Have you ever wondered what the Colosseum sounds like? Or Machu Picchu?Or the Sistine Chapel?

Well now you can find out, as 270 sounds from Unesco World Heritage Sites, along with items of intangible heritage, from 50 countries, have today been posted online.

This new free online sound library called Sonic Heritage offers free access to the sounds of UNESCO World Heritage sites, allowing users to experience these locations through audio. 

The project, which launched in April 2025, features sounds from 270 World Heritage sites and intangible heritage items, reimagined by artists. It aims to preserve these soundscapes and encourage a new way of experiencing and appreciating cultural heritage. 

According to the project founder Stuart Fowkes,“Sound is incredibly transportive. It helps you to get a more solid sense of what it would actually feel like to be there.” Apparently, there are some real surprises in the soundscapes, including the “incredible reverberation of the Taj Mahal, or the unexpected cacophony of the Sistine Chapel”

Browse the map of the “Sonic Heritage Project” to look for sounds of famous sites, maybe some from your country! 

Watch a news video with and intervirew with the project founder (Credits: PBS News).