Heritage Sites in Namibia

What Are Heritage Sites?

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance.

Here Are Some Of The Heritage Sites in Namibia

Brandberg National Monument Area

Fishriver Canyon (2002)

Welwitschia Plains

Benguela Current Marine Ecosystem Sites (2016)

Etosha Pan (2016)

Sān Living Cultural Landscape (2016)

Succulent Karoo Protected Areas (2016)

Okavango Delta (2016)

Frequently Ask Questions

How important are heritage sites for Namibia?

Our cultural and natural heritage is both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Namibia currently has two World Heritage Sites: The Namib Sand Sea and Twyfelfontein. To be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria.

What are the three types of World Heritage sites in Namibia?

There are three types of sites: cultural, natural, and mixed. Cultural heritage sites include hundreds of historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting.

Why was twyfelfontein considered as a heritage site in Namibia?

Twyfelfontein is famous because of its many rock paintings and rock engravings (Petroglyphs) of the San (Bushmen) of which 2500 were counted. Specifications about the age of the engravings fluctuate and a period of 1000 – 10000 years is stated. UNESCO declared Twyfelfontein as World Heritage Site in 2007.

What is heritage site meaning in Namibia?

Historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. A historic site may be any building, landscape, site or structure that is of local, regional, or national significance.

What are the 3 types of heritage in Namibia?

There are three types of sites: cultural, natural, and mixed. Cultural heritage sites include hundreds of historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting.

What are examples of heritage in Namibia?

The definition of heritage is the background from which one comes, or any sort of inherited property or goods. An example of heritage is a German ancestry. An example of heritage is money left to a child in his parent’s will. A tradition; something that can be passed down from preceding generations.

Why is a heritage site important in Namibia?

Historic preservation is important in terms of a range of cultural, social and educational benefits. Preservation of the historic environment supports the social and cultural well-being of residents and contributes to civic pride.

What is the meaning of the word heritage Namibia?

1 : property that descends to an heir. 2a : something transmitted by or acquired from a predecessor : legacy, inheritance proud of her Chinese heritage a rich heritage of folklore The battlefields are part of our heritage and should be preserved.

What are the two types of heritage in Namibia?

The two types of World Heritage sites are, Cultural Heritage: which includes historic buildings, monuments and collections of information on how people lived such as photos, paintings, stories, newspapers and books, and Natural Heritage: which includes mountains, rivers, and any landscape.

How does your heritage influence you in Namibia?

Heritage is a person’s unique, inherited sense of family identity: the values, traditions, culture, and artifacts handed down by previous generations. We absorb a sense of our heritage throughout our lives as we observe and experience the things that make our family unique.

What’s the difference between heritage and inheritance in Namibia?

Heritage is something that comes or belongs to one by reason of birth or heritage can refer to practices that are passed down through the years, from one generation to the next. While Inheritance is something that has quality, characteristics, or other immaterial possession, received from progenitors or predecessors.

What is the difference between legacy and heritage in Namibia?

Legacy is a similar concept as inheritance and heritage. It is something we inherit from past generations and pass to our future generations. Usually, heritage refers to material and economical inheritance, while legacy refers to immaterial and cultural inheritance.

Is heritage and culture the same in Namibia?

So, there is a key distinction to remember between these two concepts: heritage refers to the things that we inherit, while culture is about what we create. Heritage is what we inherit. It includes customs, language and values. Culture refers to the daily living, attitudes, traditions, and norms of a society.

What is heritage planning in Namibia?

Heritage Planning is the area of planning that deals with the preservation, conservation, rehabilitation, restoration and management of built heritage resources. Built heritage can include sites, structures, buildings, and landscapes of historic, architectural or contextual value.

What is heritage and history in Namibia?

Heritage is not history: it is not what happened in the past but what has survived from the past. These survivals include ‘intangibles’ such as custom and belief, but ‘heritage’ in this context more commonly refers to tangible evidence, for example, prayer books and church buildings. That is, history is the past.