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Philadelphia Becomes the First American City to Become a UNESCO World Heritage Site

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Add World Heritage Sites to the list of Philadelphia firsts. The founding fathers first met in Philadelphia and the city was the first capital while Washington, D.C. was under construction. Philadelphia is the first American city to be named a world heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Philadelphia’s new title of World Heritage City joins the ranks of 266 other cities like Florence, Paris, St. Petersburg, Rome, and Jerusalem. Another 800 sites worldwide include temples, geographic locations, and landmarks like the Great Wall of China and the Egyptian Pyramids.

UNESCO selects sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of all of humanity. Under certain conditions, listed sites can obtain funds from the World Heritage Fund for upkeep and preservation. Many of the sites receive a boost from tourism, thanks to the awareness the UNESCO designation brings.

While each World Heritage Site remains part of the legal territory of the state or nation where the site is located, UNESCO considers it in the interest of the international community to preserve each site for future posterity.

Philly natives and all those who lobbied for the World Heritage designation call it a point of civic pride. They hope that the news will draw hundreds of millions of dollars to Philly in tourism revenue and strengthen Philadelphia’s international image.

”We have an opportunity to really look over the menu and decide what kind of relationship we’d like to foster,” said John F. Smith III, chair of the Global Philadelphia Association, which worked on the bid. “We would like nothing better than to connect people, to achieve commercial marriages, to let people start talking directly to each other … and see where it goes.”

Interestingly, UNESCO named a location in Philly as a World Heritage Site before the city. Independence Hall became a UNESCO heritage site in 1979. The council found Independence Hall significant to humanity because both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution–documents responsible for the founding of the United States–were signed there.

Increased city revenue from tourism is the biggest benefit. The city commissioned a study to weigh the benefits of such a designation before deciding to lobby for the title. The study found that a UNESCO designation has the potential to increase foreign tourism by ten percent to fifteen percent, amounting to an additional 60,000 to 100,000 additional visitors annually. The increase would create approximately $150 million per year in expanded economic activity, according to the report.

And domestic tourism could grow by a modest one percent to two percent but generate an additional $100 to $200 million in economic impact, according to the study.

But the benefits of the UNESCO designation go beyond an increase in tourism. Denis Ricard, secretary-general of the Organization of World Heritage Cities, added that Philadelphia will gain access to many funded programs that assist cities maintain and promote their heritage.

“It opens up a full network of cities around the world,” said Ricard.

10 of the Most Beautiful World Heritage Sites Worth Visiting

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Every year, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) announces a selection of global sites deemed to have “outstanding universal value.” The locations are added to their World Heritage Site list.

A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO as being of special cultural or physical significance. The first destinations named in 1978 included only 12 locations. Today, there are more than 1,000 sites on the list to visit all over the world. Some are cities, or mountains or even vineyards. Most are stunning locations worthy of any travel lover’s bucket list. Here are 10 of the most beautiful world heritage sites worth visiting:

1. The Taj Mahal

Located in Agra, India, The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic UNESCO World Heritage sites. Built in the early to mid 17th Century, it was commissioned in 1632 by the emperor to house the tomb of his favorite wife. The stunning marble mausoleum attracts visitors from around the world for its photogenic white marble architecture.

2. Pyramids of Giza

Just outside of Cairo’s city center, this complex of ancient monuments includes three pyramids known as the Great Pyramids, the Great Sphinx, several cemeteries, and a workers’ village. They are also the oldest of the seven wonders of the world.

3. Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park in California is one of the most visited National Parks in the United States. Best known for its waterfalls and its massive, ancient Sequoia trees, but within the park’s nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, tranquil meadows, a giant granite face, and much more.

4. Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu in Peru is a mysterious, Incan city set high in the Andes Mountains. Archeologists believe it was built in the 15th century and later abandoned. The city’s layout includes buildings that play on astronomical alignments, and panoramic views over the valley.

5. Historic Center of Florence

Italy is full of incredible cities with a fascinating history. The city of Florence is built on the site of an ancient Etruscan settlement. It’s the symbol of the Renaissance and rose to economic and cultural power under the Medici family in the 15th and 16th centuries. Its 600 years of extraordinary artistic activity can be seen in its buildings and the works of great masters like Botticelli and Michelangelo.

6. The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China runs 5,500 miles across China’s east-to-west line across the historical northern borders to protect the empire against the raids and invasions of nomadic groups. It’s the only man-made structure that can be seen from outer space. Especially famous is the section of wall built from 220–206 BC.

7. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Cambodia’s Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. It’s known as a Buddhist temple but was once a Hindu place of worship.

8. Medina of Marrakesh

The Medina is the center of Marrakesh, Morocco and home to busy, colorful and vibrant outdoor market that sells everything from leather, rugs, and jewelry to spices.

9. Plitvice Lakes, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia is world famous for its stunning lakes arranged in cascades. The location’s 16 lakes and the green surroundings make for some beautiful photographs.

10. Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

The ancient city of Jerusalem, Israel is sacred to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Towering walls, colorful markets, and historic, narrow alleyways make this a destination worth a visit.

 

UN’s Blue Helmets to Protect World Heritage Sites from Islamic Attacks

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Following the destruction of some of the world’s famous UN heritage sites, including Palmyra in Syria, the United Nations has taken a bold move to protect all the sites which are at a risk of possible subsequent attacks. Through a statement released to the media, Dario Franceschini, the Italian culture minister, announced that the United Nations will be moving to protect heritage sites with the help of blue helmets. He further expressed his concerns on the issue, stating that the international community wouldn’t sit back and watch the persistent terrorist attacks, especially after the images of Palmyra were released. According to him, 53 countries, including the permanent members of the Security Council, fully supported the proposal and consequently voted for it.

The United Nations, which has already deployed peace-keeping troops to the war torn region, will add important heritage sites to its protection list. Therefore, in addition to protecting potential war victims, the United Nations will now have to position troops around and within the sites which are relevant to the world’s heritage. This is after mapping out the sites in the war zone which are at a significantly high risk of being destructed by Islamic State fighters.

Minister Franceschini further expressed the urgency of the matter, calling for the UN to “immediately define the operational aspects of this task force”

The blue helmets, otherwise popularly referred to as United Nations Peace-Keepers, are a specialized troop of soldiers who are deployed in natural disaster and war zones to take charge and prevent further destruction and loss of lives.  As they prepare to undertake the mission, the Italian Minister indicated that they will largely benefit from Italy’s cultural and heritage police expertise, which has repeatedly come in handy during training missions in different parts of the world.

The United Nations’ intervention comes at a convenient time, considering the anxiety and international fears triggered by the IS control of Palmyra in May. They caused a lot of irreversible damage on the UNESCO World Heritage listed city. Other heritage site destructions by the militants include the Temple of Baal Sharmin, which came down in August after being blown up; Nimrud and Khorsabad, an ancient Assyrian capital; and Hatra. All these sites are located in Syria and Iraq, a region that has predominantly witnessed successive IS militant attacks.

This is not the first time UNESCO world heritage sites have been threatened by Islamic Militants. In fact, they are accused of carrying out attacks in Timbuktu, consequently demolishing ten historic and religious monuments in the world famous ancient city.

It’s now up to the UN Blue Helmets to prevent further destructions, as the United Nations continues to assess the crisis and strategize on additional measures to restore peace in the troubled region. At the moment, refugees continue trickling into Europe as they flee from the warzone, where more than 200,000 people have lost their lives.

Interesting Facts You probably Didn’t Know About America’s History

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Sure, the Declaration of Independence was signed in the year 1776, and George Washington was the first United States president. Such well-known facts are widely acknowledged by Americans as events which collectively built this liberty-loving nation. However, they are just a drop in the ocean of actual series of events throughout America’s history. There are many other interesting, least-known facts on events which occurred through the centuries America was shaped into the country it is today. Here are 5 of the most captivating ones:

  1. Robert G. Heft, a 17 year old kid, came up with a 50 star flag design that his teacher termed as “mediocre”, for his school project. He was consequently awarded a B-, a grade that his tutor promised to change if the Congress accepted it. Interestingly, against all odds, Congress was moved by the design which was subsequently adopted as the official American flag in 1959. As for young Robert, he was ultimately awarded a grade A by his previously pessimistic teacher.

 

  1. In a strange court case that was held on the 25th of September 1820, the public, represented by Salem NJ, largely believed that tomatoes were poisonous. In bid to clear all doubts, Robert Johnson did exactly what other people were afraid of doing- he ate an entire basket of tomatoes in front of crowd that had gathered to witness the proceedings. Seeing he remained alive after his heavy fruit meal, the case was immediately dismissed.

 

  1. In addition to serving as the country’s first president, George Washington was also an alcohol manufacturer and distributor, owning and running one of the biggest distilleries at that time. He erected it after James Anderson, a scot who managed his farm, convinced him that his corn and rye farm product would generate additional income if he made whiskey from it. The 2250 square foot distillery was supplying more than 11,000 whisky gallons to American citizens by the year 1799.

 

  1. Both Democratic and Republican party symbols were not influenced by any political inspirations. The Republican elephant gradually became the official party symbol after a Thomas Nast, a satirical cartoonist, depicted a republican vote through the drawing of an elephant. The Democratic Party’s symbol on the other hand, came into being after Andrew Jackson was referred to as a “jackass” by his opponents in the 1828 elections.

 

  1. During the peak of World War Two, right before the Hiroshima bombing, the Japanese came up with a thoughtful way of hitting the United States with Intercontinental bombs. Taking advantage of the strong American on-shore winds, they tied the bombs to hydrogen balloons and let them float all the way to American Coast. Dubbed the “Fu-Go” campaign, the Japanese released over 9000 bombs which were expected to take 30 to 60 hours to land and decimate Americans. Although many of them landed and exploded, only 342 of them made it to the US mainland.

 

It’s believed that there were many other interesting events, which will unfortunately never be fully recognized due to limited documentation methods in the past. Some however, are allegedly state’s secrets, only open to a select few who make it to the white house.

Travel to Worldwide Heritage Sites before They Are Destroyed

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This Islamic state terrorist group, better known as ISIS, is on a rampage completely destroying famous heritage sites in an attempt to fund their terrorist activity. The most recent target of the group was the Arch of Triumph, which was iconic to the city of Palmyra, a city located in Syria. This site dated back to Roman times and was a gateway to the city’s colonnaded ruins. One by one, these famous worldwide heritage sites are being attacked with bulldozers and explosives by ISIS followers. They feel the need to continue the war on the cultural heritage of both Iraq and Syria since they took over territories in 2014.

Isis’s prime motivation is money. A better idea would be to simply go to title loans Corpus Christi.

Other Syrian Heritage Sites, Destroyed

Palmyra-A video released in August showed the mass destruction of the Temple of Baalshamin, also located in the ancient town of Palmyra, Syria. The larger Palmyrene temple, which was dedicated the god Bel, was completely leveled through the use of explosives. Following the groups takeover in May, militants made false promises to leave the columns and temples untouched. They even publicly executed a Syrian archaeologist who oversaw excavations in the area. It seems that the ISIS group is looking to destroy every site that is representative of any pre-Islamic groups, which celebrated difference, and will not stop until they are all destroyed. Before being destroyed, ISIS members have looted the areas in search of ancient artifacts that can be sold to fund more acts of terrorism. It is only a matter of time before all famous Syrian heritage sites are destroyed, and remembered only through photographs.

Mar Elian Monastery– ISIS is really trying to make a statement with all the demolition in Syria, and even goes as far as posting photos and videos to popular social media sites. The Mar Elian Monastery is a Christian monastery captured in August, very close to Palmyra. Mar Elian was a saint and the monastery paid tribute to a site that once sheltered hundreds of Christian Syrians. The site was bulldozed by ISIS, completely toppling the walls around the monastery.

Country of Iraq heritage sites, completely gone

In addition to Syria, ISIS also completely took over Iraq, and you guessed it, has been completely ruining popular sites around the country. In March, the organization destroyed Khorsabad, the ancient Assyrian capital. Shortly after, they provided the world a look at their destruction of Hatra and Nimrud. Hatra was located on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, and the capital of an independent kingdom. When ISIS took over, they used the area for training camp. The group used ancient sculptures and buildings for target practice, completely destroying the area. Nimrud was the very first Assyrian capital, excavated in the mid 1800’s. Luckily, archaeologists who discovered several stone sculptures sent the items to famous world museums, which will remain untouched by ISIS. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for the site itself, which has a wide range of damage.

Imam Dur Mausoleum- Last October, ISIS had the idea of completely blowing up the Imam Dur Mausoleum in Iraq, close to the city of Samarra. This site was home to a medieval Islamic architecture, and was a beautiful sight to behold. Now it is completely gone, for the rest of eternity.

 

The list of famous heritage sites destroyed by ISIS members just continues to grow, and there are several other sites not listed. The reality of the situation is that human beings were not given the opportunity to visits these sites safely in recent years, and because of the ISIS terrorist group, they never will. The world is filled with ancient locations with amazing sites. Could you imagine one of these sites in your country or hometown being destroyed by ISIS? What is going to happen once they completely destroy all heritage sites in Syria and Iraq? What area of the world will they destroy next?

 

Canadian Tourist Arrested Exposing Greater Problems with Atlanta PD

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Last week, Atlanta’s finest gave a Canadian tourist visiting our fine city a sense of true American justice. Randy Kanuick was visiting Atlanta from his native province of Saskatchewan. He was heading to the Atlanta Braves Toronto Blue Jays baseball gave Wednesday with his nephew, when he got into a fender bender on the way to the ballpark. The Atlanta Police Department quickly arrives on the scene. The officer charged Randy with failure to maintain a lane (Randy said that he was trying to get around a stopped delivery truck). Shortly after, Randy was cuffed and taken to the Fulton County jail, where he was forced to go in front of a magistrate and had to place bond after spending 6 hours in a cell. Randy’s 22 year old nephew was left off the side of the highway and ended up missing the baseball game.

Randy’s overall fine was $75 and his bond was $158 (that’s American not Canadian dollars). In the squad car on the way to the jail, Randy questioned the arresting officer, only to be told that he was being arrested because he is a foreigner from Canada and therefore might leave the state without paying the fine. When questioned by local news outlets, an Atlanta Police Department spokesperson offered a canned explanation about the department’s ability to arrest anyone that committed a traffic violation.

Shortly after the incident, Canadian news outlets picked up the story and accused the Atlanta police department of targeting and discriminating against foreign visitors. Their reaction is startlingly naïve to residents of this city that have had to live under the tyrannical rule of Atlanta PD for too long.

To any objective observer, the Atlanta Police Department is a lawless, unaccountable institution, engaged in systemic violence and brutalization of its citizens. The department refuses to police its own and the often corrupt, racist officers are beholden to a code of silence where even the worst kind of misconduct goes unpunished. For example in 2013, a cell phone video captured officers striking an African American man multiple times as he lay on the ground. The video shows a clear case of police brutality. However, Chief of Police George Turner responded that “the individual was continuing to resist the arrest,” a conclusion that could have only been reached if Turner completely ignored the contents of the video. Earlier, off duty police officer Jose Vidal slugged a woman at a Buckhead IHOP restaurant in an attempt to arrest her. After the brutal video made its way to YouTube, the police department moved Vidal to desk duty, but refused to fire him. Eventually, they cleared Jose Vidal of any wrongdoing, but not before the victim filed several lawsuits against the city seeking damages.

The Atlanta Police Department is an organization in need of reform. If brutal beatings and unprovoked shootings will not cause politicians and department leadership to demand change, perhaps a minor fender bender involving a Canadian will. Randy Kanuick, for his part, vows to never return to Atlanta and to spend his hard earned dollars elsewhere.

 

Filed Under: Law