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Palmyra (Syrian Arab Republic) ¡ª (1995)

Palmyra, the ¡°city of palms¡±, was founded towards the end of the third millennium BC in an oasis between the Orontes and the Euphrates rivers in the heart of the Syrian desert. It was the capital of Palmyrene, an ally of Rome at the beginning of the Roman empire in the late first century BC. It enjoyed a golden age during the reign of Queen Zenobia in the third century AD, until it was sacked by the Roman emperor Aurelian in 273.

In the following centuries it recovered some of its importance, but never again played its former role. Its ruins, however, are among the most important of late antiquity. One original feature of Palmyra is funerary sculpture whose hieratic images and spiritual intensity transcend Greek, Roman and Persian influences and foreshadow Byzantine art.

Palmyra was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1980. UNESCO minted a commemorative medal 15 years later. The obverse bears the inscription Palmyre in French and Arabic, and offers a view of the Grand Colonnade. On the site¡¯s main thoroughfare, it is lined with porticoes and nine-metre-high Corinthian columns. The reverse bears the UNESCO logo.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Potosi? (Bolivia) ¡ª (1993)

Around two billion ounces of silver were extracted from the Bolivian city of Potos¨ª¡¯s Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) during the Spanish colonial era. Its silver paved the city¡¯s streets, fuelled the European Renaissance and helped fund the ¡°Invincible Armada,¡± the Spanish fleet that sailed against Elizabethan England in 1588. Indeed, the mining area of Potos¨ª was regarded as the world¡¯s largest industrial complex in the 16th century. Today¡¯s local mining methods have changed little over the years.

Potos¨ª was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987, an event which UNESCO commemorated with the issue of the medal in 1993. UNESCO is active in the restoration projects for some 2,000 colonial buildings and is monitoring the conservation of the Cerro Rico¡¯s mining installations, which include tunnels, furnaces, hydraulic mills and a network of aqueducts and artificial pools, as well as areas where workers once lived.

Designed by the Bolivian artist Benedicto Aiza Alvarez, the medal¡¯s obverse shows a dome of the Royal Mint and the bell tower of the baroque cathedral, with the Cerro Rico in the distance. The reverse bears the World Heritage emblem.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Dubrovnik (Croatia) ¡ª (1990)

The medieval commune of Dubrovnik was founded earlier than the seventh century AD and grew first under Byzantine and then Venetian rule. Its urban fabric dates from the 13th century, when its imposing fortifications began to be built. These 1,940-metre-long walls and ramparts still stand intact. The austere elegance of the historic centre is a perfect blend of Gothic, Renaissance and baroque architecture. The Old City¡¯s style and identity have survived despite being hit by many earthquakes over the centuries, including one in 1667 and a more recent one in 1979, the year it was put on the World Heritage List.

The repair work was not yet complete when the city was again damaged by armed conflict in 1991, and consequently placed on the World Heritage in Danger List. In 1993, UNESCO launched an action plan to save Dubrovnik and specialists began to work. The city was finally taken off the danger list in 1998.

To mark UNESCO¡¯s campaign for the safeguarding of the city, a commemorative medal was minted in 1990. The medal¡¯s obverse features a view of the Old City from the sea, with the still-intact enclosure walls in the foreground. The first edition of the medal bore the inscription Yougoslavie, the current edition is marked Croatia. The reverse bears the UNESCO World Heritage emblem.

Available in silver and bronze

Sana¡¯a (Yemen) ¡ª (1987)

Situated in a mountain valley at an altitude of 2,200 metres, Sana¡¯a, the celebrated Pearl of Arabia Felix, has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years. In the seventh and eighth centuries the city became a major centre for the propagation of Islam and a crossroads of two trade routes. This religious and political heritage can be seen in the 103 mosques, 14 hammams and over 6,000 houses, all built before the 11th century. Sana¡¯a¡¯s sun-dried ramparts enclose splendid many-storied buildings of rammed earth with dazzling white decorative motifs, vast palaces and numerous mosques.

In 1984, UNESCO launched an international campaign to safeguard the Old City, threatened by the inroads of modern civilisation. Its inscription on the World Heritage List followed two years later, and the commemorative medal was struck in 1987. The obverse features the Bab-el-Yemen, one of the gates of the Old City, with the Arabic inscription of the International Campaign for the Safeguarding of the Old City of Sana¡¯a and, in the foreground, the country¡¯s flag at the time. The reverse has the UNESCO logo and the French title of the campaign: Campagne internationale pour la sauvegarde de la vieille ville de Sana¡¯a.

Available in gold, silver and bronze

Plaza Vieja, Havana (Cuba) ¡ª (1986)

Founded by the Spanish in 1519 in the stunning natural setting of a bay, Havana soon became the largest and the best-protected port in the Caribbean region and a necessary stopping-point during crossings between the Old and New Worlds. The city¡¯s Plaza Vieja (Old Square) is the fruit of the first attempt at urban planning in this part of the world, combining different styles - baroque, neoclassical, art nouveau - in an authentically Cuban composition. The homogeneous ensemble of private houses with arcades, balconies, wrought-iron gates and internal courtyards represents an architectural style that is the most representative of this synthesis of various cultures crisscrossing in the Caribbean.

Old Havana was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1982. A year later, UNESCO launched a safeguarding campaign to give back authentic character to the Plaza Vieja and its buildings. The commemorative medal was struck in 1986 based on a design by Cuban artist Luis Miguel Vald¨¦s. The obverse shows a circular view of the square surrounded by its historic buildings. The reverse has a stylized map of the square with the inscription La Habana ¨C Plaza Vieja, UNESCO 1986.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Istanbul and Go?reme (Turkey) ¡ª (1984)

In 1983 UNESCO launched an international campaign for the safeguarding of the historic quarters of Istanbul and the G?reme valley in Cappadocia. Istanbul is strategically located between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and has been associated with major political, religious and artistic events for more than 2,000 years. Its architectural masterpieces were under threat from population pressure, industrial pollution and uncontrolled urbanization.

The G?reme valley in western Turkey is famous for its spectacular landscape entirely sculpted by erosion and its rock-hewn sanctuaries providing unique evidence of Byzantine art in the post-Iconoclastic period. Dwellings, troglodyte villages and underground towns ¨C the remains of a traditional human habitat dating back to the fourth century ¨C can also be seen there.

UNESCO minted the medal in 1984 from a design by Turkish artist Handan Borutegene. The obverse features the Suleimaniye mosque in Istanbul. The reverse shows a view of G?reme¡¯s uniquely-shaped rock outcrops underneath a Virgin and Child from one of the churches hewn out of the living rock. Istanbul and G?reme were added to the World Heritage List in 1985.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Hue? (Viet Nam) ¡ª (1983)

Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hue was not only the political but also the cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty until 1945. The Perfume River winds its way through the Capital City, the Imperial City, the Forbidden Purple City and the Inner City, giving this unique feudal capital a setting of great natural beauty. Ravaged by war, monsoons and vegetation, the palaces, mausoleums and pagodas built in the early 19th century were the subject of an international safeguarding campaign launched in 1981.

The commemorative medal was minted in 1983 from a design by the Vietnamese artist Diem Phung Thi and an engraving by H. Thiebaud. The obverse shows the seven-storey Thien Mu Pagoda, built in the mid-19th century and one of the most venerated sites in Hu¨¦. The reverse carries a calligraphic and architectural symbol. The complex of Hu¨¦ monuments was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1993.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Fez (Morocco) ¡ª (1982)

In 1980, UNESCO launched a campaign to safeguard the cultural heritage of the city of Fez. Founded in the ninth century and home to the oldest university in the world, Fez reached its height in the 13th-14th centuries under the Marinids, when it took over from Marrakesh as the capital of the kingdom. The urban fabric and the principal monuments in the medina ¨C madrasas, fondouks, palaces, residences, mosques, fountains, etc. ¨C date from that period. Fez became a focal point for Islamic thought and art, and also an affluent commercial centre. It was at the crossroads linking the Mediterranean to Black Africa and the eastern Maghreb to the Atlantic. Although the political capital was transferred to Rabat in 1912, Fez has retained its status as the country¡¯s cultural and spiritual capital.

The Medina of Fez was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981. A year later, the commemorative medal was struck by the Paris Mint. Designed by Ahmed Benyahia and engraved by Pierre Javaudin, the obverse shows the minaret of the Qarawiyin Mosque. F¨¨s and UNESCO are inscribed in French and Arabic; beneath the minarets, bottom center and left, are markings, Javaudin d¡¯apr¨¨s AB (Javaudin based upon AB) referring to the engraver and the initials of the medal¡¯s designer. The reverse shows a decorative motif typical of the local style.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

La Citadelle (Haiti) ¡ª (1981)

In 1980, UNESCO launched an international safeguarding campaign for the monuments and sites of Haiti. The campaign was primarily concerned with Citadelle Laferri¨¨re, known for the imposing bulk of its geometrical structure and as a symbol of emancipation of black slaves. When the new republic came into being in 1804, the principal leader of the Haitian revolution, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, ordered General Henry Christophe, who would later become king, to build the gigantic fortress, whose construction engaged some 20,000 men. Covering a surface of about a hectare, it was built on the summit of a 970-metre peak, the better to protect Haiti should the colonial forces return to attack.

The citadel is one of three monuments in the National History Park included on the World Heritage List in 1982. Designed by Jo?lle Paryski, the medal¡¯s obverse features a view of the fortress, inscribed Ha?ti La Citadelle, UNESCO 1981. The reverse bears the inscription Les armoiries du Roi Henry Christophe, 1767-1820, B?tisseur de La Citadelle (The arms of King Henry Christophe, 1767-1820, Builder of the Citadel). In the middle is the king¡¯s coat of arms, a crowned phoenix rising from the flames, with stars in the firmament and the words, Je renais de mes cendres. (I am reborn from my ashes.) The medal was issued in 1981.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Nubia (Egypt and Sudan) ¡ª (1980)

The construction of the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s, although a necessity for the economic development and well-being of the peoples of Egypt and Sudan, threatened to submerge the 3,000-year-old monuments and temples of ancient Nubia. UNESCO launched an international campaign in 1960, inviting the community of nations to extend financial assistance and technical expertise for the safeguarding of these temples.

Over a period of 20 years, six groups of monuments in Egyptian and Sudanese Nubia were painstakingly dismantled stone by stone, and were moved and reassembled on other sites. The scale of the project and the immense technological challenge it generated - a total of 22 monuments and architectural complexes, requiring the assistance of 40 technical missions from five continents - were unprecedented in UNESCO¡¯s history.

To celebrate 20 years of international solidarity and the successful conclusion of the enterprise in 1980, this medal was struck in Germany by the Staatliche M¨¹nze, Karlsruhe. Designed by Annick Maignen, the obverse shows the Kiosk of Trajan at Philae, partly submerged by the rising water level. The reverse features the head of Ramses II from the Abu Simbel Temple. The Nubian monuments from Abu Simbel and Philae were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.

Available in gold and silver.

Kathmandu (Nepal) ¡ª (1979)

At the crossroads of the great civilizations of Asia,, the monuments of the Kathmandu Valley illustrate Nepalese art at its height. These comprise seven groups of Hindu and Buddhist sites, as well as the three residential and palace areas of the royal cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Among the 130 monuments are pilgrimage centres, shrines, bathing sites and gardens ¨C all places of veneration for both religious groups.

UNESCO launched a campaign for the safeguarding of the monuments in 1979, threatened by pollution, urban sprawl and the build-up of motor traffic. The monuments¡¯ inscription on the World Heritage List and the minting of a commemorative medal also in 1979 accompanied the campaign.

The obverse features the Hindu divinity Shiva with the linga, the phallic emblem. The reverse offers a selection of stupas representative of the architectural style of the valley, dominated by the famous Swayambu, as well as a tiered temple roof. The medal was designed by A. Chitrakar and engraved by Max L¨¦ognany.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Machu Picchu (Peru) ¡ª (1979)

Perched on the saddle of a mountain 2,430 metres above sea level, the citadel of Machu Picchu is thought to have played an important role in the religion of the sun-worshipping Inca people who lived in the area from the 11th to the 16th centuries. It was so well hidden in the eastern slopes of the tropical Andean forest that it was discovered only in 1911 by the American archaeologist Hiram Bingham. Aside from its extraordinarily beautiful setting, it was probably the most amazing urban creation of the Inca empire at its height, its giant walls, terraces and ramps seeming to have been cut naturally in the continuous rock escarpments. This region of the upper Amazon basin also provides a rich diversity of flora and fauna.

Designed by the Peruvian sculptor Alberto Guzm¨¢n, the medal was minted in Germany in 1979 by the Staatliche M¨¹nze, Karlsruhe, the obverse showing a majestic view of the site. The reverse shows Intihuatana (Place to Bind the Sun), from one of the temples around the citadel¡¯s central square, with a modern rendition of a sundial. The site was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983.

Available in gold and silver.

Jesuit Route (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) ¡ª (1978)

The Jesuit missions of the Guaran¨ª represent one of the most important cultural initiatives of the colonization of Latin America. Known as the "Jesuit Route", the thirty sites, dating from 1609 to the mid-18th century, are scattered along the present-day borders of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. The Society of Jesus was responsible for some very impressive achievements in urban planning, architecture, applied arts and the social and economic organization of the Guaran¨ª people.

In collaboration with UNESCO, the countries concerned drew up a plan of action in 1978 to preserve and restore the sites and remains of the missions, which had deteriorated since the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1768. A medal was issued to commemorate this event. In 1983, five missions in Argentina and Brazil were inscribed on the World Heritage List, and two more in Paraguay were added in 1993. An international campaign to protect and restore the missions was launched in 1988.

The obverse of the medal features a reproduction of an 18th-century church bell, now kept at the Provincial Historical Museum in Rosario (Argentina), and bears the Latin inscription Orbis Guaraniticus (World of the Guaran¨ªs). The reverse shows an angel carrying a maraca (musical instrument), depicted in a church in Trinidad (Paraguay). This medal was issued in 1978.?

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Acropolis (Greece) ¡ª (1977)

Illustrating the civilizations, myths and religions that flourished in ancient Greece for more than 1,000 years, the Acropolis, site of four of the greatest masterpieces of classical Greek art ¨C the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena Nike ¨C is the archetypal symbol of world heritage. The Parthenon, which inspired UNESCO¡¯s logo, was badly damaged by wars and pillaging. Moreover, like all the Acropolis buildings, it risked corrosive attack, the worst being splintering of the marble due to rusting of metal beams and clamps driven into the walls as part of a 1933 restoration. Atmospheric urban pollution was another major concern.

UNESCO launched an international campaign to safeguard the Acropolis in 1977, and ten years later it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Engraved by Serge Santucci, the medal¡¯s obverse features one of the six Caryatids, female figures supporting the ceiling of the southern loggia of the Temple of Erechtheum. The reverse has a general view of the Acropolis showing, from left to right, the complex of the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon. The medal was struck in 1977.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Carthage (Tunisia) ¡ª (1976)

Carthage was founded in the ninth century BC on the Gulf of Tunis, near present-day Tunis. By the sixth century, this rich and powerful Phoenician city held sway over maritime and commercial activities in the Mediterranean. The long Punic wars finally razed it in 146 BC. It was rebuilt by Julius Caesar, only to re-emerge as a major centre of Christendom. It was later captured by the Vandals, annexed by the Byzantine Empire, and then conquered by the Arabs in 698.

UNESCO launched a 20-year international campaign in 1972 for the safeguarding of its archaeological sites, which were threatened by encroaching urbanization. The commemorative medal was issued in 1976 and three years later, Carthage was inscribed on the World Heritage List. Engraved by Raymond Tschudin, its obverse shows a fourth century AD mosaic of a lady from Roman Carthage, with the Latin inscription UNESCO-CARTHAGO MCMLXXVI. The reverse features motifs from coins of Punic Carthage from the fourth century BC - a horseman, hound and lotus.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Borobudur (Indonesia) ¡ª (1976)

The Borobudur sanctuary is one of the jewels of the world cultural heritage. A vast Mahayana Buddhist monument in the form of a pyramid-shaped mandala, it was built in the heart of Java around 800 AD by the Sailendra dynasty and abandoned shortly after completion. It covers an area of almost one and a half hectares, with a central dome almost 35 metres above the base. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, then three circular platforms of 72 openwork stupas and, at the top, a monumental stupa. The walls and balustrades are decorated with 1,400 bas-reliefs and 432 statues of Buddha. Rediscovered in 1814, the site was cleared of rubble and vegetation, but since then was battered by earthquakes, the elements and the encroaching jungle.

UNESCO launched an international campaign for its restoration in 1972. Completed in 1983, the project, in which 27 countries took part, was the most important of its kind since the Nubian monuments campaign. Borobudur was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1991.

Designed by Josaku Maeda and engraved by Georges Simon, the medal¡¯s obverse shows Buddha in a state of meditation. The reverse offers a view of the temple¡¯s upper terraces, with the main giant stupa surrounded by the three symmetrical rings of smaller stupas. The medal was minted in 1976.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.

Philae (Egypt) ¡ª (1975)

UNESCO launched an international campaign in 1960 to save the monuments of Nubia, threatened by the rising waters of the Aswan High Dam. The 20-year campaign concerned primarily the temples on the sites of Abu Simbel and Philae, which were dismantled, transferred and reconstructed on higher ground out of the Nile¡¯s reach, an unprecedented operation in terms of scale and difficulties involved.

The operation began with Abu Simbel, successfully completed in 1968. The dismantling of the five monuments on Philae, comprising almost 50,000 blocks, began in 1976; the reconstruction was finally inaugurated in 1980 on a new site on the island of Agilkia. The ensemble of Nubian monuments was inscribed on UNESCO¡¯s World Heritage List in 1979, and the project remains an outstanding example of successfully mobilizing international support for a safeguarding endeavour.

Designed by Annick Maignen and engraved by Max L¨¦ognany, the medal¡¯s obverse side features the head of the goddess Isis, reproduced from a bas-relief from the temple dedicated to her, the largest of the Philae complex. The reverse shows hieroglyphic frames bearing the name of King Ptolemy II Philadelphus, in whose reign the temples were completed in the third century BC, protected by Nekhbet, the vulture-goddess of Upper Egypt. The medal was minted in 1975.

Available in gold, silver and bronze.