The Great Courses - World Heritage Sites Exploring the World's Greatest Places

Sites designated by UNESCO highlight masterpieces of human creative genius, such as great archaeological sites, sublime works of religious architecture, monumental sculpture and painting, classic urban landscapes, and masterworks of architecture and engineering. Similarly, UNESCO also notes our planet's most magnificent natural features, physical and biological formations, and areas of noteworthy beauty and scientific value.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites comprise a breathtaking panorama of our world's greatest treasures, both natural and man-made, now encompassing sites in 167 countries. To be familiar with even a sampling of these sites is to appreciate and understand the masterworks of human endeavor down through history, as well as our world's most extraordinary natural wonders.
In World Heritage Sites: Exploring the World's Greatest Places, celebrated historian Justin M. Jacobs of American University takes you on a sumptuous tour of 24 of the most outstanding UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
In a fascinating cross-section of both cultural and natural heritage, you'll visit sites such as:
The Great Barrier Reef-Australia's massive ecosystem of iridescent coral reefs and incredible marine life, the largest structure ever created by living organisms;
The Taj Mahal-Considered by many to be the world's most beautiful building; a phenomenal monument to love and to the culture of India's Mughal empire;
Samarkand-Legendary jewel of the Silk Road, and repository of stunning medieval Islamic architecture;
Canada's Rocky Mountains-A natural marvel of astounding proportions, containing glaciers, ice fields, mountain ranges, archaeological sites, and a huge range of fauna and flora; and
Egyptian Thebes-Arguably the greatest religious complex ever built, where five centuries of pharaohs left their mark on resplendent temples and the most spectacular necropolis in the world.
Greatest Treasures of World Culture
The value and pleasure of this unique tour rests on Justin's brilliant presentation. Far from simply surveying the features of the sites at hand, he situates each site in its precise cultural context and history, and, in the case of the natural heritage sites, their geological and topographical history, biodiversity, and history of contact with humanity.
As a case in point, The Forbidden City, Beijing's majestic palace complex of the Chinese emperors, represents not just imposing imperial architecture, but a multilayered cultural story that made the site what it is. In presenting the spectrum of the site's treasures, Justin evokes the backdrop of two great dynasties, the Ming and Qing, as they combined to produce the singular structures of The Forbidden City. He shows how the individual palaces, temples, and gardens were used by the emperors, empress dowagers and consorts, eunuchs, and retainers.
Lavishly illustrated with vivid color photos, artworks, film footage, diagrams, and maps, the course takes you on a splendorous journey covering six continents. The result is a richly enjoyable dive into our planet's most extraordinary and memorable destinations for travel, study, and appreciation.
Dazzling Spectrum of Sites
In addition to seeing in-depth segments on famous sites such as the Acropolis of Athens, the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, Peru's Machu Picchu, and Japan's Mount Fuji (both a natural and cultural treasure), you'll also uncover other sites that may be somewhat less familiar, yet are equally extraordinary in their features and significance, such as:
Angkor Wat-One of the world's most superlative archaeological sites, nestled deep in the jungles of Cambodia. Take the measure of this vast temple which shows the influence of Hindu culture in the mighty Khmer Empire; a symbol of the political power of the Khmer, stunningly decorated with epic friezes of Hindu gods, legends, and apsaras (heavenly dancers).
Teotihuacán-The grandest city of ancient Mesoamerica, whose monuments rivalled those of both Egypt and Rome, and whose mysterious inhabitants left no written records. Survey the great expanse of the site and experience its culture and cosmology through the enigmatic Temple of the Feathered Serpent, the massive Sun and Moon Pyramids, and evidence of the city's customs and sacred rituals.
Virunga National Park-Located within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and one of Africa's and the world's premier national parks. Take in its fabulous landscapes, dormant volcanos, range of large mammals, birds, and other wildlife. Learn about its most famous resident: the critically endangered mountain gorilla.
Sacred Sites of Tibet-On "the roof of the world," these monuments to Tibetan Buddhism are deeply revered by the Tibetan people. Contemplate the iconic Potala Palace, traditional seat of the Dalai Lamas; the Jokhang Temple, the most sacred temple in the Tibetan world; and the Norbulingka, the Dalai Lamas' summer residence. Think of them in perspective against the background of Tibet's turbulent modern history.
China's Mogao Grottoes-Found along a transport route of the ancient Silk Road, 500 man-made caves hold an awe-inspiring array of Buddhist art, showing an amazing synthesis of artistic styles and cultural traditions. View the multitude of wondrous paintings and sculptures, as well as the grottoes' vast trove of Buddhist literature and texts, untouched for nearly a thousand years.
Persepolis-Testament to the glory of ancient Persia's Achaemenid Empire, the magnificent citadel of Persepolis embodies the ideology of an empire of vast size and unprecedented cultural diversity. Visit its monumental gateways, palaces, stairways, and audience halls. See how its glorious art pays homage to the diversity of an ancient civilization.
Breadth and Richness of UNESCO
In addition to physical locations, the UNESCO program also is involved in protecting humanity's common cultural heritage, which is less tangible but of considerable historical importance. In this category, you'll discover Thingvellir, the site of Iceland's Althing, an open-air parliament that convened for over 300 years, which comprised a singular and visionary form of self-government, and remains one of Iceland's great cultural and historical treasures.
You'll also visit the fabled Malian city of Timbuktu, with its extraordinary adobe mosques, but whose fame rests most significantly on its astonishing preserved trove of hundreds of thousands of ancient Arabic manuscripts that bear witness to the great medieval tradition of Islamic scholarship and learning.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites also include cultural masterpieces that no longer exist, yet more than deserve our knowledge and understanding. Using photos, illustrations, video footage and more, you'll explore the phenomenon of the Bamiyan Buddhas of Afghanistan, colossal and richly adorned statues, comparable in size to the Statue of Liberty, that were destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban. You'll also explore Palmyra, an ancient caravan city in Syria containing rich treasures of architecture, mostly destroyed in 2015 by ISIS.
Throughout the lectures, Justin's depth of historical knowledge, insight into these sites, and perspectives on the questions surrounding their preservation make this course a thoroughly compelling experience. In World Heritage Sites: Exploring the World's Greatest Places, you'll discover and enjoy 24 of the greatest wonders of our planet and its many cultures.
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