World Heritage List Criteria

To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria. Let's take a look at what these are!

 

Here is the website for information on the Criteria for Selection and I have also summarized it a little here.

A World Heritage site must complete ONE of the following: 

 

(1) represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;

(2) exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;

(3) bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;

(4) be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;

(5)  be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture/ cultures, or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change;

(6)  be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance. 

(7) to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;

(8) to be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;

(9) to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;

(10) contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

My images are possibly the most well-known World Heritage Sites. In fact, Stonehenge is one of the most famous sites in the world and Britain's greatest national icon. It is possibly the most popular natural site on the list. Vatican City is one of the most important cultural sites on the list. The small slice of the city that the image represents is packed with more history and artwork than most cities in the world.