Let's Randomly Tour World Heritage Sites Quiz

Answer: Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik has acquired the nickname of "The Pearl of the Adriatic", and is picture postcard stuff with its white buildings and red roofs. The original addition to the UNESCO list was "The Old City of Dubrovnik" in 1979. This consisted of the the city's defences and the medieval city within the walls. An extension was made to the area covered under World Heritage status in 1994, when some cultural sites outside of the walls' perimeter were also included.

Dubrovnik serves as an excellent example of the valuable work that UNESCO do to try and ensure that sites featured on the World Heritage List are maintained. Following the huge damage caused during the siege that began in 1991, Dubrovnik was added to the list of "World Heritage Sites in Danger". UNESCO then supervised the restoration of parts of the city to their former beauty. This involved studying ancient manuscripts and using old techniques in order to ensure the authenticity of the reconstruction. As a result of this, Dubrovnik happily had its status of "Endangered" removed in 1998.

Answer: New Caledonia

Inscribed on the World Heritage List as "Lagoons of New Caledonia: Reef Diversity and Associated Ecosystems" in 2008, this site is one on the most extensive coral reef sites in the world. There is an astonishing array of biodiversity prevalent here, and it acts as a home to numerous threatened species including the dugong and green turtle.

One of the main threats to the World Heritage Site comes from nickel mining. New Caledonia's land contains a significant proportion of the world's nickel reserves, and mining operations have been expanding to exploit the riches that this resource gives rise to. Acid spills have worryingly occurred, but assurances have been made that the pollution into the lagoons meets with strict international standards.

Answer: Walter Gropius

This entry on the World Heritage list was made in 2008 as "Berlin Modernism Housing Estates". At the time, German architects were looking at revolutionary new ways of improving housing and living conditions for the lower classes. They developed and implemented their theories on social housing, which enabled factors such as hygiene and congestion to be improved. There are six subsidised housing estates (Siedlungen) that make up the list entry, and some of their features include large scale composition, blocks of flats, open balconies, trees and gardens.

Three of the most prominent artists associated with the "Berlin Modern Movement" are Walter Gropius, Bruno Taut and Martin Wagner. Taut and Wagner, are particularly associated with the development of housing estates such as the ones inscribed on the list. Walter Gropius has been one of the most significant figures in modernist architecture. He founded the "Bauhaus", a school which had a huge influence on modernist design. It had a plethora of major figures in the world of art and design associated with its activities.

Answer: Diamonds

Diamantina is a fine example of a town featuring colonial architecture specifically adapted to a local situation. The Portuguese adopted their native baroque style when building the town. They also had to mould the town to the mountainous terrain, as Diamantina is in a relatively wild landscape.

The locals are proud of their cultural heritage as exemplified by the long running "Festa do Divino", a religious procession that has been held annually for centuries. Some of the features of the town include steep streets, balconies and a fountain that should it be drunk from guarantees that the person will return to Diamantina.

Unfortunately, Diamantina declined as a centre for diamond mining when more bountiful and better quality diamonds were found in South Africa. It is also notable as being the birthplace of Juscelino Kubitschek, who was president of Brazil between 1956 and 1961 when the new capital of Brasilia was built.

Answer: Weimar

In order to become inscribed on the World Heritage List, a site has to meet certain criterion. "Classical Weimar" as it is inscribed, cites two criterion. The first relates to the artistic quality of a series of buildings and ensembles in Weimar, which include castles, parks and houses amongst others.

The second criterion is because it was a major cultural centre which played host to a number of writers that have had a lasting influence on German literature. Goethe is perhaps the most famous with his early 19th century work "Faust" being thought of as one of the masterpieces of German literature. Schiller wrote the 1804 drama "William Tell", which was subsequently adapted by Rossini into his famous opera. On the UNESCO website, the third name that was listed in the short summary was one that I hadn't heard of, Johann Gottfried Herder. Herder was a complex and original thinker, and at the core of many of his ideas was a celebration of the origins of national identity. He promoted language, folk tales and tradition as something that not only the German people, but any separate culture, should be proud of and make central to their profile. He believed that no nationality was singularly chosen by God, and none would ever be the singular holder of all wisdom. However, he did upset the Hungarians by forecasting that their nation would become assimilated with neighbouring peoples.

This period of "Weimar Classicism" followed on the heels of the "Sturm und Drang" movement, which was focused on the strong feelings that characterised the Romantic period of the 18th century. "Weimar Classicism" can be seen as attempting to reconcile this emotion with the more rational "Age of Enlightment" that had significant influenced the development of thought in early 18th century Europe.

Answer: Buddha

The "Mahabodhi Templex Complex at Bodh Gaya" is said to be the most sacred site related to Siddhartha Gautama. Vowing to sit under the Bodhi tree until he received enlightenment, the man that came to be called "Buddha" meditated day and night until he discovered the truth. Following on from this revelation, he then spent a number of additional weeks at sites in Bodh Gaya, where he began to teach others how they could also achieve enlightenment.

The temple complex at Bodh Gaya began when the Mauryan emperor Ashoka decided to make a pilgrimage to the site in the 3rd century B.C. He was responsible for the building of the first temple at the site, and some features of this work are still extant. The tall Mahabodhi temple that is the main feature of the temple complex dates from the late Gupta period in the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. It is a fine example of early Indian brick architecture, and also has some outstanding examples of sculptural stone relief work from the period.

Answer: St. Lucia

The Pitons offer an outstanding backdrop to St. Lucia as they rise out of the beautiful water and are covered in tropical vegetation. They have been recognised by UNESCO as the "Pitons Management Area", which covers the whole volcanic complex, part of a collapsed volcano. Sulphur springs provide first hand evidence that the area is still volcanically active.

Although its outstanding beauty is one of the reasons cited for the inclusion of this site on the World Heritage List, I was interested in what was meant by an "andesitic composite volcano associated with crustal plate subduction" that the area collectively represents. A composite or stratovolcano consists of alternate layers of lava and rocks. They tend to occur where there is a subduction zone. In the case of St. Lucia, the subduction zone involves an ocean plate pushing underneath a continental plate. This can lead to multiple eruptions which allows the composite layers to build up over time. Andesitic lava is distinguishable by being often found in large blocks with a smooth exterior and andesitic rocks contain plenty of crystalline goodies like feldspar.

Andesitic takes its name from South America's Andes mountains, though it is also found elsewhere in the world. What is so special about St. Lucia's andesitic landscape, is that the amount of geological features present in the "Pitons Management Area" allow you to see a complete history of such a volcano. Hopefully that will make you go "A'a".

Answer: Limestone

An alvar is a biological environment with a thin soil over a limestone base. The Stora Alvaret or Great Alvar, as this particular limestone plain is known, has a huge range of floral biodiversity as certain plants manage to thrive in these challenging conditions.

The "Agricultural Landscape of Southern Öland" provides lots of evidence on the development of agricultural practices over many centuries, and provides a fine example of how farming communities operated in Northern Europe during the Middle Ages. Part of the beauty of this site is how the land has been used mostly for the same purpose ever since the stone age.

One of the sights common across the alvar is the linear village, where each farm had to face the main village street, with the width of the property being strictly regulated.

Answer: Muslims

Although the UNESCO website suggests that "Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town" is the "fourth holy city", there are other contenders, with Kairouan in Tunisia appearing to be its main rival. It has been an important Islamic centre for many centuries but is slightly unusual in that it is situated in a predominantly Christian country. Islamic culture managed to flourish in Harar despite the differing ideology of their neighbours, and this is in much evidence in the city with a vast number of mosques and important religious sites on display. Harar was an important centre for trade and Islamic learning and was the centre of an independent kingdom and later, an emirate.

One of the things that is particularly interesting about Harar is how a unique culture developed here through a fusion of Islamic values and local African elements. It is possible to arrange a homestay in a traditional house, where you might expect to see regional craftwork on the stone walls of the residence. Other things to cast you eye over include the impressive fortifications and the house of French poet Arthur Rimbaud, who lived much of his last years here in the late 19th century.

Answer: The Jurassic Coast

Although listed by UNESCO as "Dorset and East Devon Coast", the Jurassic Coast is the name that has caught people's imagination. Over the years the coast has been constantly changing with erosion taking place that has created unique landscapes such as sea caves. The vast amount of incredible geological phenomena present on the Jurassic Coast makes this place a dream come true for those who are fascinated by the development of the earth.

It gets the name of the Jurassic Coast because of the ability to see a record of the development of the earth over million of years in the mesozoic era. With that era being the age of the dinosaurs, the fossil record in the area is extensive. The place came to international prominence in the early 19th century when a young girl named Mary Anning discovered an ichthyosaur skeleton near Lyme Regis. With geology only being an emerging science at the time, this discovery caused much excitement in the scientific community. This led some people to question the Christian creation story and gave rise to many speculations on what the creature could actually have been. A relative of the duck-billed platypus was one suggestion!

The place is now a haven for amateur fossil hunters as well as floods of tourists that can't resist the charms of this enchanting place. Having the endorsement of an organisation like UNESCO helps to ensure that this natural wonder is maintained for current and future generations to enjoy.