Sydney Opera House Wins World Heritage Status

Australia's iconic Sydney Opera House was added to the list of World Heritage sites Thursday, 34 years after the construction of Danish architect Jorn Utzon's vision was completed.

The opera house was one of four new cultural sites given the coveted status by UNESCO's world heritage committee, meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The others added to the list were the Red Fort complex in Shahjahanabad, India, the Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine in Japan and the Parthian Fortresses of Nisa in Turkmenistan.

Completed in 1973, the Sydney Opera House was a great architectural work of the 20th century that brought together "multiple strands of creativity and innovation", the world heritage committee said in a statement.

"A great urban sculpture set in a remarkable waterscape, at the tip of a peninsula projecting into Sydney Harbour, the building has had an enduring influence on architecture," it said.

Source-AFP
LIN/M