Of Neolithic Orkney
Jul 25th, 2012 at 12:00PM:
For reasons that aren't very clear, the Orkney Islands just north of Scotland were the happening place to be 5000 years ago.
The temperature was warmer in Orkney back then, with forest and deer in addition to the abundant bird and marine life that still mark Orkney out as a natural wonderland. The Neolithic (Late Stone Age) people farmed the land and hunted game. They also built some of the ...How Could An Ancient City Survive In The Desert?
Jun 22nd, 2012 at 1:00PM:
The drive through the Syrian desert to the ancient city of Palmyra makes you wonder how anyone lived out here 2000 years ago. For hours you speed east from Damascus along a dusty desert road, the only sights being a few dull concrete buildings, Bedouin with their herds and a thick black telephone line snaking along the ground next to the highway.
Once you get to Palmyra, you find a lush ...Destruction, Looting Of Syria's Ancient Heritage Continues, Report Says
Jun 6th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria's many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we've talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of ...L'Anse aux Meadows: A Viking colony in Canada
Mar 15th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
The Vikings were some of the best sailors of the Middle Ages. They sailed all over the Mediterranean, far up the rivers of Russia and across the north Atlantic to colonize Iceland and Greenland. For a long time archaeologists wondered if they ever made it to other parts of North America besides Greenland. Although some Viking sagas mention a land called Vinland to the west of Greenland, no ...The Acropolis: Greece's most famous monument weathers the crisis
Feb 3rd, 2012 at 11:00AM:
Visiting Greece and not visiting the Acropolis is unthinkable. Set atop a high rock overlooking Athens, the temples here were built primarily to honor the city's patron goddess Athena in all her attributes. The buildings here are some of the best examples of Greek architecture and have had a profound effect on the architecture of all the Western world. While I have a preference for medieval ...Archaeologists blog as they excavate Nea Paphos World Heritage site
Nov 29th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
Archaeologists excavating at the ancient city of Nea Paphos in Cyprus have written about their work and discoveries in a blog.
A University of Sydney team has been working to uncover medieval walls built atop a Classical theater and investigating a public fountain dating to the first century AD, the Cyprus Mail reports.
Nea Paphos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was founded around 300 ...Excavations at ancient city of Perge in Turkey celebrate 65 years
Sep 12th, 2011 at 2:00PM:
Archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Perge in southern Turkey have reached their 65th year, the Hürriyet Daily News reports. This makes them the longest-running excavations in a country with a wealth of ancient sites.
Perge (aka Perga) is in Turkey's Antalya province and was founded 3,500 years ago by the Hittites. It became a prosperous Greek colony like Ephesus and ...Pyramids and monasteries among the many ancient monuments under restoration
Aug 10th, 2011 at 1:00PM:
Around the world, ancient monuments are crumbling. As our heritage wears away through neglect, "development", or simply the harsh treatment of time, some countries are doing something about it.
The pyramid of Djoser, the oldest of the pyramids of Egypt, will be the object of a major restoration effort. The government recently announced that funding has been earmarked for restoration after the ...Brochs: the prehistoric castles of Scotland
Aug 5th, 2011 at 12:00PM:
In Scotland, the past is still very much present. In rural areas you can hear people speaking Scots Gaelic or Lowland Scots like their forefathers did. There are castles and stone circles all over the region. The most enigmatic remains from the past are the brochs.
Brochs are mysterious drystone towers dating to around two thousand years ago. Built without mortar or nails, they're ...Conservation victory: Serengeti highway plans cancelled
Jun 26th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Plans to build a paved, two-lane highway through the Serengeti National Park have been canceled.
The road, which was supposed to bring better access to Lake Victoria, will possibly be rerouted further south to avoid having an impact on the Serengeti's rich wildlife.
There's already a gravel road across the park, but paving it would have attracted much more traffic and probably fencing. The ...
