Heritage with Related Tags
Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba
The Kutamaku landscape in northeastern Togo, which stretches into neighbouring Benin, is home to the Batamariba people, whose mud towers (Takienta) have become a symbol of Togo. In this landscape, nature is closely linked to the rituals and beliefs of society. The 50,000-hectare cultural landscape is remarkable for the architecture of its towers, which reflect the social structure, farmland and forest, and the connection between people and the landscape. Many of the buildings are two-storey high, and those with granaries are almost spherical with a cylindrical base. Some buildings have flat roofs, others have conical thatched roofs. They are clustered in villages, which also include ritual spaces, springs, rocks and sites reserved for initiation ceremonies.
Episcopal City of Albi
Located on the Tarn River in southwestern France, the old city of Albi is a culmination of medieval architecture and urban integrity. Today, the Pont-Vieux, the Saint-Salve quarter and its church bear witness to the city's early development (10th-11th centuries). After the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar pagans (13th century), the city became a powerful episcopal city. The towering fortified cathedral (late 13th century), built of local bricks in a distinctive southern French Gothic style with typical red and orange colours, is the city's commanding point and demonstrates the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Next to the cathedral is the huge episcopal palace, overlooking the river, surrounded by residential areas dating back to the Middle Ages. The episcopal city of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous group of monuments and neighbourhoods that have remained largely unchanged over the centuries.