Germany: Nebra Sky Disc - Memory of the World

The Nebra Sky Disc features the oldest concrete depiction of cosmic phenomena worldwide. It was ritually buried along with two precious swords, two axes, two spiral arm-rings and one bronze chisel circa 3,600 years ago on the Mittelberg near Nebra (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) and dedicated to the gods. The bronze disc is considered to be one of the most important archaeological finds of the 20th century. It combines an extraordinary comprehension of astronomical phenomena with the religious beliefs of its period, that enable unique glimpses into the early knowledge of the heavens.

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Spain: Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park

The Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park are located in northern Spain and comprises the Natural Reserve ‘Rincón del Bú’ and the Reserva Natural ‘Caídas de la Negra’.

Belgium: Shrimp fishing on horseback in Oostduinkerke - intangible cultural heritage

Twelve households in Oostduinkerke are actively engaged in shrimp fishing: each has its own speciality, such as weaving nets or an extensive knowledge of Brabant draft horses. Twice a week, except in winter months, the strong Brabant horses walk breast-deep in the surf in Oostduinkerke, parallel to the coastline, pulling funnel-shaped nets held open by two wooden boards. A chain dragged over the sand creates vibrations, causing the shrimp to jump into the net. Shrimpers place the catch (which is later cooked and eaten) in baskets hanging at the horses’ sides. A good knowledge of the sea and the sand strip, coupled with a high level of trust and respect for one’s horse, are the shrimpers’ essential attributes. 

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India: Maratha Military Landscapes of India

The property includes twelve major fortifications, mostly in Maharashtra State, with one in Tamil Nadu. These forts, such as Raigad, Shivneri, and Sindhudurg, were built, adapted, or expanded by the Marathas between the late 17th and early 19th centuries. Strategically located on coastal and mountainous terrain, they formed a complex defence system supporting Maratha military dominance, trade protection, and territorial control. This network played a key role in the Marathas’ rise as a major political and military force.

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Ethiopia: Aksum

The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border. They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia. The massive ruins, dating from between the 1st and the 13th century A.D., include monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles. Long after its political decline in the 10th century, Ethiopian emperors continued to be crowned in Aksum.

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United States of America: White Sands National Monument - tentative

This property is a unit of the National Park System that includes more than 58,000 hectares (143,733 acres) at the northern end of the Chihuahuan desert.  It was established to protect vast dunes of gypsum sand that have engulfed more than 176,000 acres--along with the plants and animals that have adjusted to this changed environment.

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Japan: Sada Shin Noh, sacred dancing at Sada shrine, Shimane - intangible cultural heritage

Sada Shin Noh comprises a series of ritual purification dances performed every year on 24 and 25 September at the Sada Shrine in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan as part of the gozakae ritual of the changing of the rush mats. The dances are undertaken to purify new rush mats (goza), upon which the tutelary deities of the shrine will sit. The replacement of mats elicits their blessings for the community. Diverse types of dance are performed on a stage specially constructed within the shrine. In some, performers carry swords, holy wooden sticks and bells; in others, dancers wear masks depicting the faces of old men or deities and re-enact Japanese myths. 

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Belgium: Le plateau des Hautes-Fagnes - tentative

A l'est de la Belgique, le plateau hercynien pénéplané, puis à nouveau exhaussé, forme la série des collines ardennaises. Les plus élevées dessinent une ligne de crête, d'orientation sud-ouest nord-ouest, que l'on peut suivre depuis la Croix Scaille (505m), par la Barrière de Charnplon (589m), la Baraque de Fraiture (652m), la Baraque Michel (672m), le signal de Botrange (694m)' le Bovel (660m) jusqu'au massif de Hoscheit (600m). Les altitudes les plus élevées du pays s'observent à l'extrémité nord est de cette dorsale. A l'est, la région des collines se prolonge dans l'Eifel où l'altitude atteint 747m.

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South Korea: Taekkyeon, a traditional Korean martial art - Intangible Cultural Heritage

Taekkyeon is a traditional Korean martial art that makes use of fluid, rhythmic dance-like movements to strike or trip up an opponent. The graceful movements of a well-trained Taekkyeon performer are gentle and circular rather than straight and rigid, but can explode with enormous flexibility and strength. The feet play as important a role as the hands. In spite of its gentle impression, Taekkyeon is an effective martial art highlighting a broad variety of offensive and defensive skills employing all available fighting methods. It also teaches consideration: a skilled Taekkyeon practitioner can rapidly dominate an opponent, but a true master knows how to make an opponent withdraw without incurring damage. As a part of seasonal farming-related traditions, Taekkyeon serves to facilitate community integration, and as a sport accessible to all plays a major role in promoting public health. Taekkyeon is also practised by a great number of people as a daily activity. There are approximately fifty recognized practitioners of Taekkyeon at present, and the Korean Taekkyeon Association plays a significant role in the transmission and promotion of this traditional martial art.

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Italy: Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli

The Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli in Genoa’s historic centre date from the late 16th and early 17th centuries when the Republic of Genoa was at the height of its financial and seafaring power. The site represents the first example in Europe of an urban development project parcelled out by a public authority within a unitary framework and associated to a particular system of ‘public lodging’ in private residences, as decreed by the Senate in 1576. The site includes an ensemble of Renaissance and Baroque palaces along the so-called ‘new streets’ (Strade Nuove). The Palazzi dei Rolli offer an extraordinary variety of different solutions, achieving universal value in adapting to the particular characteristics of the site and to the requirements of a specific social and economic organization. They also offer an original example of a public network of private residences designated to host state visits.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0