UNESCO registers additional world heritage sites

The Sydney Opera House in Australia and UNESCO's Red Fortress have been included in the list of the world's most valuable cultural heritage. Recognized in this round there is also a silver mine in Japan and an ancient fortress in Turkmenistan.

Archaeological ruins in Iraq's Samarra city are also included in the list, but are classified as threatened.

UNESCO agreed to change the official name of Auschwitz Concentration Camp in Poland. This camp is now called the Nazi Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration and Destruction Camp (1940-1945). Poland wanted such a change to make it clear that they had no role in establishing or operating the camp.

Sydney Opera House was honored as a great architectural work. (Photo: izforge.com)

The magnificent ruins

- The Sydney Opera House, built in 1973, is rated as "a great work of art that can be used entirely for society".

- India's Red Fort complex - built in 1648 - is honored for reflecting "all stages of Indian history from the Mughal period until independence" , UNESCO said.

- Iwami Ginzan silver mine on Honshu island of Japan dates back to the 16th century. The Parthian Nisa fortress area in Turkmenistan includes the ruins of two cities from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.

- Samarra - considered a holy site of Shiite Muslims - is home to magnificent ruins along the Tigris River and a 9th-century church.

The Indian flag flew over the roof of the Red Fort. (Photo: VNN)

Other areas added to the list include Gabon's Lope-Okanda landscape, the Richtersveld desert desert region of South Africa, Naminbia's Twyfelfontein and 1,800 sturdy tower houses in China's Guangdong province.

UNESCO is considering proposals from 39 different countries during a week-long meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand. 45 nominated sites are " competing " to be added to the World Heritage list. This list currently has 830 locations, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and has been constantly updated since 1972.

Thanh Hao