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OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES AND WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT THEM


There are more than 1,000 UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites, which makes for a substantial bucket list by anyone’s standards. Our choice of 15 extraordinary destinations takes you around the world, from Chile to Canada, Iran to Indonesia.


1. PERSEPOLIS, Iran


Around 518BC, Darius the Great laid the foundations of the magnificent city of Persepolis, outside present-day Shiraz. Over 150 years, under Xerxes I and Artaxerxes, a sprawling palace complex emerged of vast stone statues, slender columns, sculptures of double-headed bulls and intricate carvings.


Sculpted friezes along the majestic staircase leading to the Apadana Palace are full of incredible humanising detail, the men’s curled beards and the long eyelashes of the camels.


Clues to life under Cyrus the Great, who ruled over the Achaemenid Empire, were found inscribed on stone and clay tablets found in the Treasury. Women of the time received equal pay as well as maternity leave and paid workers were used to build Persepolis, rather than slaves.


Travel on to the city of Isfahan and the Abbasi Hotel; see page 46. See page 61 for our tour to Iran.


2. ANGKOR WAT, Cambodia


There is something filmic about the presence of the ancient temple of Angkor Wat, surrounded by vast trees and calmly peopled by monks. It is the most splendid of the temples within the Angkor Archaeological Park, which stretches 400 square kilometres and contains the remains of Khmer capitals that flourished from the 9th to the 14th centuries.


Angkor Wat is the earthly representation of Mount Meru, home of the ancient Hindu gods and is still in use today. Its detailed bas reliefs tell of history and myth, while the temple is also home to 3,000 exquisitely carved apsaras, or heavenly nymphs.


The canals, reservoirs, temples with, in places, long tree roots fingering through the carved facades, and the lush landscape conspire to create a site of magic and deep spirituality.


Architectural Traveller | Page 18


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