A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Bois-du-Luc mine site is an exceptional testimony to the Industrial Era. This fully-preserved, authentic heritage offers an eloquent illustration of the impact of industrialisation on a technical, environmental, architectural and social level.
The site relates the exceptionally long story of a mining company founded in 1685, that closed its doors in 1973. The Fosse Saint-Emmanuel pit opened in the hamlet of Bois-du-Luc in 1846 and formed the hub of this remarkably well-preserved industrial and social complex. Further to the strikes of 1893, the workplace was fitted with guillotine doors that were sealed shut in case of a threat of rebellion.
Opposite the workplace lies a remarkable mining village, featuring various social, cultural, festive and religious facilities built between 1838 and 1923. Belgian's first Ecomuseum has occupied the site since 1983 in the aim of safeguarding and promoting both the tangible and intangible aspects of industrial heritage. The Bois-du-Luc mine site is one of the anchors of the international ERIH network (European Route of Industrial Heritage).
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The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.