Similarly to the difficulties of defining cultural heritage, the estimation of the requirements needed for goods to be listed on the UNESCOs cultural heritage list represents a challenge as well. In order to understand the very core of cultural heritage, we need to start from its beginnings, more precisely from defining a nation and its origin. For example there are many historical links connecting the "phenomenon" of a nation and cultural heritage, and therefore by understanding the nation we can understand the meaning of the concept of cultural heritage. We could say that today one leading world organization has a major influence in defining the selection criteria and the decision-making relevant for the process of declaring something a cultural heritage, and that organization is UNESCO. A city without a landmark listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in today's modern society "loses" something in its presentation to the tourist population, while the inclusion on the list it facilitates the "gaining" of importance within an international context. The criteria for inclusion on the list are the subject of much discussion, and even the final listing results are subject to numerous criticisms. The question is whether such a list can be a misleading indicator of the value of certain landmarks and if so what is the ultimate result? Should there be an aspiration for a mass tourism expansion towards a certain destination that could disturb or even jeopardize its value? The presented analysis will provide an overview of such a request submitted by the city of Zadar, as well as an analysis of the heritage theories on which it was based.