Locations for playing sport

Sites which were constructed for sporting purposes. Three common groups of these are: Roman amphitheatres (for gladiator fights), Roman circuses (for chariot racing) and Pre-Columbian Ball courts (for the Mesoamerican ballgame).

World Heritage Sites connected to 'Locations for playing sport':

  • Amphitheater of El Jem Roman amphitheatre
  • Aquileia Roman amphitheatre & circus
  • Aranjuez Plaza de Toros, one of Spain's oldest bullrings (1797)
  • Archaeological Site of Delphi Stadium for the Pythian Games (various sports)
  • Arles
  • Bordeaux "antique amphitheatre, the Palais Gallien (Gallien Palace)" (AB)
  • Bosra Roman amphitheatre & circus
  • Bridgetown Horse racing: The former grass parade-grounds are now known as the Garrison Savannah, and used as a horse racing circuit; link
  • Butrint amphitheatre
  • Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks Skiing; link
  • Centennial Hall Used for basketball & tennis tournaments
  • Central University City Campus of the UNAM Olympic stadium
  • Chichen-Itza Pre-Columbian Ball court
  • Cilento and Vallo di Diano Paestum: Roman amphitheatre
  • Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas Olympic Stadium
  • Copan Pre-Columbian Ball court
  • Corfu The Esplanade Cricket ground; link
  • Crespi d'Adda sports centre
  • Cyrene Roman Amphiteatre
  • Delos Hippodrome and stadium for the Delian Games
  • Dengfeng Shaolin Kung Fu
  • Dolomites Skiing, Maratona dles Dolomites (Cycling)
  • Dougga/Thugga Roman circus
  • El Tajin Pre-Columbian Ball court
  • Epidaurus Palaestra (ancient Greek wrestling school)
  • Fontainebleau Jeu de paume, a French precursor of tennis : "Le cercle du Jeu de Paume de Fontainebleau accueille pour la première fois en France depuis 1740 (date du premier Championnat) le championnat du Monde de Jeu de Paume. Ce titre actuellement détenu par l'Australien Robert Fahey, sera défendu pour la septième fois consécutive du 20 au 24 mai (2008) par celui-ci".
  • Gusuku of Ryukyu Shikinaen: The garden contained an archery field, as was usually the case with residences for feudal lords of Edo Period Japan (nom file)
  • Heritage of Mercury Bullring (Almaden)
  • Incense Route of the Negev Hypodrome at Elusa
  • Istanbul Roman hippodrome. Its remains are close to the Blue Mosque.
  • Leptis Magna Roman amphitheatre and circus
  • Lyon Roman amphitheatre
  • Meidan Emam, Esfahan Maidan Shah (Polo)
  • Mérida Roman amphitheatre and circus
  • Nancy Place de la Carrière was designed for equestrian games
  • Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin Stade Parc in Bruay-La-Buissière; link
  • Oaxaca and Monte Alban (Monte Alban) Pre-Columbian Ball court
  • Ohrid Region Ohrid Lake (Swimming Marathon)
  • Olympia Various arenas (athletics, wrestling etc)
  • Palenque Pre-Columbian Ball court
  • Paquimé Ballcourt
  • Paris, Banks of the Seine Jeu de Paume (early Tennis)
  • Pompei Roman amphitheatre ("Built in 70AD, Pompeii's amphitheatre is the oldest and most complete pre-Colosseum style amphitheatre in the Roman world.")
  • Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos stadium
  • Quirigua Ballcourt
  • Rideau Canal The world's largest skating rink
  • Rome Roman amphitheatre and circus: Colosseum, Castrense Amphiteatre, Ludus Magnus, Circus Maximus, Nero's Circus, Maxentius' Circus, Circus Flaminius, Circus Varianus
  • Samarra "Three racecourses were built east of the main city. Two have an out-and-back course 80m wide and 10.42km long with a spectators’ pavilion at the start and the third a pattern of four circles around a central pavilion (5.3km)." and "Tell Al-Alij is an artificial mound for the caliph to view the horse-races" (Nom File)
  • Siena Palio, a traditional medieval horse race
  • Site of Carthage Roman amphitheatre
  • Syracuse Roman amphitheatre
  • Tarraco Roman amphitheatre and circus
  • Tequila Teuchitlan site of Guachimontones, ball court
  • Tikal National Park Pre-Columbian Ball courts (7)
  • Tipasa Roman amphitheatre
  • Tongariro National Park Skiing; link
  • Trier Roman amphitheatre
  • Tyre Roman Hippodrome (horse racing and chariot racing)
  • Uxmal Pre-Columbian Ballcourt
  • Verona Roman amphitheatre
  • Xochicalco Ballcourt
  • Yagul and Mitla ballcourt in Yagul