Latest additions to UNESCO World Heritage list

The Danube Limes, as part of the border of the ancient Roman Empire, has also been designated as a new World Heritage Site. The Lower Germanic Limes along the Rhine had previously been included in the World Heritage list. In Germany the Danube Limes extends over Regensburg to Passau. The ancient border stretched from Great Britain to North Africa.

Situated on the equator in northern Gabon, the largely pristine site encompasses an area of almost 300,000 hectares crossed by a network of picturesque blackwater rivers. It features rapids and waterfalls bordered by intact rainforest, which make for a landscape of great aesthetic value. The site's aquatic habitats harbor endemic freshwater fish species.

The serial property comprises 12 component parts consisting of ensembles of porticoes and their surrounding built areas, located within the Municipality of Bologna, with some elements dating back to the 12th century. These portico ensembles are considered to be the most representative among city's porticoes, which cover a total stretch of 62 km (38.5 miles).

Located in the Republic of Karelia in the Russian Federation, the site contains 4,500 petroglyphs carved in the rocks during the Neolithic period, dated 6,000-7,000 years ago. It is one of the largest such sites in Europe. The rock art depictions represent birds, animals, half-human and half-animal figures, as well as geometric shapes that may be symbols for the moon and the sun.

Joze Plecnik's architectural works, built in Ljubljana between World War I and World War II, present an example of a human-centered urban design that changed the identity of the city following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. With his profoundly human vision of the city, the architect contributed to transforming a provincial city into the symbolic capital of the people of Slovenia.

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, traders from Sudan came as far as West Africa. On the Ivory Coast, local and Islamic architecture intermingled. Eight well-preserved mud-brick mosques have now been declared World Heritage Sites. Today, they still represent important evidence of the trans-Saharan trade that facilitated the spread of Islam and Islamic culture.

The German cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz — located near each other along river Rhine — were a center of Jewish cultural life in the Middle Ages. Referred to as Shin, Vav and Mem in medieval Hebrew, the three towns are collectively known as ShUM cities. Worms is home to Europe’s oldest Jewish cemetery (pictured above).

The Roman Empire was protected by border fortifications known as the Limes. Three frontier sections are already on the World Heritage Sites list, now the Lower Germanic Limes joins them. Running 400 kilometers along river Rhine from Bonn to the Dutch coast, this military structure was established in the last decades B.C., lasting until the demise of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century A.D.

Nice joins France's more than 40 world heritage sites which include the banks of the river Seine in Paris, the Amiens cathedral, the Mont Saint Michel and stretches of the Loire Valley. The history of Nice, Mediterranean and Alpine, European and cosmopolitan, has produced an architecture and a landscape that are unique, a model for many other cities in the world.

This is Japan's Sannai-Maruyama site, containing remnants and reconstructions of a large Jomon-era settlement. This hunter-gatherer culture is thought to have lasted from about 13,000 B.C. to roughly 300 B.C.. Now a total of 17 Jomon sites have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list.

Peru's Chankillo complex, located some 360 kilometers north of the capital Lima, dates back to the early Horizon period (500 – 200 B#.C.). The Thirteen Towers (pictured) form a man-made horizon when viewed from below. The line of buildings, running north to south along a ridge, closely corresponds to the movement of the rising and setting sun over the year.

Ancient engravings found at Hima bear testimony to the rich cultural life on the Arabian Peninsula some 7,000 years ago. Well-preserved rock images depict hunting scenes, flora and fauna. Inscriptions are in different scripts including Arabic, Greek and Musnad, an old South Arabian script. The site is located along an ancient caravan route.

China's ancient Guangzhou port — once praised by Italian explorer Marco Polo as one of the most prosperous and glorious cities in the world — has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Situated on China's eastern coast, it played a key role in maritime Silk route trade.

India's Ramappa Temple, situated some 200 kilometers northeast of Hyderabad, has been designated a UNESCO Word Heritage site. The sandstone and basalt construction dates back to the early 13th century. It is deemed an exemplary piece of Kakatiyan era architecture.

These Mongolian Bronze Age sculptures have been added to UNESCO's prestigious World Heritage Sites list. The deer stones, as they are known, are engraved with highly artistic renderings of animals, weapons, shields and decorative patterns. Between one and four meters tall, the monuments are believed to have been dedicated to ancient chiefs and warriors.

Built between 1927 and 1938, the 1,394-kilometer-long Trans-Iranian Railway line connects the Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf, boasting no less than 360 bridges and 224 tunnels. The vast infrastructure project was paid for exclusively by Iranian taxpayers in order to prevent foreign interference.

68-meter-tall Cordouan Lighthouse is the oldest structure of its kind in France today. Designed by engineer Louis de Foix and in operation since 1611, the lighthouse occupies a rocky plateau at the mouth of Gironde estuary, meaning it can be accessed by boat only. UNESCO has now recognized its unique architectural and technological legacy.

Madrid's Paseo del Prado boulevard and Retiro Park have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. The sprawling space in the Spanish capital is home to numerous prestigious art institutions, including the Prado museum and Reina Sofia National Arts Center. Paseo del Prado dates back to the 16th century, whereas Retiro Park was established one century later.

Padua's famous 14th century frescos are now part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. Adorning the walls of eight religious and secular building complexes within the historic walled city of Padua, they include Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel fresco cycle. Crafted by different artists, they nevertheless maintain a unity of style and content.

Designed as an expansive defense network, the New Dutch Waterline encompasses 45 fortresses, six fortifications, various bunkers and waterworks, spanning a total of 85 kilometers. Operational between 1815 and 1940, its purpose was to prevent enemies advancing on the Netherlands. Tucked away in the landscape, many of these structures are easy to miss.

Hessian Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig founded the Mathildenhoehe artists' colony in the late 19th century to promote the arts and crafts. The eclectic site comprises numerous buildings, including a Russian Orthodox Church, exhibition halls and artist residencies. The site's iconic Wedding Tower was gifted to Ernst Ludwig and his wife by the city of Darmstadt in 1905.

Eleven historic spa towns, located across seven European countries, have together made the UNESCO World Heritage list. Among them are Baden-Baden and Bad Kissingen (pictured) in western Germany, both of which are famed for their natural mineral water springs. The British city of Bath, boasting well-preserved ancient Roman baths, is also included.