Since 1968, the ISTC has enjoyed a close relationship with UNESCO promoting travel, cultural exchange, international discovery and understanding to young people. The conservation of the Earth's diverse environments, cultures and communities is of great importance to both organizations. Together they aim to encourage an awareness of a shared world heritage through traveling and learning abroad. As such the World Heritage Sites are ideal destinations for responsible travellers.

What are World Heritage Sites?

Cultural Heritage Sites, such as Kathmandu Valley in Nepal or the Archaeological Sites of Troy in Turkey represent masterpieces of creative genius, outstanding architectural structures and examples of traditional human settlement. Similarly, Natural Heritage Sites such as Grand Canyon National Park in the USA or the Great Barrier Reef in Australia highlight major stages of the Earth's life, the geological processes that develop landforms as well as examples of ecological and biological evolution or habitats of threatened animals and plant species.

The Heritage sites of Nepal:

The cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley is illustrated by seven groups of monuments and buildings which display the full range of historic and artistic achievements for which the Kathmandu Valley is world famous. The seven include the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath, and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.

Cultural

Kathmandu Durbar Square
Patan Durbar Square
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Pashupatinath Temple
Changu Narayan Temple
Syambhunath Stupa
Bouddhanath Stupa
Lumbini

Kathmandu Durbar square:

Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, is one of the world’s oldest cities. The old part of the city, with narrow medieval streets and lovely little shrines, centers around the Durbar Square. Here one can find distinctive pagoda-roofed temples, stone sculptures, old monasteries and historic monuments.

Patan Durbar Square:

This whole square is a cluster of fine pagoda temples and stone statues; it is at the same time the business hub to the city. At every step one comes across a piece of art or an image of a deity, testifying to the consummate skill of patan’s anonymous artists. The ancient palace of the Malla kings and the stone baths associated with various legends and episodes of history are especially interesting to visitors. The stone temple of Lord Krishna and the Royal Bath (Tushahity) with its intricate stone and bronze carvings are two other masterpieces in the same vicinity. The city is full of Buddhist monuments and Hindu temples, with fine bronze gateways, guardian deities and wonderful carvings. Noted for its craftsmen and metal workers, it is also known as the city of artists. The city is believed to have been built during the reign of Vira Dev in A D .299.

Bhaktapur Durbar square:

Bhaktapur Durbar Square is a conglomeration of pagoda and shikhara-style temples grouped around a fifty-five-window palace of brick and wood. The square is one of the most charming architectural showpieces of the Valley as it highlights the ancient arts of Nepal. The golden effigies of kings perched on the top of stone monoliths, the guardian deities looking out from their sanctuaries, the wood carvings in every place – struts, lintels, uprights, tympanums, gateways and windows – all seems to form a well-orchestrated symphony.

Pashupatinath Temple:

This is the holiest of all the Shiva Shrine in Nepal and is the abode of Lord Pashupatinath, the guardian spirit of Nepal. The temple of Pashupatinath is a large double-roofed pagoda of brass and gilt gold; the gateway is plated with silver. It stands on the western bank of the Bagmati, about five kilometers northeast of Kathmandu and contains the sacred linga of Lord Pashupatinath. Before the temple stands an enormous gilt figure of the bull Nandi, the mount of Shiva, flanked by a golden trident. There is a crematorium outside the temple by the side of the wide but shallow river and the wooded surroundings are dotted with small shrines. On the occasion of the annual festival of Maha Shivaratri (February/March), the temple is visited by thousands of devotees, including a large number of pilgrims from India. The temple is also the sote of a number of other festivals and rituals taking place throughout the year.

Changu Narayan Temple:

Changu Narayan is situated at the end of a long ridge, which runs from the east, into the valley. It is said to have been built by King Hari Datta Varma in A.D.323, who also installed the goddess Chinnamasta. The temple is richly decorated with sculptures and carvings and is said to be the oldest pagoda-style temple in the Valley. It is situated about 125 meters above the valley floor and affords a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside. Some of the valley’s greatest stone sculptures, including Viswarupa and Vishnu astride Garuda, stand in the temple courtyard.

Swayambhunath Stupa:

Swayanbhu is said to be two thousand years old, making it one of the world’s oldest and most glorious Buddhist Chaityas. The chaitya (stupa) which forms the main structure is composed of a solid hemisphere of brick and earth supporting a lofty conical spire capped by a pinnacle of gilt copper. Painted on the four-sided base of the spire are the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. The temple is situated three kilometers west of Kathmandu city, and stands on a hill. This hill is a mosaic of small chaityas and pagoda temples.

Boudhanath Stupa:

This colossal stupa, one of the biggest in the world, is situated eight kilometers east of the capital. Like Swayambhu, the all-seeing eyes of Lord Buddha gaze in each of the four directions. Built on a huge octagonal base, the stupa is surrounded with a wall inset with prayer wheels. It is common to see dozens of worshippers constantly circumambulating the stupa while taking care to spin each of the sacred prayer wheels. Around the stupa and in the surrounding fields are many Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. The stupa takes on added importance at all the Buddhist festivals, when Buddhist comes from all over the country to take part in the sacred rituals.

Lumbini:

In the plains south of the first foothills of the Churia range lies Lumbini, birthplace of Gautam, the Buddha. Lumbini is a sacred place for Buddhists from all over the world, standing on an equal footing with holy places sacred to other world religions. A veteran Asian traveller and author of several books writes, ‘As millions of Christians look to Jerusalem for inspiration, as millions of Muslims turn to Mecca, so do three hundred million Buddhists see in the sacred Kingdom of Nepal, a pillar left by the great Emperor Ashoka to mark the site where Buddha was born.’

Natural

Chitwan National Park
Everest National Park

Chitwan National Park:


The park is situated in south central Nepal, covering 932 square km in the subtropical lowlands of the inner Terai. The area comprising the Tikauli forest-from Rapti river to the foothills of the Mahabharat-extending over an area of 175 km2 was declared Mahendra Mriga Kunj (Mahendra Deer Park) by the late King Mahendra in 1959. In 1963, the area south of Rapti River was demarcated as a rhinoceros sanctuary. The area was gazetted as the country's first national park in 1973, recognizing its unique ecosystems of international significance. UNESCO declared RCNP a World Heritage Site in 1984,In 1996 an area of 750 square km surrounding the park was declared a
buffer zone, which consists of forests and private lands including cultivated lands. The park and the local people jointly initiate community development activities and manage natural resources in the buffer zone. His Majesty's Government has made provision of to provide 30-50 percent of the park revenue for community development and natural resource management in the buffer zone .Features The park consists of a diversity of ecosystems-including the Churia hills, Ox-bow lakes, and the flood plains of the Rapti, Reu and Narayani Rivers. The Churia hills rise slowly towards the east from 150 m. to more than 800 m. The western portion of the park is comprised of the lower but more rugged Someshwor hill. The park shares its eastern boundary with the Parsa Wildlife Reserve.

Sagarmatha National Park:


Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) National Park is spread over an area of 1,148 sq, km in 1976, of the Himalayan ecological zone in the Khumbu region of Nepal. The Park includes the upper catchments areas of the Dudhkoshi and Bhotehoshi Rivers and is largely composed of rugged terrain and gorges of the high Himalayas, ranging from 2,845m at Monjo to the top of the world's highest Himal - Sagarmatha at 8,848m above the sea level. Other peaks above 6,000m are Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Thamserku. Nuptse, Amadablam and Pumori,The famed Sherpa people, whose lives are interwoven with the teachings of Buddhism, live in the region. The renowned Tengboche and other monasteries are common gathering places to celebrate religious festivals such as Dumje and Mane Rumdu. In addition to Tengboche, Thame, Khumjung and Pangboche are some other famous monasteries. For its superlative natural characteristics, UNESCO listed SNP as a World Heritage Site in 1979.