Spain achieves with 'Talayotic Menorca' its 50th inscription on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List

The candidature 'Talayotic Menorca, an island cyclopean odyssey'has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. With this new inscription, Spain has 50 World Heritage sites in its territory, which makes it one of the countries with the largest amount of inscriptions on the list.

An exceptional case of a living archaeological and monumental landscape

Beyond its lovely coves, Menorca has other treasures for the curious-minded. The island has about 1,600 prehistoric sites (one of the highest densities of prehistoric archaeological sites in inhabited territory in the world). 'Talayotic Menorca, an island cyclopean odyssey' brings together the nine components that best represent the constructions of an island culture that evolved in conditions of relative isolation. From the Middle Bronze Age to the Roman occupation, a rich sample of prehistoric monuments and sites has been selected, including settlements, burial spaces, shrines and sacred sites that have survived in an excellent state of preservation. Among them, certain exceptional manifestations that are unique and exclusive to Menorca stand out. These are the talayots, taulas and navetas: peculiar megalithic constructions, found all over the island.

In addition, 'Talayotic Menorca' provides an exceptional testimony of a prehistoric culture associated with the sky. The orientations of certain monuments show the relationship between this culture and the sky. Another of the features that guarantee its exceptional nature is the harmonious coexistence that the various cyclopean constructions on the island have developed throughout history with its inhabitants. These monuments are set in a slightly altered Mediterranean landscape with features very similar to those of prehistoric times. The successive stone traditions, the original settlement patterns and the spiritual functionality of the monuments reflect a distinct identity. They are a source of pride for the island and therefore remain alive in the landscape of present-day Menorca. Visiting these archaeological remains is relatively easy, because most of them are outdoors and form part of the landscape. Stepping back in time to prehistory was never easier.

You can learn more at https://www.spain.info/en/discover-spain/talayots-menorca/

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