Category: Places

Top 20 Countries with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites [2024 Update With Photos]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 22, 2024

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Celsus library in Ephesus, Turkey — Ephesus (Greek: Ἔφεσος Ephesos; Turkish: Efes; ultimately from Hittite Apasa) was an ancient Greek city on the coast of Ionia, three kilometers southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former Arzawan capital by Attic and Ionian Greek colonists. During the Classical Greek era, it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman Republic in 129 BC. According to estimates, Ephesus had a population of 33,600 to 56,000 people in the Roman period, making it the third largest city of Roman Asia Minor after Sardis and Alexandria Troas. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Photo (The Library of Celsus in Ephesus): Source: Deposit Photos

There are a total of 1,223 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world (as of 2024: 952 Cultural, 231 Natural, and 40 Mixed) in 168 countries. Here are the top 20 countries having the most UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Life on Earth Geology Places Plants

10 Recently Lost Natural Wonders

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date December 6, 2023
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Wawona tree — The most famous tunnel-tree was the Wawona Tree, in Yosemite National Park; it fell during a winter storm in 1969 at an estimated age of 2,100 years. The Wawona Tree, also known as the Wawona Tunnel Tree, was a famous giant sequoia that stood in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park, California, USA, until February 1969. It had a height of 227 feet (69 m) and was 26 feet (7.9 m) in diameter at the base. A tunnel was cut through the tree in 1881, enlarging an existing fire scar. Construction of the Wawona Tree was part of an effort by the Park Service to increase tourism in the age of the automobile. The Wawona Tree fell in February 1969 under a heavy load of snow on its crown. It is now known as the Fallen Tunnel Tree. Image: Wikimedia

The Earth is an ever-changing canvas, boasting a plethora of natural wonders that have captivated humans for generations. From expansive coral reefs teeming with life to awe-inspiring volcanoes that seem to touch the sky, these marvels remind us of the beauty and complexity of our planet. However, not all wonders stand the test of time. Climate change, natural disasters, and human activities are threatening the very existence of these treasures. A closer look at 10 recently lost natural wonders reveals a tragic but essential story: the urgency to protect what remains and the consequences of neglect.

Environment Places

Perućica, one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date November 29, 2021
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Perućica primeval forest. Photo by Darko Gavric - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Located in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Perućica is one of the last two saved primeval forests in Europe (the other being the Białowieża Forest). Perućica has many trees that are 300 years old, and its age is stated to be 20,000 years (it existed even before the last Ice Age which concluded about 11,550 years ago). There are trees over 50 meters high (164 feet) in the forest.

Earth from Space Places

Bombetoka Bay: top 5 most amazing photos from space

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date September 8, 2021
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Bombetoka Bay from the ISS. April 23, 2020. — On the northwestern coast of Madagascar, the salty waters of the Mozambique Channel penetrate inland to join with the freshwater outflow of the Betsiboka River, forming Bombetoka Bay. Numerous islands and sandbars have formed in the estuary from the large amount of sediment carried in by the Betsiboka River and have been shaped by the flow of the river and the push and pull of tides. Image Credit: U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team, NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS Link: NASA

Bombetoka Bay is a bay on the northwestern coast of Madagascar, where the Betsiboka River flows into the Mozambique Channel. It is near the city of Mahajanga, a popular tourist destination, and also an administrative district on the northwest coast of Madagascar. Here are the 5 most amazing photos of Bombetoka Bay from space.

Places

Seven Wonders of the Modern World

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 19, 2021
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The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has chosen the Seven Wonders of the Modern World as a tribute to the greatest civil engineering achievements of the 20th century.

Places Travel

New Seven Wonders of the World [New7Wonders]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 16, 2021
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New Seven Wonders of the World: Aerial View Christ de Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Image source: Deposit Photos

The iconic Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as the Khufu’s Pyramid, stands alone as the sole survivor among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Remarkably, there was a brief period, lasting less than 60 years, when all these monumental wonders coexisted. This fleeting overlap in history underscored the need for a modern tribute, leading to the launch of the New Seven Wonders of the World (New7Wonders) campaign in 2001. This initiative aimed to recognize and celebrate contemporary marvels, drawing from a diverse list of 200 existing architectural feats.

Oceans Places

An amazing video of a high tide

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date January 13, 2021
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The beauty of mother nature never disappoints. This amazing timelapse video of a high tide in Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, Bretagne (Brittany), France is no exception.

Earth from Space Places Space Exploration

10 Most Beautiful Earth Photos Taken From the International Space Station in 2020

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date December 26, 2020
2 Comments on 10 Most Beautiful Earth Photos Taken From the International Space Station in 2020

Crew Dragon approaches the ISS, May 31, 2020 — This image shows the Dragon Endeavour approaching the International Space Station on May 31, 2020, over part of southwestern Turkey-including the coastal city of Demre (gray area below the spacecraft)-in the background. Dragon Endeavour docked successfully with the ISS about nineteen hours after reaching orbit. It arrived at the station's Harmony port while both were about 262 miles (422 kilometers) above the border of China and Mongolia. For the first time in nine years, NASA astronauts were launched from American soil on an American rocket, and for the first time in history, those astronauts flew on a commercially built and operated spacecraft. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley lifted off at 3:22 p.m. EDT on May 30, 2020, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spacecraft was launched atop a reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Behnken and Hurley named their spacecraft Endeavour as a tribute to the first space shuttle that both astronauts had flown aboard. Endeavour also flew the penultimate mission of the Space Shuttle Program, launching in May 2011 from the same pad. Image: NASA

Here are the top 10 most beautiful Earth photos taken by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the orbiting laboratory, in 2020. Which one is your favorite? Or if your favorite image was not listed here, please leave a comment below. To see all images taken from the International Space Station and published by NASA, visit Space Station Images webpage.

Earth from Space Places Space Exploration

10 Most Beautiful Earth Photos Taken From the International Space Station in 2019

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date December 23, 2019
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Most beautiful Earth photos from ISS in 2019 - Issyk-Kul — Without any shadows of doubt, one of the most beautiful Earth photos from space: Issyk-Kul Lake in the central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan is surrounded by the snow-capped Tian Shen mountains. It is the second-largest mountain lake in the world behind Lake Titicaca in South America. The International Space Station was orbiting 252 miles above southeastern Kazakhstan with a ground distance of 72 miles from Issykul-Lake when this photograph was taken. Image (iss061e006705, October 16, 2019): NASA Issyk-Kul is the seventh deepest lake in the world, the tenth largest lake in the world by volume (though not in surface area), and the second largest saline lake after the Caspian Sea. Issyk-Kul means "warm lake" in the Kyrgyz language; although it is surrounded by snow-capped peaks, it never freezes.

Here are the top 10 most beautiful Earth photos taken by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the orbiting laboratory, in 2019. Which one is your favorite? Or if your favorite image was not listed here, please leave a comment below. To see all images taken from the International Space Station and published by NASA, visit Space Station Images webpage.

Places Astronomy

Sunrise, Sunset, Clouds, and Milky Way [Amazing Time-lapse from Mount Pilatus]

Post author By M. Özgür Nevres
Post date December 1, 2019
No Comments on Sunrise, Sunset, Clouds, and Milky Way [Amazing Time-lapse from Mount Pilatus]

This incredible 4k time-lapse, published by Oliver Schmid shows sunrises, sunsets, clouds, and the Milky Way from Mount Pilatus, Switzerland. A breathtaking video that reminds us of how amazing a place our planet is. Enjoy!