France has officially lodged a bid with UNESCO to make a French Polynesia's Taputapuatea marae a World Heritage site.
French Polynesia's culture minister, Heremoana Maamaatuiahutapu meets the French culture minister Fleur Pellerin to finalise UNESCO application Photo: supplied French Polynesian presidency
The bid was announced by the French culture minister, Fleur Pellerin.
The site on Raiatea island is a marae complex which is about 1,000 years old.
It was a centre for Polynesian seafarers from where they explored islands such as Rapa Nui, Hawaii and New Zealand.
The French application is to be first vetted at a meeting in Turkey in July before a UNESCO World heritage meeting next year.
Taputapuatea marae on Raiatea in French Polynesia Photo: AFP