World Heritage Identification Number: 822
World Heritage since: 1997
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Historic Cities & Urban Areas
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇪🇪 Estonia
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn: A Medieval Gem in Modern Times
The Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn, located in the capital city of Estonia, stands as a testament to the rich history and cultural heritage that has shaped this Baltic region. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, the Old Town of Tallinn offers visitors a glimpse into the Middle Ages, showcasing an exceptionally well-preserved urban structure dating back to the 13th century.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
The origins of Tallinn date back to the 13th century, when a castle was built there by the crusading knights of the Teutonic Order. It developed as a major centre of the Hanseatic League, and its wealth is demonstrated by the opulence of the public buildings (the churches in particular) and the domestic architecture of the merchants' houses, which have survived to a remarkable degree despite the ravages of fire and war in the intervening centuries.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (ii): The Historic Centre of Tallinn, among the most remote and powerful outposts of the colonizing activities of the Hanseatic League in the north-eastern part of Europe in the 13th-16th centuries, provided a crucible within which an international secular-ecclesiastical culture resulting from the interchange of Cistercians, Dominicans, the Teutonic Order and the traditions of the Hanseatic League, formed and was itself exported throughout northern Europe.
Criterion (iv): The town plan and the buildings within it constitute a remarkable reflection of the coexistence of the seat of feudal overlords and a Hanseatic trading centre within the shelter of a common system of walls and fortifications.
Encyclopedia Record: Tallinn Old Town
Tallinn Old Town is the oldest part of Tallinn, Estonia. Old Town of Tallinn has managed to wholly preserve its structure of medieval and Hanseatic origin. Old Town represents an exceptionally intact 13th century city plan. Since 1997, the area has been registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The old town is bordered by the Walls of Tallinn. Its area is 113 ha and there is a buffer zone of 2,253 ha.Additional Site Details
Area: 113 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 59.437 , 24.74
Image
© Ben Bender, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
