See the 21 New World Heritage Sites

This stunning landscape boasts mountains mirrored by lakes, and has been a source of inspiration to artists and writers since the 18th century. UNESCO's goal is to preserve and protect the area's natural beauty, as well as the grand houses, gardens and parks that were purposefully built to enhance the natural beauty.

Plus, can you name these 20 little known UNESCO world heritage sites?

The historic city of Yazd, located in the heart of the Iranian plateau, was an important stop in both the Spice and the Silk Roads. Much of the city's ancient, earthen architecture has avoided modernization, and UNESCOs's goal is to retain the traditional houses, bazaars, hammams, mosques, synagogues, Zoroastrian temples and the historic garden of Dolat-abad.

These ancient fortresses kept the Republic of Venice protected from potential invaders, and fortifications in Stato da Terra and Stato da Mar protected sea routes and ports in the Adriatic Sea.

Located in the centre of Rio de Janeirio, this historic site is the one-time harbour of the Brazilian capital, with the old stone wharf built to receive ships laden with enslaved Africans, and archeologists are unearthing layers of what is considered to be the "most important physical trace of the arrival of African slaves on the American continent," notes UNESCO.

This spot is an ancient silver mine in Poland that dates back to the 1500s, which has now found new life as a historic site and tourist destination.

Taputapuātea is located on Ra’iatea Island, in the centre of the Polynesian Triangle, and is believed to be the last part of the planet to be settled by humans. The protected area consists of two forested valleys, a portion of lagoon and coral reef, and a strip of open ocean, including a political, ceremonial and funerary centre built by the ancient mā'ohi people.

This archeological site has been identified as Ishanapura, which was once the capital of the Chenla Empire that flourished in the late 6th and early 7th centuries. The protected areas include a walled city centre as well as numerous temples.

Located in the northeastern extremity of China's Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Qinghai Hoh Xil is the world's highest and largest plateau, situated about 4,500 metres above sea level. The unique geographical conditions and sub-arctic weather have nurtured a unique biodiversity, and the area encompasses the migratory route of the Tibetan antelope, one of the endangered mammals native to this plateau.

This sacred island off the western coast of Japan's Kyushu island features archeological sites that have been preserved virtually intact, providing a chronological record of the rituals performed there, dating back to the 4th century.

Portugeues settlers arrived here in the 15th century, constructing stone buildings using European methods, and this historic site illustrates "the profound changes caused by the introduction of Christianity and the arrival of the Portuguese into Central Africa," notes UNESCO.

The Los Alerces National Park is located in the Andes of northern Patagonia, with successive glaciations working to mold the landscape into some spectacular features, including moraines, glacial cirques and clear-water lakes. "The property is vital for the protection of some of the last portions of continuous Patagonian Forest in an almost pristine state and is the habitat for a number of endemic and threatened species of flora and fauna," states UNESCO of its importance as a historic site.

Norse hunter-gatherers began arriving in Kujataa in the 10th century, and this historic site preserves the cultural histories of the Norse farmers, Inuit hunters and Inuit farming communities that have called this region home over the centuries.

This historic cathedral is located in the island-town of Sviyazhsk, founded by Ivan the Terribe in 1551. The cathedral's frescoes are considered to be among the rarest examples of Eastern Orthodox mural paintings.

Located in southwestern Turkey, this historic site consists of two components: the archaeological site of Aphrodisias and the marble quarries northeast of the city. The temple of Aphrodite, pictured, dates from the 3rd century BC.

Modern humans first arrived to Swabian Jura, in what is now southern Germany, some 43,000 years ago. Excavations that began in the 1860s have revealed such artifacts as carved figures of animals, musical instruments and crude jewelry, as well as cave paintings.

This region is located on the border of Botswana and Namibia, and the large expanse of sand contains evidence of human occupation that dates from the Stone Age. Today, this unforgiving landscape remains home to the nomadic ǂKhomani San people.

Shared by Russia and Mongolia, this area is considered a prime example of the Daurian Steppe eco-region, home to a diverse array "of ecosystems of global significance," notes UNESCO.

This tiny island at the estuary of China's Chiu-lung River became a commercial port in 1843, and an international settlement in 1903, and UNESCO points out that it is "an exceptional example of the cultural fusion that emerged from these exchanges."

Constructed from local limestone during the Mamluk period between 1250 and 1517, this historic house of worship has been a site of pilgrimage for Jews, Christians and Muslims.

The capital of the African nation of Eritrea. According to UNESCO, the city of Asmara is considered to be "an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context."

The walled city of Ahmadabad was founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in the 15th century, and preserves the rich architectural heritage from the sultanate period, especially evident in the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and the city's numerous mosques, and temples.