 Australia's Great Barrier Reef |
 by Philip Game
Everyone recognises a World Heritage site or two, and many pass one every day, like the thousands of Sydney commuters who steam past that thing with the sails every time they embark from Circular Quay: the Sydney Opera House won its place on the World Heritage List in 2007.
Many World Heritage-listed sites are the obvious icons (Taj Mahal, Tower of London, Uluru), a few are regrettably lost to us already (the Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan), others are indeed little-known gems (Australia's desolate and inaccessible sub-Antarctic islands) and a handful appear to be politically inspired (the monuments of Kosovo?). Closer examination even turns up a few surprising omissions, like the cultural monuments of Burma. This article examines the World Heritage concept, its genesis, its successes and challenges.
More images
|
