An ultra-modern metropolis with a history of more than 2,000 years - Jongmyo Shrine 738; Changdeokgung Palace Complex 816; Royal ancestral ritual in the Jongmyo shrine and its music 00016; Kimjang, making and sharing kimchi in the Republic of Korea 00881; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Gwanghwamun What and Why Seoul ( Korean : 서울) is an ultra-modern city of stark contrasts. The city proper itself dates back to 18 BCE,

One of the most beautiful mediaeval European cities with a hint of former communist feel - Historic Centre of Kraków 29; Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow 01362 Old town square What and Why Kraków (pronounced /ˈkrakuf/) is always cited as one of the most culturally rich and beautiful cities in the world in various forum, so much so that its fame lands itself being the first batch of UNESCO WHS inscriptions in 1979. Banked on the Vistula river ( Polish : Wisła ) ,

Two-route Mannerist pilgrimage park that gives its visitors an air of serenity - Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: the Mannerist Architectural and Park Landscape Complex and Pilgrimage Park 905 Basilica of Saint Mary What and Why Kalwaria Zebrzydowska park ( Polish : Sanktuarium pasyjno-maryjne w Kalwarii Zebrzydowskiej ) is a beautiful and serene Mannerist , or late Renaissance , architectural and park landscape complex and pilgrimage park, built in the 17th century as the Counter Refo

Mediaeval church with frescoes of long-lasting legacy - Boyana Church 42; Bulgarian Chitalishte (Community Cultural Centre): practical experience in safeguarding the vitality of the Intangible Cultural Heritage 00969 Boyana Church What and Why The Boyana Church ( Bulgarian : Боянска Ц ърква, Boyanska Tsărkva ) is a mediaeval Orthodox church built in the 10th century located in the Boyana district, apparently the most well-off area of Sofia (София, Sofiya ) . The church is

The Pearl of Adriatic as if a page from Games of Thrones - Old City of Dubrovnik 95; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik 00232; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106 Dubrovnik What and Why Dubrovnik , known as the ' Pearl of the Adriatic ' by George Byron , is a city that comes out of the page of the mediaeval fantasy stories with the city being beautifully planned and constructed with brown marbles and limestones. The history of the ci

Resort island formed by molten lava - Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes 1264; Culture of Jeju Haenyeo (women divers) 01068 Ilchulbong (from internet) What and Why Jeju City ( Korean : 제주시, Jejusi ) is located on the island province Jeju ( 제주 ) , which the island was formed as a result of massive volcano eruptions. The island is famous for its various geological and volcanic formations, mainly responsible by the main volcano Hallasan ( 한라산 ) . Jeju is scientifically valua

Capital of ancient Silla - Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple 736; Gyeongju Historic Areas 976; Daemokjang, traditional wooden architecture 00461; Knowledge, beliefs and practices related to jang making in the Republic of Korea 01975 Jahamun of Bulguksa What and Why Gyeongju ( Korean : 경주) , formerly Seorabeol ( 서라벌), was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Silla ( 신라 ) from 57 BCE to 935 CE and hence this city is a definite must-visit if one is interested in Korean Pe

A city of contrasting unequals: Bollywood against traditional culture, mega-rich against slum; Victorian architectures against Hindu buildings - Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) 945; Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai 1480; Yoga 01163 Taj Hotel and Gate of India What and Why As in the subtitle, Mumbai ( Hindi : मुम्बई) is really a city of contrasting paradoxes: It is the epicentre of Bollywood movies featuring all sorts of fantasies,

Ancient town with 2,000 temples, pagodas and stupas - Bagan 1588 Bagan in evening haze What and Why Bagan ( Burmese : ပုဂံ) is famous for the being the land of thousand temples, and the famous picture of all these temples seemingly floating in a reddish haze can be taken easily, as above. All one needs to do is to go atop one of these temples at idawn, or sometimes dusk and with a simple digital camera or smartphone, voilà! These temples were mostly built during the area's

Once the world's largest commercial canal-based city with a picturesque mediaeval urbanscape - Flemish Béguinages 855; Belfries of Belgium and France 943; Historic Centre of Brugge 996; Safeguarding the carillon culture: preservation, transmission, exchange and awareness-raising 01017; Beer culture in Belgium 01062 Boatrip at Rozenhoedkaai What and Why Bruges ( Dutch : Brugge ) was at one point the commercial heart of the world, due its port and rivers. The city connects wi

Mediaeval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town - Old and New Towns of Edinburgh 728; The Forth Bridge 1485 What and Why Edinburgh ...

Mediaeval castle of power and the longest toponym - Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd 374 Caernarfon Castle What and Why Gwynedd is located in the northern part of now Wales , and was a kingdom by itself from the 5th till the 11th century, when it was conquered by England . The Kingdom of Gwynedd , partly a successor state to the Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum ) , built a number of fortified castles around the area of Caernarfon and Conwy . These cas

A derelict learnt city - Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba 995; Tango 00258; Cuarteto: music, dance and lyrics in the city of Córdoba, Argentina 00243 Cordoba Cathedral What and Why While colonialism carries a negative imperial connotation nowadays, it did bring a major historical impact in establishing the cultural order of a place, and Córdoba is an actual good example of this. With the Spanish conquistadores , the Jesuit order established this city in the late 16th c

Quiet town with a history of colonisation - Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento 747; Tango 00258 Colonia del Sacramento What and Why Colonia del Sacramento , meaning 'Sacrament Colony' in Spanish, was founded in the late 17th century by the Portuguese, sandwiched in between the Portuguese Colonial Brazil ( Portuguese : Brasil Colonial ) and the Spanish Vice Royalty of the River Plate ( Spanish : Virreinato del Río de la Plata ) , which later includes Argen

Imperial cultural city with the most fascinating bazaar - Medina of Marrakesh 331; Cultural space of Jemaa el-Fna Square 00014; Moussem of Tan-Tan 00168; Tbourida 01483; Date palm, knowledge, skills, traditions and practices 01509; Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous 01602; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951 Jemaa el-Fnaa at dusk (from internet) What and Why The

Modest capital of Morocco - Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage 1401; Mediterranean diet 884; Moroccan Caftan: art, traditions and skills 02077 Hassan Tower of Rabat What and Why Rabat ( Tamazight : ⴰⵕⴱⴰⵟ, Aṛṛbaṭ ) , meaning 'fortress' or 'stronghold', is a small, modern but low-key capital of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) . It is founded formally only in the late 18th century, and is the most recent of the four imperial cities, although the kasbah (Arabi

Whitewashed multicultural city - Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin) 837 Tétouan cityscape What and Why The story of the city itself gives a hint of the multi-cultural history of Tétouan ( Tamazight : ⵜⵉⵟⵟⴰⵡⵉⵏ, Tiṭṭawin ) . Founded in the 3rd century BCE, Tetouan became an important centre during the Roman era and it served as the main point of contact between Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) and Andalusia until the 15th century. After the reconquest (Spanish: Reconq

Labyrinth of medina - Medina of Fez 170; Arts, skills and practices associated with engraving on metals (gold, silver and copper) 01951 Fez tannery What and Why Fez ( Tamazight : ⴼⴰⵙ, Fas ) is the mediaeval capital and imperial city of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) founded by Idris bin Abdullah (Arabic: إدريس الأول‎) in the late 8th century, as a great city of high Islamic civilisation. Due to this important origin of the city, the city has grown non-stop since its inceptio

Imperial city of Spanish-Moorish style gates - Historic City of Meknes 793; Archaeological Site of Volubilis 836 Bab Mansour What and Why Founded in the 11th century by the Almoravid dynasty (Arabic: المرابطون, Al-Murābiṭūn ‎) as a military sentinel, Meknes ( Tamazight : ⴰⵎⴽⵏⴰⵙ, amknas ) became the capital of Morocco (ⵍⵎⵖⵔⵉⴱ, Lmeɣrib ) under Moulay Ismail ibn Sharif (مولاي إسماعيل بن الشريف ابن النصر‎) in the 17th century. Moulay Ismail turned Meknes into an impressive ci

Capital of art nouveau and pickpockets - Works of Antoni Gaudí 320; Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona 804; Human Towers 00364; Mediterranean diet 00884 Parc Guell What and Why Barcelona is now one of the most popular tourist cities, offering its visitors good art, football, food, culture, commerce and even science. It has developed itself as a significant global brand as a city and is considered one of the economic powerhouse in Spain ( Spanish