List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Machu Picchu

Cloud city of the Inca above the Urubamba.

Petra

Rose-red city carved into the desert cliffs.

Angkor

Stone temples swallowed by the jungle.

Bryggen

Hanseatic wharf of painted wooden gables.

Bagan

Two thousand temples on a misty plain.

Mont-Saint-Michel

Abbey island rising from the tides.

Sigiriya

Lion rock fortress in the green plain.

Rapa Nui

Stone watchers facing the Pacific.

Göbekli Tepe

The world's first temple, twelve millennia old.

Yellowstone

Geysers and bison on a sleeping supervolcano.

Socotra

An island of dragon's blood trees.

Historic Kyoto

Temples, gardens, and a thousand torii.

Meteora

Monasteries balanced on sandstone pillars.

Old Havana

Faded baroque on the Caribbean.

Rock-Hewn Lalibela

Eleven churches carved down into stone.

Canadian Rockies

Glacial lakes beneath jagged peaks.

Plitvice Lakes

Sixteen turquoise lakes spilling into one another.

Persepolis

Ceremonial capital of Darius.

Hampi

Vijayanagara ruins among orange boulders.

Carthage

Mediterranean rival of Rome.

Galápagos Islands

Living laboratory of evolution.

Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa

Sacred red monolith of the Anangu.

Pyramids of Giza

Last wonder of the ancient world.

Borobudur

Buddhist mandala carved from a hill.

Stonehenge

Prehistoric stone circle on Salisbury Plain.

Chichén Itzá

Maya pyramid of the feathered serpent.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Last refuge of the mountain gorilla.

Ayutthaya

Ruined Siamese capital of brick stupas.

Norwegian Fjords

Cliffs that drop two kilometers into the sea.

Kizhi Pogost

Wooden domes built without a single nail.

Göreme & Cappadocia

Fairy chimneys and underground cities.

Venice & Lagoon

A city built on water.

Iguazú Falls

Two hundred and seventy cascades in the jungle.

Yakushima

Ancient cedar forest in perpetual rain.

Salar de Uyuni Region

The world's largest mirror.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Africa's snow-capped roof.

Great Wall of China

Stone dragon along the northern frontier.

Alhambra

Moorish palace above Granada.

Þingvellir

Where Vikings made law on a continental rift.

Tikal

Maya temples piercing the rainforest canopy.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Lower German Limes

Following the left bank of the Lower Rhine River for approximately 400 km from the Rhenish Massif in Germany t

Sado Island Gold Mines

The Sado Island Gold Mines is a serial property located on Sado Island, some thirty-five kilometres west of th

Konso Cultural Landscape

Konso Cultural Landscape is an arid property of stone walled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso h

Historic City of Sucre

Sucre, the first capital of Bolivia, was founded by the Spanish in the first half of the 16th century.

Dilmun Burial Mounds

The Dilmun Burial Mounds, built between 2200 and 1750 BCE, span over 21 archaeological sites in the western pa

Tongariro National Park

In 1993 Tongariro became the first property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List under the revised crite

Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex

This property lies on the shores of the Volga River, south of its confluence with the River Kama, and south of

Western Ghats

Older than the Himalaya mountains, the mountain chain of the Western Ghats represents geomorphic features of i

Taï National Park

This park is one of the last major remnants of the primary tropical forest of West Africa.

Cocos Island National Park

Cocos Island National Park, located 550 km off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, is the only island in the trop

Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis

This Phoenician city was probably abandoned during the First Punic War (c.

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape

The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape, located in the traditional Country of the Gunditjmara people in south-eastern

Litomyšl Castle

Litomyšl Castle was originally a Renaissance arcade-castle of the type first developed in Italy and then adopt

Cold Winter Deserts of Turan

This transnational property comprises fourteen component parts found across arid areas of Central Asia’s tempe

Ruins of Loropéni

The 11,130m2 property, the first to be inscribed in the country, with its imposing stone walls is the best pre

Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba

The remains of the 19th-century coffee plantations in the foothills of the Sierra Maestra are unique evidence

Ḥimā Cultural Area

Located in an arid, mountainous area of southwest Saudi Arabia, on one of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient cara

K’gari

K’gari lies just off the east coast of Australia. At 122 km long, it is the largest sand island in the world.

Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent

The Citadel, Ancient City and Fortress Buildings of Derbent were part of the northern lines of the Sasanian Pe

Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain

Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain Kyrgyzstan dominates the Fergana Valley and forms the backdrop to the city of Osh

Le Morne Cultural Landscape

Le Morne Cultural Landscape, a rugged mountain that juts into the Indian Ocean in the southwest of Mauritius w

Luis Barragán House and Studio

Built in 1948, the House and Studio of architect Luis Barragán in the suburbs of Mexico City represents an out

Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun

Qal’at al-Bahrain is a typical tell – an artificial mound created by many successive layers of human occupatio

Murujuga Cultural Landscape

Murujuga is a deeply storied land and seascape located in northwest Australia.

La Grand-Place, Brussels

La Grand-Place in Brussels is a remarkably homogeneous body of public and private buildings, dating mainly fro

Qinghai Hoh Xil

Qinghai Hoh Xil, located in the northeastern extremity of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, is the largest and high

Aapravasi Ghat

In the district of Port Louis, lies the 1,640 m2 site where the modern indentured labour diaspora began.

Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís

The property includes four archaeological sites located in the Diquís Delta in southern Costa Rica, which are

Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan

Ancient Jerico/Tell es-Sultan is located northwest of present-day Jericho in the Jordan Valley in Palestine, t

Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand

The landscape in this park, situated in south-west New Zealand, has been shaped by successive glaciations into

Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork

This 13th-century fortified monastery belonging to the Teutonic Order was substantially enlarged and embellish

Hwaseong Fortress

When the Joseon King Jeongjo moved his father's tomb to Suwon at the end of the 18th century, he surrounded it

Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in the Highland Area of Ethiopia

Located in the Upper Awash Valley in Ethiopia, the serial property is a cluster of prehistoric sites that pres

Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi

The property is located on the northern edge of the semi-arid Great Plains of North America, on the border bet

Tassili n'Ajjer

Located in a strange lunar landscape of great geological interest, this site has one of the most important gro

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain

Chief Roi Mata’s Domain is the first site to be inscribed in Vanuatu.

Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments

The 'Venice of the North', with its numerous canals and more than 400 bridges, is the result of a vast urban p

Complex of Hué Monuments

Established as the capital of unified Viet Nam in 1802, Hué was not only the political but also the cultural a

Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape

This property encompasses the mountain range located in southern Malawi, with the imposing Mount Mulanje—one o

Coro and its Port

With its earthen constructions unique to the Caribbean, Coro is the only surviving example of a rich fusion of

Historic Town of Zabid

Zabid's domestic and military architecture and its urban plan make it an outstanding archaeological and histor

New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

The New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands consist of five island groups (the Snares, Bounty Islands, Antipodes Isl

Gordion

Located in an open rural landscape, the archaeological site of Gordion is a multi-layered ancient settlement,

Red Fort Complex

The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emper

Kondoa Rock-Art Sites

On the eastern slopes of the Masai escarpment bordering the Great Rift Valley are natural rock shelters, overh

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

This site contains two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa (4,170 m high) and Kilauea (1,250

Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)

Wadi Al-Hitan, Whale Valley, in the Western Desert of Egypt, contains invaluable fossil remains of the earlies

Kuk Early Agricultural Site

Kuk Early Agricultural Site consists of 116 ha of swamps in the western highlands of New Guinea 1,500 metres a

Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower

Built on a site inhabited since the Palaeolithic period, the Walled City of Baku reveals evidence of Zoroastri

Takht-e Soleyman

The archaeological site of Takht-e Soleyman, in north-western Iran, is situated in a valley set in a volcanic

Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park

The importance of this park derives from its wealth of flora and fauna.

Landscape of Grand Pré

Situated in the southern Minas Basin of Nova Scotia, the Grand Pré marshland and archaeological sites constitu

Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)

The Qadisha valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world.

Levuka Historical Port Town

The town and its low line of buildings set among coconut and mango trees along the beach front was the first c

Monte San Giorgio

The pyramid-shaped, wooded mountain of Monte San Giorgio beside Lake Lugano is regarded as the best fossil rec

Citadel of the Ho Dynasty

The 14th -century Ho Dynasty citadel, built according to the feng shui principles, testifies to the flowering

Lakes of Ounianga

The site includes eighteen interconnected lakes in the hyper arid Ennedi region of the Sahara desert covering

Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia

An exceptional example of a sustainable and productive cultural landscape that is unique and representative of

Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)

The Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas) constitute a serial property that

Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site

In the wake of World War II, in a move closely related to the beginnings of the Cold War, the United States of

Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park with the Archeological Sites of Paestum and Velia, and the Certosa di Padula

The Cilento is an outstanding cultural landscape.

Gonbad-e Qābus

The 53 m high tomb built in ad 1006 for Qābus Ibn Voshmgir, Ziyarid ruler and literati, near the ruins of the

Asmara: A Modernist African City

Located at over 2,000 m above sea level, the capital of Eritrea developed from the 1890s onwards as a military

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison

Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, an outstanding example of British colonial architecture consisting of a

Faya Palaeolandscape

Located between the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, the property preserves evidence of human occupation from the

Phoenix Islands Protected Area

The Phoenix Island Protected Area (PIPA) is a 408,250 sq.km expanse of marine and terrestrial habitats in the

Frontiers of the Roman Empire

The ‘Roman Limes’ represents the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape

The Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine in the south-west of Honshu Island is a cluster of mountains, rising to 600 m and

Fort Jesus, Mombasa

The Fort, built by the Portuguese in 1593-1596 to the designs of Giovanni Battista Cairati to protect the port

Central University City Campus of the <i>Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México</i> (UNAM)

The ensemble of buildings, sports facilities and open spaces of the Central University City Campus of the Univ

Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy

The site consists of seventeen buildings in Muharraq City, three offshore oyster beds, part of the seashore an

East Rennell

East Rennell makes up the southern third of Rennell Island, the southernmost island in the Solomon Island grou

Wooden Churches of Maramureş

These eight churches are outstanding examples of a range of architectural solutions from different periods and

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi

The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, in the town of Yasi, now Turkestan, was built at the time of Timur (Tamer

Vredefort Dome

Vredefort Dome, approximately 120 km south-west of Johannesburg, is a representative part of a larger meteorit

Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves

The Atlantic Forest South-East Reserves, in the states of Paraná and São Paulo, contain some of the best and m

Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah

Historic Jeddah is situated on the eastern shore of the Red Sea.

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon

Rock Islands Southern Lagoon covers 100,200 ha and includes 445 uninhabited limestone islands of volcanic orig

Vegaøyan – The Vega Archipelago

A cluster of dozens of islands centred on Vega, just south of the Arctic Circle, forms a cultural landscape of

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C.

Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons)

The Bandiagara site is an outstanding landscape of cliffs and sandy plateaux with some beautiful architecture

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu stands 2,430 m above sea-level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest, in an extraordinaril

Tipasa

On the shores of the Mediterranean, Tipasa was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by Rome and turned into

Nan Madol: Ceremonial Centre of Eastern Micronesia

Nan Madol is a series of more than 100 islets off the south-east coast of Pohnpei that were constructed with w

Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona

These are two of the finest contributions to Barcelona's architecture by the Catalan art nouveau architect Llu

Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai

The numerous rock carvings and funerary monuments found in these three sites illustrate the development of cul

Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago – Omatí Minhô

The property includes a continuous series of coastal and marine ecosystems, corresponding to the marine and in

Historic Inner City of Paramaribo

Paramaribo is a former Dutch colonial town from the 17th and 18th centuries planted on the northern coast of t

Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer

Situated on the coastal dunes in Nuseirat Municipality, the ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer r

Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape

The Fertö/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia.

Cultural Heritage Sites of Ancient Khuttal

Ancient Khuttal was a medieval kingdom located between the Panj and Vakhsh Rivers and the Pamir piedmonts.

W-Arly-Pendjari Complex

This transnational extension (Benin, Burkina Faso) to the W National Park of Niger, inscribed in 1996 on the W

Colonial City of Santo Domingo

After Christopher Columbus's arrival on the island in 1492, Santo Domingo became the site of the first cathedr

Samarra Archaeological City

Samarra Archaeological City is the site of a powerful Islamic capital city that ruled over the provinces of th

Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain

Seventeen decorated caves of the Paleolithic age were inscribed as an extension to the Altamira Cave, inscribe

Chengjiang Fossil Site

A hilly 512 ha site in Yunnan province, Chengjiang’s fossils present the most complete record of an early Camb

Nyungwe National Park

This serial property represents an important area for rainforest conservation in Central Africa.

Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), author of the American Declaration of Independence and third president of the Un

Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas)

Situated on the eastern bank of the River Jordan, nine kilometres north of the Dead Sea, the archaeological si

Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone

The historic town of Guimarães is associated with the emergence of the Portuguese national identity in the 12t

Maulbronn Monastery Complex

Founded in 1147, the Cistercian Maulbronn Monastery is considered the most complete and best-preserved medieva

Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde

The Mountain Resort (the Qing dynasty's summer palace), in Hebei Province, was built between 1703 and 1792.

Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests

The Mijikenda Kaya Forests consist of 10 separate forest sites spread over some 200 km along the coast contain

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba

The Jesuit Block in Córdoba, heart of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay, contains the core buildings of t

The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities

The Ahwar is made up of seven components: three archaeological sites and four wetland marsh areas in southern

Wet Tropics of Queensland

This area, which stretches along the north-east coast of Australia for some 450 km, is made up largely of trop

Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow

Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia since the 13th century

Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas

This serial property encompasses the three most representative examples of Hoysala-style temple complexes in s

The Gedeo Cultural Landscape

The property lies along the eastern edge of the Main Ethiopian Rift, on the steep escarpments of the Ethiopian

Whale Sanctuary of El Vizcaino

Located in the central part of the peninsula of Baja California, the sanctuary contains some exceptionally int

Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn

The protohistoric site of Bat lies near a palm grove in the interior of the Sultanate of Oman.

Heard and McDonald Islands

Heard Island and McDonald Islands are located in the Southern Ocean, approximately 1,700 km from the Antarctic

Historic Centre of Vienna

Vienna developed from early Celtic and Roman settlements into a Medieval and Baroque city, the capital of the

Sun Temple, Konârak

On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak is a monumenta

Salonga National Park

Salonga National Park is Africa's largest tropical rainforest reserve.

Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos

Between 1696 and 1760, six ensembles of reducciones (settlements of Christianized Indians) inspired by the ‘id

Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City: a Shared Heritage

Located on the Atlantic coast in the north-west of Morocco, the site is the product of a fertile exchange betw

Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte)

Riversleigh and Naracoorte, situated in the north and south respectively of eastern Australia, are among the w

Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church

Canterbury, in Kent, has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centurie

Golestan Palace

The lavish Golestan Palace is a masterpiece of the Qajar era, embodying the successful integration of earlier

Saloum Delta

Fishing and shellfish gathering have sustained human life in the 5,000 km2 property, which is formed by the ar

Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California

The site comprises 244 islands, islets and coastal areas that are located in the Gulf of California in north-e

‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid

The property encompasses the western part of the greatest expanse of windblown sand on Earth, known as Ar Rub'

Greater Blue Mountains Area

The Greater Blue Mountains Area consists of 1.03 million ha of sandstone plateaux, escarpments and gorges domi

Rock Art of Alta

This group of petroglyphs in the Alta Fjord, near the Arctic Circle, bears the traces of a settlement dating f

Historic City of Yazd

The City of Yazd is located in the middle of the Iranian plateau, 270 km southeast of Isfahan, close to the Sp

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove

The dense forest of the Osun Sacred Grove, on the outskirts of the city of Osogbo, is one of the last remnants

Quebrada de Humahuaca

Quebrada de Humahuaca follows the line of a major cultural route, the Camino Inca, along the spectacular valle

M'Zab Valley

A traditional human habitat, created in the 10th century by the Ibadites around their five ksour (fortified ci

Tugendhat Villa in Brno

The Tugendhat Villa in Brno, designed by the architect Mies van der Rohe, is an outstanding example of the int

Pyu Ancient Cities

Pyu Ancient Cities includes the remains of three brick, walled and moated cities of Halin, Beikthano and Sri K

Tomb of Askia

The dramatic 17-m pyramidal structure of the Tomb of Askia was built by Askia Mohamed, the Emperor of Songhai,

Península Valdés

Península Valdés in Patagonia is a site of global significance for the conservation of marine mammals.

The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area

Lying at a strategic point of the ancient trade routes of the Arabian Peninsula, the property was abruptly aba

Butrint

Inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric.

Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura

The archaeological site of Sambor Prei Kuk, “the temple in the richness of the forest” in the Khmer language,

Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains

Situated in north-eastern South Africa, the Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains comprises 40% of the Barberton Green

Wixárika Route through Sacred Sites to Wirikuta (Tatehuarí Huajuyé)

The Wixárika Route is a serial property of 20 sites, spanning over 500 km across five states in north-central

Tyre

According to legend, purple dye was invented in Tyre.

Historic Centre of Brugge

Brugge is an outstanding example of a medieval historic settlement, which has maintained its historic fabric a

Jongmyo Shrine

Jongmyo is the oldest and most authentic of the Confucian royal shrines to have been preserved.

Chongoni Rock-Art Area

Situated within a cluster of forested granite hills and covering an area of 126.4 km2, high up the plateau of

Old Town Lunenburg

Lunenburg is the best surviving example of a planned British colonial settlement in North America.

Ancient Villages of Northern Syria

Some 40 villages grouped in eight parks situated in north-western Syria provide remarkable testimony to rural

Historic Centre of the City of Salzburg

Salzburg has managed to preserve an extraordinarily rich urban fabric, developed over the period from the Midd

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from

Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi

The Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi constitute a site embracing almost 30 ha of hillside within Kampala distr

Sewell Mining Town

Situated at 2,000 m in the Andes, 60 km to the east of Rancagua, in an environment marked by extremes of clima

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region

These five archaeological sites, stretching over more than 60 km in the Nile valley, are testimony to the Napa

Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex

The Plantin-Moretus Museum is a printing plant and publishing house dating from the Renaissance and Baroque pe

Maratha Military Landscapes of India

The property includes twelve major fortifications, mostly in Maharashtra State, with one in Tamil Nadu.

Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves

This is the largest protected area in Africa, covering some 7.7 million ha, though the area considered a prote

Hospicio Cabañas, Guadalajara

The Hospicio Cabañas was built at the beginning of the 19th century to provide care and shelter for the disadv

Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe

The Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe, a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers, w

Dorset and East Devon Coast

The cliff exposures along the Dorset and East Devon coast provide an almost continuous sequence of rock format

Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong

Situated in Kaesong city, in the south of the country, the site consists of 12 separate components, which toge

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape

The 160,000 ha Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape of dramatic mountainous desert in north-western S

Serra da Capivara National Park

Many of the numerous rock shelters in the Serra da Capivara National Park are decorated with cave paintings, s

Dougga / Thugga

Before the Roman annexation of Numidia, the town of Thugga, built on an elevated site overlooking a fertile pl

University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia

Situated on a hill overlooking the city, the University of Coimbra with its colleges grew and evolved over mor

Susa

Located in the south-west of Iran, in the lower Zagros Mountains, the property encompasses a group of archaeol

Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites

James Island and Related Sites present a testimony to the main periods and facets of the encounter between Afr

National Archeological Park of Tierradentro

Several monumental statues of human figures can be seen in the park, which also contains many hypogea dating f

Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli

Located in northern Lebanon, the Rachid Karameh International Fair of Tripoli was designed in 1962 by the Braz

Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker

Built between 1774 and 1781, this property is a moving mechanical scale model of the solar system as it was kn

Deer Stone Monuments and Related Bronze Age Sites

Located on the slopes of the Khangai Ridge in central Mongolia, these deer stones were used for ceremonial and

Bassari Country: Bassari, Fula and Bedik Cultural Landscapes

The site, located in south-east Senegal, includes three geographical areas: the Bassari–Salémata area, the Bed

Olympic National Park

Located in the north-west of Washington State, Olympic National Park is renowned for the diversity of its ecos

Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town

The use of a local limestone shaped the construction of the old town of Hebron/Al-Khalil during the Mamluk per

Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier

Trier, which stands on the Moselle River, was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading

Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er

Located on Jingmai Mountain in southwestern China, this cultural landscape was developed over a thousand years

Matobo Hills

The area exhibits a profusion of distinctive rock landforms rising above the granite shield that covers much o

The work of engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida

The Church of Atlántida with its belfry and underground baptistery is located in Estación Atlántida, 45 km awa

Banc d'Arguin National Park

Fringing the Atlantic coast, the park comprises sand-dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and shallow coastal

Pirin National Park

Spread over an area of over 27,000 ha, at an altitude between 1008 and 2914 m in the Pirin Mountains, southwes

Gaya Tumuli

This serial property includes archaeological cemetery sites with burial mounds attributed to the Gaya Confeder

Sangha Trinational

Situated in the north-western Congo Basin, where Cameroon, Central African Republic and Congo meet, the site e

Chavin (Archaeological Site)

The archaeological site of Chavin gave its name to the culture that developed between 1500 and 300 B.C.

Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)

Most of this archaeological site, which started as a Roman military camp and grew to become a town from the 5t

Ir.D.F. Woudagemaal (D.F. Wouda Steam Pumping Station)

The Wouda Pumping Station at Lemmer in the province of Friesland opened in 1920.

Kaziranga National Park

In the heart of Assam, this park is one of the last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence.

Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua

This property is an excellent example, at an exceptionally large-scale, of the process of post-glacial forest

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the nort

Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia

This property includes two components situated in a desert landscape: Jabel Umm Sinman at Jubbah and the Jabal

Hanseatic City of Lübeck

Lübeck – the former capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League – was founded in the 12th century and prosp

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites – Yoshino and

Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande

The town of Ribeira Grande, renamed Cidade Velha in the late 18th century, was the first European colonial out

Ruins of León Viejo

León Viejo is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas.

Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)

Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles o

The Historic Centre of Odesa

The Historic Center of Odesa, part of the Black Sea port city developed on the site of Khadzhybei, is a densel

Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat

The remote and mountainous landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat bears testimony to the traditional culture of the Ha

Comoé National Park

One of the largest protected areas in West Africa, this park is characterized by its great plant diversity.

National Archaeological Park Tak’alik Ab’aj

Tak’alik Ab’aj is an archaeological site located on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala.

Quseir Amra

Built in the early 8th century, this exceptionally well-preserved desert castle was both a fortress with a gar

Gorham's Cave Complex

The steep limestone cliffs on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar contain four caves with archaeological

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site

Ban Chiang is considered the most important prehistoric settlement so far discovered in South-East Asia.

Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town

The fortified historic town of Harar is located in the eastern part of the country on a plateau with deep gorg

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Cahokia Mounds, some 13 km north-east of St Louis, Missouri, is the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of

Kairouan

Founded in 670, Kairouan flourished under the Aghlabid dynasty in the 9th century.

Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar

The historic town of Mostar, spanning a deep valley of the Neretva River, developed in the 15th and 16th centu

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley

The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuri

Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam

The 65m-tall Minaret of Jam is a graceful, soaring structure, dating back to the 12th century. Covered in elaborate brickwork with a blue tile inscription at th

Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra

Berat and Gjirokastra are inscribed as rare examples of an architectural character typical of the Ottoman period. Located in central Albania, Berat bears witnes

Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

This transnational property includes 93 component parts in 18 countries. Since the end of the last Ice Age, European Beech spread from a few isolated refuge are

Kasbah of Algiers

The Kasbah is a unique kind of medina, or Islamic city. It stands in one of the finest coastal sites on the Mediterranean, overlooking the islands where a Carth

Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley

The cultural landscape of Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley offers a microcosmic perspective of the way people have harvested the resources of the high Pyrenees ove

Mbanza Kongo, Vestiges of the Capital of the former Kingdom of Kongo

The town of Mbanza Kongo, located on a plateau at an altitude of 570 m, was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest cons

Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites

The site consists of a group of Georgian-style naval buildings and structures, set within a walled enclosure. The natural environment of this side of the island

Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas

The Cueva de las Manos, Río Pinturas, contains an exceptional assemblage of cave art, executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago. It takes its name (Cave of th

ESMA Museum and Site of Memory – Former Clandestine Centre of Detention, Torture and Extermination

This property is located within the complex of the Former Navy School of Mechanics in Buenos Aires, in the former Officers’ Quarters. This was the Argentine Nav

Iguazu National Park

The semicircular waterfall at the heart of this site is some 80 m high and 2,700 m in diameter and is situated on a basaltic line spanning the border between Ar

Ischigualasto / Talampaya Natural Parks

These two contiguous parks, extending over 275,300 ha in the desert region on the western border of the Sierra Pampeanas of central Argentina, contain the most

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement

Chosen from the work of Le Corbusier, the 17 sites comprising this transnational serial property are spread over seven countries and are a testimonial to the in

Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System

This site is an extensive Inca communication, trade and defence network of roads covering 30,000 km. Constructed by the Incas over several centuries and partly

Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis: San Ignacio Mini, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa Maria Mayor (Argentina), Ruins of Sao Miguel das Missoes (Brazil)

The ruins of São Miguel das Missões in Brazil, and those of San Ignacio Miní, Santa Ana, Nuestra Señora de Loreto and Santa María la Mayor in Argentina, lie at

Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots

The cathedral and churches of Echmiatsin and the archaeological remains at Zvartnots graphically illustrate the evolution and development of the Armenian centra

Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin

These two Byzantine monasteries in the Tumanian region from the period of prosperity during the Kiurikian dynasty (10th to 13th century) were important centres

Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley

The monastery of Geghard contains a number of churches and tombs, most of them cut into the rock, which illustrate the very peak of Armenian medieval architectu

Australian Convict Sites

The property includes a selection of eleven penal sites, among the thousands established by the British Empire on Australian soil in the 18th and 19th centuries

Gondwana Rainforests of Australia

This site, comprising several protected areas, is situated predominantly along the Great Escarpment on Australia&rsquo;s east coast. The outstanding geological

Lord Howe Island Group

A remarkable example of isolated oceanic islands, born of volcanic activity more than 2,000 m under the sea, these islands boast a spectacular topography and ar

Macquarie Island

Macquarie Island (34 km long x 5 km wide) is an oceanic island in the Southern Ocean, lying 1,500 km south-east of Tasmania and approximately halfway between Au

City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg

The City of Graz – Historic Centre and Schloss Eggenberg bear witness to an exemplary model of the living heritage of a central European urban complex influence

Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape

Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd

Palace and Gardens of Schönbrunn

From the 18th century to 1918, Schönbrunn was the residence of the Habsburg emperors. It was designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and N

Semmering Railway

The Semmering Railway, built over 41 km of high mountains between 1848 and 1854, is one of the greatest feats of civil engineering from this pioneering phase of

The Great Spa Towns of Europe

This transnational serial property comprises eleven spa towns, located in seven European countries: Baden bei Wien (Austria); Spa (Belgium); Františkovy Lázne

Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps

This serial property of 111 small individual sites encompasses the remains of prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements in and around the Alps buil

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment)

It covers almost 600km of the whole Roman Empire’s Danube frontier. The property formed part of the much large frontier of the Roman Empire that encircled the M

Fertö / Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape

The Fert&ouml;/Neusiedler Lake area has been the meeting place of different cultures for eight millennia. This is graphically demonstrated by its varied landsca

Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and “Köç Yolu” Transhumance Route

This cultural landscape is comprised of the high-mountain Khinalig village in northern Azerbaijan, high-altitude summer pastures and agricultural terraces in th

Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape

Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape covers three areas of a plateau of rocky boulders rising out of the semi-desert of central Azerbaijan, with an outstanding

Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan’s Palace

The historic city of Sheki is located at the foot of the Greater Caucasus Mountains and divided in two by the Gurjana River. While the older northern part is bu

Hyrcanian Forests

The Hyrcanian Forests form a unique forested massif that stretches along the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan and Iran. The history of these broad-leaved forests dates

Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat

Situated in the suburbs of Bagerhat, at the meeting-point of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, this ancient city, formerly known as Khalifatabad, was founded b

Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur

Evidence of the rise of Mahayana Buddhism in Bengal from the 7th century onwards, Somapura Mahavira, or the Great Monastery, was a renowned intellectual centre

The Sundarbans

The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the

Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh

The Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh is located in central Belarus. The Radziwill dynasty, who built and kept

Mir Castle Complex

The construction of this castle began at the end of the 15th century, in Gothic style. It was subsequently extended and reconstructed, first in the Renaissance

Struve Geodetic Arc

The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, through 10 countries and over 2,820 km. These are poin

Flemish Béguinages

The Béguines were women who dedicated their lives to God without retiring from the world. In the 13th century they founded the béguinages , enclosed communities

Major Mining Sites of Wallonia

The four sites of the property form a strip 170&nbsp;km long by 3&ndash;15&nbsp;km wide, crossing Belgium from east to west, consisting of the best-preserved 19

Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta (Brussels)

The four major town houses - H&ocirc;tel Tassel, H&ocirc;tel Solvay, H&ocirc;tel van Eetvelde, and Maison &amp; Atelier Horta - located in Brussels and designed

Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes (Mons)

The Neolithic flint mines at Spiennes, covering more than 100 ha, are the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe. They are also remarkabl

Belfries of Belgium and France

Twenty-three belfries in the north of France and the belfry of Gembloux in Belgium were inscribed in 2005, as an extension to the 32 Belgian belfries inscribed

Colonies of Benevolence

The transnational serial property is an Enlightenment experiment in social reform. These cultural landscapes demonstrate an innovative, highly influential 19th-

Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba

The Koutammakou landscape in north-eastern Togo and neighbouring Benin is home to the Batammariba, whose remarkable mud tower-houses are known as takienta (siki

Fuerte de Samaipata

The archaeological site of Samaipata consists of two parts: the hill with its many carvings, believed to have been the ceremonial centre of the old town (14th–1

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park

The National Park is one of the largest (1,523,000 ha) and most intact parks in the Amazon Basin. With an altitudinal range of 200 m to nearly 1,000 m, it is th

Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad

The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge of Višegrad across the Drina River in the east of Bosnia and Herzegovina was built at the end of the 16th century by the court

Vjetrenica Cave, Ravno

Located in the Dinaric mountain range, the property stands out with its remarkable cave biodiversity and endemicity. Known since antiquity, the well-conserved r

Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards

This serial property combines 28 sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, western Serbia, western Montenegro and central and southern Croatia, representing the

Tsodilo

With one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, Tsodilo has been called the ''Louvre of the Desert''. Over 4,500 paintings are preserved in an

Brazilian Atlantic Islands: Fernando de Noronha and Atol das Rocas Reserves

Peaks of the Southern Atlantic submarine ridge form the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago and Rocas Atoll off the coast of Brazil. They represent a large proporti

Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks

The two sites included in the designation contain flora and fauna and key habitats that characterize the Cerrado – one of the world’s oldest and most diverse tr

Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves

The Discovery Coast Atlantic Forest Reserves, in the states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, consist of eight separate protected areas containing 112,000 ha of Atla

Historic Centre of São Luís

The late 17th-century core of this historic town, founded by the French and occupied by the Dutch before coming under Portuguese rule, has preserved the origina

Ancient City of Nessebar

Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Menebria). At the beginning

Rila Monastery

Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. His ascetic dwelling and tomb became a holy site a

Srebarna Nature Reserve

The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake adjacent to the Danube and extending over 600 ha. It is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of birds, man

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari

Discovered in 1982 near the village of Sveshtari, this 3rd-century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. T

Ancient Ferrous Metallurgy Sites of Burkina Faso

This property is composed of five elements located in different provinces of the country. It includes about fifteen standing, natural-draught furnaces, several

Royal Court of Tiébélé

The property is an earthen architectural complex established since the 16th century that bears testimony to the social organization and cultural values of the K

Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection

The property consists of three locations that reflect the human rights abuses of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia from 1971 to 1979. The three component parts

Koh Ker: Archaeological Site of Ancient Lingapura or Chok Gargyar

The archaeological site of Koh Ker is a sacred urban ensemble of numerous temples and sanctuaries including sculptures, inscriptions, wall paintings, and archae

Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains

Located in the Far North Region of Cameroon, the property includes sixteen archaeological sites across seven villages. Known as Diy-Gid-Biy (meaning “Ruin of th

Anticosti

Situated on the island of Anticosti, the largest island in Quebec, this property is the most complete and best preserved palaeontological record of the first ma

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks

The contiguous national parks of Banff, Jasper, Kootenay and Yoho, as well as the Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine and Hamber provincial parks, studded with moun

Gros Morne National Park

Situated on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, the park provides a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the r

Historic District of Old Québec

Québec was founded by the French explorer Champlain in the early 17th century. It is the only North American city to have preserved its ramparts, together with

Waterton Glacier International Peace Park

In 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park (Alberta, Canada) was combined with the Glacier National Park (Montana, United States) to form the world's first Internatio

Ennedi Massif: Natural and Cultural Landscape

In the northeast of the country, the sandstone Ennedi Massif has been sculpted over time by water and wind erosion into a plateau featuring canyons and valleys

Churches of Chiloé

The Churches of Chiloé represent a unique example in Latin America of an outstanding form of ecclesiastical wooden architecture. They represent a tradition init

Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso

The colonial city of Valpara&iacute;so presents an excellent example of late 19th-century urban and architectural development in Latin America. In its natural a

Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works

Humberstone and Santa Laura works contain over 200 former saltpeter works where workers from Chile, Peru and Bolivia lived in company towns and forged a distinc

Rapa Nui National Park

Rapa Nui, the indigenous name of Easter Island, bears witness to a unique cultural phenomenon. A society of Polynesian origin that settled there c. A.D. 300 est

Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains

The palaces and temples which form the nucleus of this group of secular and religious buildings exemplify the architectural and artistic achievements of China's

Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun

The two traditional villages of Xidi and Hongcun preserve to a remarkable extent the appearance of non-urban settlements of a type that largely disappeared or w

Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City

Located in the Yangtze River Basin on the south-eastern coast of the country, the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu (about 3,300-2,300 BCE) reveal an early regio

Badain Jaran Desert - Towers of Sand and Lakes

Located in the Alashan Plateau in the hyper-arid and temperate desert region of northwestern China, the Badain Jaran Desert is a meeting point for three sandy r

Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor

This property is a 5,000 km section of the extensive Silk Roads network, stretching from Chang’an/Luoyang, the central capital of China in the Han and Tang dyna

Chiribiquete National Park – “The Maloca of the Jaguar”

Chiribiquete National Park, the largest protected area in Colombia, is the confluence point of four biogeographical provinces: Amazon, Andes, Orinoco and Guyana

Historic Centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox

Founded in 1540 on the banks of the River Magdalena, Mompox played a key role in the Spanish colonization of northern South America. From the 16th to the 19th c

Los Katíos National Park

Extending over 72,000 ha in north-western Colombia, Los Katios National Park comprises low hills, forests and humid plains. An exceptional biological diversity

Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary

Located some 506 km off the coast of Colombia, the site includes Malpelo island (350 ha) and the surrounding marine environment (857,150 ha). This vast marine p

Area de Conservación Guanacaste

The Area de Conservación Guanacaste (inscribed in 1999), was extended with the addition of a 15,000 ha private property, St Elena. It contains important natural

Talamanca Range-La Amistad Reserves / La Amistad National Park

The location of this unique site in Central America, where Quaternary glaciers have left their mark, has allowed the fauna and flora of North and South America

Episcopal Complex of the Euphrasian Basilica in the Historic Centre of Poreč

The group of religious monuments in Porec, where Christianity was established as early as the 4th century, constitutes the most complete surviving complex of it

Historic City of Trogir

Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embelli

Stari Grad Plain

Stari Grad Plain on the Adriatic island of Hvar is a cultural landscape that has remained practically intact since it was first colonized by Ionian Greeks from

The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik

The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik (1431-1535), on the Dalmatian coast, bears witness to the considerable exchanges in the field of monumental arts between No

Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries: Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar

This property consists of 6 components of defence works in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, spanning more than 1,000 km between the Lombard region of Italy and th

Alejandro de Humboldt National Park

Complex geology and varied topography have given rise to a diversity of ecosystems and species unmatched in the insular Caribbean and created one of the most bi

Desembarco del Granma National Park

Desembarco del Granma National Park, with its uplifted marine terraces and associated ongoing development of karst topography and features, represents a globall

Historic Centre of Camagüey

One of the first seven villages founded by the Spaniards in Cuba, Camagüey played a prominent role as the urban centre of an inland territory dedicated to cattl

Old Havana and its Fortification System

Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. By the 17th century, it had become one of the Caribbean's main centres for ship-building. Although it is today a spra

Choirokoitia

The Neolithic settlement of Choirokoitia, occupied from the 7th to the 4th millennium B.C., is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the eastern Medite

Painted Churches in the Troodos Region

This region is characterized by one of the largest groups of churches and monasteries of the former Byzantine Empire. The complex of 10 monuments included on th

Gardens and Castle at Kroměříž

Kroměříž stands on the site of an earlier ford across the River Morava, at the foot of the Chriby mountain range which dominates the central part of Moravia. Th

Historic Centre of Prague

Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, the Old Town, the Lesser Town and the New Town speak of the great architectural and cultural influence enjoyed by thi

Historic Centre of Telč

The houses in Telc, which stands on a hilltop, were originally built of wood. After a fire in the late 14th century, the town was rebuilt in stone, surrounded b

Historic Centre of Český Krumlov

Situated on the banks of the Vltava river, the town was built around a 13th-century castle with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. It is an outstanding e

Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří Mining Region

Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří (Ore Mountains) spans a region in south-eastern Germany (Saxony) and north-western Czechia, which contains a wealth of several metals expl

Historic Town of Grand-Bassam

The first capital of Côte d’Ivoire, the Historic Town of Grand-Bassam, is an example of a late 19th- and early 20th-century colonial town planned with quarters

Sudanese style mosques in northern Côte d’Ivoire

The eight Sudanese-style mosques located in Tengréla, Kouto, Sorobango, Samatiguila, Nambira, Kong, and Kaouara are characterized by earthen construction, proje

Complex of Koguryo Tombs

The property includes several group and individual tombs - totalling about 30 individual tombs - from the later period of the Koguryo Kingdom, one of the strong

Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea

Mount Kumgang is a long-celebrated place of exceptional natural beauty, renowned for its near-white granite peaks, deep valleys, waterfalls, and pristine ecosys

Okapi Wildlife Reserve

The Okapi Wildlife Reserve occupies about one-fifth of the Ituri forest in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Congo river basin, of whi

Aasivissuit – Nipisat. Inuit Hunting Ground between Ice and Sea

Located inside the Arctic Circle in the central part of West Greenland, the property contains the remains of 4,200 years of human history. It is a cultural land

Ilulissat Icefjord

Located on the west coast of Greenland, 250 km north of the Arctic Circle, Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord is the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few gl

Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church

The Jelling burial mounds and one of the runic stones are striking examples of pagan Nordic culture, while the other runic stone and the church illustrate the C

Kronborg Castle

Located on a strategically important site commanding the Sund, the stretch of water between Denmark and Sweden, the Royal castle of Kronborg at Helsingør (Elsin

Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. The site covers the Dutch Wadden Sea Conservation Area, the German

Moravian Church Settlements

This transnational serial property comprises four congregational settlements in four countries representing the transnational scope and consistency of the inter

Morne Trois Pitons National Park

Luxuriant natural tropical forest blends with scenic volcanic features of great scientific interest in this national park centred on the 1,342-m-high volcano kn

Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site

Joya de Cer&eacute;n was a pre-Hispanic farming community that, like Pompeii and Herculaneum in Italy, was buried under an eruption of the Laguna Caldera volcan

Historic Centre (Old Town) of Tallinn

The origins of Tallinn date back to the 13th century, when a castle was built there by the crusading knights of the Teutonic Order. It developed as a major cent

Bale Mountains National Park

This property protects a landscape mosaic of extraordinary beauty that is shaped by the combined forces of ancient lava outpourings, glaciation and the dissecti

Lower Valley of the Awash

The Awash valley contains one of the most important groupings of palaeontological sites on the African continent. The remains found at the site, the oldest of w

Tiya

Tiya is among the most important of the roughly 160 archaeological sites discovered so far in the Soddo region, south of Addis Ababa. The site contains 36 monum

Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki

This Bronze Age burial site features more than 30 granite burial cairns, providing a unique insight into the funerary practices and social and religious structu

Fortress of Suomenlinna

Built in the second half of the 18th century by Sweden on a group of islands located at the entrance of Helsinki's harbour, this fortress is an especially inter

Old Rauma

Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Churc

Petäjävesi Old Church

Petäjävesi Old Church, in central Finland, was built of logs between 1763 and 1765. This Lutheran country church is a typical example of an architectural tradit

High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago

The Kvarken Archipelago (Finland) and the High Coast (Sweden) are situated in the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea. The 5,600 islands of

Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe

Known as the 'Romanesque Sistine Chapel', the Abbey-Church of Saint-Savin contains many beautiful 11th- and 12th-century murals which are still in a remarkable

Amiens Cathedral

Amiens Cathedral, in the heart of Picardy, is one of the largest 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century. It is notable for the coherence of its plan, the

Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments

Arles is a good example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, of which the earliest –

Bordeaux, Port of the Moon

The Port of the Moon, port city of Bordeaux in south-west France, is inscribed as an inhabited historic city, an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble, c

Pyrénées - Mont Perdu

This outstanding mountain landscape, which spans the contemporary national borders of France and Spain, is centred around the peak of Mount Perdu, a calcareous

Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda

The Ecosystem and Relict Cultural Landscape of Lopé-Okanda demonstrates an unusual interface between dense and well-conserved tropical rainforest and relict sav

Ivindo National Park

Situated on the equator in northern Gabon the largely pristine site encompasses an area of almost 300,000 ha crossed by a network of picturesque blackwater rive

Stone Circles of Senegambia

The site consists of four large groups of stone circles that represent an extraordinary concentration of over 1,000 monuments in a band 100 km wide along some 3

Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands

The property comprises seven component parts, within an 80km long corridor along the warm-temperate and extremely humid eastern coast of the Black Sea. They pro

Gelati Monastery

Founded in 1106 in the west of Georgia, the Monastery of Gelati is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia, a period of political strength and econo

Historical Monuments of Mtskheta

The historic churches of Mtskheta, former capital of Georgia, are outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. They show the high ar

Upper Svaneti

Preserved by its long isolation, the Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is an exceptional example of mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-ho

Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch

The abbey, together with its monumental entrance, the famous 'Torhall', are rare architectural vestiges of the Carolingian era. The sculptures and paintings fro

Archaeological Border complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke

The archaeological site of Hedeby consists of the remains of an emporium – or trading town – containing traces of roads, buildings, cemeteries and a harbour dat

Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau

Between 1919 and 1933 the Bauhaus movement revolutionized architectural and aesthetic thinking and practice in the 20th century. The Bauhaus buildings in Weimar

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Descending a long hill dominated by a giant statue of Hercules, the monumental water displays of Wilhelmshöhe were begun by Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel in 16

Muskauer Park / Park Mużakowski

A landscaped park of 559.9 ha astride the Neisse River and the border between Poland and Germany, it was created by Prince Hermann von Puckler-Muskau from 1815

Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina)

The city of Aigai, the ancient first capital of the Kingdom of Macedonia, was discovered in the 19th century near Vergina, in northern Greece. The most importan

Archaeological Site of Delphi

The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke, was the site of the omphalos, the 'navel of the world'. Blending harmoniously with the s

Archaeological Site of Mystras

Mystras, the 'wonder of the Morea', was built as an amphitheatre around the fortress erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, William of Villehardouin. Reconque

Archaeological Site of Olympia

The site of Olympia, in a valley in the Peloponnesus, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. In the 10th century B.C., Olympia became a centre for the wors

National History Park – Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers

These Haitian monuments date from the beginning of the 19th century, when Haiti proclaimed its independence. The Palace of Sans Souci, the buildings at Ramiers

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura

Founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC, Rome was first the centre of the Roman Republic, then of the Roman Empire, and it became the capit

Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve

Located on the watershed of the R&iacute;o Pl&aacute;tano, the reserve is one of the few remains of a tropical rainforest in Central America and has an abundant

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue

This site has the remains of monuments such as the Roman city of Aquincum and the Gothic castle of Buda, which have had a considerable influence on the architec

Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopianae)

In the 4th century, a remarkable series of decorated tombs were constructed in the cemetery of the Roman provincial town of Sopianae (modern Pécs). These are im

Hortobágy National Park - the Puszta

The cultural landscape of the Hortob&aacute;gy Puszta consists of a vast area of plains and wetlands in eastern Hungary. Traditional forms of land use, such as

Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural Environment

The first Benedictine monks settled here in 996. They went on to convert the Hungarians, to found the country's first school and, in 1055, to write the first do

Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst

The variety of formations and the fact that they are concentrated in a restricted area means that the 712 caves currently identified make up a typical temperate

Surtsey

Surtsey, a volcanic island approximately 32 km from the south coast of Iceland, is a new island formed by volcanic eruptions that took place from 1963 to 1967.

Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice

This iconic volcanic region covers an area of over 1,400,000 ha, nearly 14% of Iceland's territory. It numbers ten central volcanoes, eight of which are subglac

Þingvellir National Park

Þingvellir (Thingvellir) is the National Park where the Althing, an open-air assembly representing the whole of Iceland, was established in 930 and continued to

Agra Fort

Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encom

Ajanta Caves

The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C. During the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries A.D.), many more richly deco

Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar

The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the State of Bihar, in north-eastern India. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution d

Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi

On a hill overlooking the plain and about 40 km from Bhopal, the site of Sanchi comprises a group of Buddhist monuments (monolithic pillars, palaces, temples an

Borobudur Temple Compounds

This famous Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, is located in central Java. It was built in three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentr

Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy

The cultural landscape of Bali consists of five rice terraces and their water temples that cover 19,500 ha. The temples are the focus of a cooperative water man

Komodo National Park

These volcanic islands are inhabited by a population of around 5,700 giant lizards, whose appearance and aggressive behaviour have led to them being called 'Kom

Lorentz National Park

Lorentz National Park (2.35 million ha) is the largest protected area in South-East Asia. It is the only protected area in the world to incorporate a continuous

Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran

The Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, in the north-west of the country, consists of three monastic ensembles of the Armenian Christian faith: St Thaddeus and

Bam and its Cultural Landscape

Bam is situated in a desert environment on the southern edge of the Iranian high plateau. The origins of Bam can be traced back to the Achaemenid period (6th to

Bisotun

Bisotun is located along the ancient trade route linking the Iranian high plateau with Mesopotamia and features remains from the prehistoric times to the Median

Cultural Landscape of Maymand

Maymand is a self-contained, semi-arid area at the end of a valley at the southern extremity of Iran’s central mountains. The villagers are semi-nomadic agro-pa

Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)

The ancient city of Ashur is located on the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia in a specific geo-ecological zone, at the borderline between rain-fed and irrig

Babylon

Situated 85 km south of Baghdad, the property includes the ruins of the city which, between 626 and 539 BCE, was the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. It in

Erbil Citadel

Erbil Citadel is a fortified settlement on top of an imposing ovoid-shaped tell (a hill created by many generations of people living and rebuilding on the same

Hatra

A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and

Brú na Bóinne - Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne

The three main prehistoric sites of the Brú na Bóinne Complex, Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, are situated on the north bank of the River Boyne 50 km north of Dub

Sceilg Mhichíl

Sceilg Mhichíl is an outstanding, and in many respects unique, example of an early religious settlement deliberately sited on a pyramidal rock in the ocean, pre

Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee

The Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and Western Galilee are inscribed for their profound spiritual meaning and the testimony they bear to the strong tradition of pi

Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba

Tels (prehistoric settlement mounds), are characteristic of the flatter lands of the eastern Mediterranean, particularly Lebanon, Syria, Israel and eastern Turk

Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves

The archaeological site contains some 3,500 underground chambers distributed among distinct complexes carved in the thick and homogenous soft chalk of Lower Jud

Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev

The four Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, along with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes in the Negev Desert, are spread along

18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex

The monumental complex at Caserta, created by the Bourbon king Charles III in the mid-18th century to rival Versailles and the Royal Palace in Madrid, is except

Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale

Located on the northern coast of Sicily, Arab-Norman Palermo includes a series of nine civil and religious structures dating from the era of the Norman kingdom

Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia

Aquileia (in Friuli-Venezia Giulia), one of the largest and wealthiest cities of the Early Roman Empire, was destroyed by Attila in the mid-5th century. Most of

Archaeological Area of Agrigento

Founded as a Greek colony in the 6th century B.C., Agrigento became one of the leading cities in the Mediterranean world. Its supremacy and pride are demonstrat

Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes

Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes, brings together two historic railway lines that cross the Swiss Alps through two passes. Opened in 1904, th

Blue and John Crow Mountains

The site encompasses a rugged and extensively forested mountainous region in the south-east of Jamaica, which provided refuge first for the indigenous Tainos fl

The Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal

The town of Port Royal is located at the mouth of Kingston Harbour in southeastern Jamaica. It was a major 17th-century English port city. A devastating earthqu

Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island

Encompassing 42,698 hectares of subtropical rainforests on four islands on a chain located in the southwest of Japan, the serial site forms an arc on the bounda

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area

There are around 48 Buddhist monuments in the Horyu-ji area, in Nara Prefecture. Several date from the late 7th or early 8th century, making them some of the ol

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu

Five hundred years of Ryukyuan history (12th-17th century) are represented by this group of sites and monuments. The ruins of the castles, on imposing elevated

Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

Located in the north-western part of Kyushu island, this serial property consists of ten villages, remains of the Hara Castle and a cathedral, dating from the 1

As-Salt - The Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality

Built on three closely-spaced hills in the Balqa highland of west-central Jordan, the city of As-Salt, was an important trading link between the eastern desert

Umm Al-Jimāl

The property is a rural settlement in northern Jordan that developed organically on the site of an earlier Roman settlement around the 5th century CE and functi

Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly

Set around the lush Tanbaly Gorge, amidst the vast, arid Chu-Ili mountains, is a remarkable concentration of some 5,000 petroglyphs (rock carvings) dating from

Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan

Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan comprises two protected areas: Naurzum State Nature Reserve and Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve totalling 450

Western Tien-Shan

The transnational property is located in the Tien-Shan mountain system, one of the largest mountain ranges in the world. Western Tien-Shan ranges in altitude fr

Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley

The Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley , a natural property of outstanding beauty, comprises three inter-linked relatively shallow lakes (Lake Bogoria,

The Historic Town and Archaeological Site of Gedi

Surrounded by a remnant coastal forest, away from the coastline, the abandoned city of Gedi was one of the most important Swahili cities on the East African coa

Thimlich Ohinga Archaeological Site

Situated north-west of the town of Migori, in the Lake Victoria region, this dry-stone walled settlement was probably built in the 16th century CE. The Ohinga (

Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang – Plain of Jars

The Plain of Jars, located on a plateau in central Laos, gets its name from more than 2,100 tubular-shaped megalithic stone jars used for funerary practices in

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park

This transboundary property, located along the border between Viet Nam and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, forms one of the most exceptional and well-pres

Simien National Park

Massive erosion over the years on the Ethiopian plateau has created one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world,

Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis

Thebes, the city of the god Amon, was the capital of Egypt during the period of the Middle and New Kingdoms

Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang

Seat of supreme power for over five centuries (1416-1911), the Forbidden City in Beijing, with its landscaped gardens an

Acropolis, Athens

The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the gr

City of Cuzco

Situated in the Peruvian Andes, Cuzco developed, under the Inca ruler Pachacutec, into a complex urban centre with disti

Aksum

The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border

Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae

This outstanding archaeological area contains such magnificent monuments as the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and t

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

No doubt thousands of statues still remain to be unearthed at this archaeological site, which was not discovered until 1

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura

Founded, according to legend, by Romulus and Remus in 753 BC, Rome was first the centre of the Roman Republic, then of t

Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa

Located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, some 400 km south of Lima, the geoglyphs of Nasca and the pampas of Jumana c

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the fortress-city of Fasil Ghebbi was the residence of the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides a

Historic Cairo

Tucked away amid the modern urban area of Cairo lies one of the world's oldest Islamic cities, with its famous mosques,

Mogao Caves

Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intell

Historic Centre of Florence

Built on the site of an Etruscan settlement, Florence, the symbol of the Renaissance, rose to economic and cultural pre-

Chan Chan Archaeological Zone

The Chimu Kingdom, with Chan Chan as its capital, reached its apogee in the 15th century, not long before falling to the

Lower Valley of the Omo

A prehistoric site near Lake Turkana, the lower valley of the Omo is renowned the world over

Saint Catherine Area

The Orthodox Monastery of St Catherine stands at the foot of Mount Horeb where, the Old Testament records, Moses receive

Longmen Grottoes

The grottoes and niches of Longmen contain the largest and most impressive collection of Chinese art of the late Norther

Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata

When Vesuvius erupted on 24 August AD 79, it engulfed the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompei and Herculaneum, as well

Manú National Park

This huge 1

Serengeti National Park

The vast plains of the Serengeti comprise 1

Wadi Rum Protected Area

The 74,000-hectare property, inscribed as a mixed natural and cultural site, is situated in southern Jordan, near the bo

Yungang Grottoes

The Yungang Grottoes, in Datong city, Shanxi Province, with their 252 caves and 51,000 statues, represent the outstandin

Vatican City

The Vatican City, one of the most sacred places in Christendom, attests to a great history and a formidable spiritual ve

Huascarán National Park

Situated in the Cordillera Blanca, the world's highest tropical mountain range, Mount Huascarán rises to 6,768 m above s

Ngorongoro Conservation Area

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area spans vast expanses of highland plains, savanna, savanna woodlands and forests

Baalbek

This Phoenician city, where a triad of deities was worshipped, was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period

Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa

The Potala Palace, winter palace of the Dalai Lama since the 7th century, symbolizes Tibetan Buddhism and its central ro

Costiera Amalfitana

The Amalfi coast is an area of great physical beauty and natural diversity

Tikal National Park

In the heart of the jungle, surrounded by lush vegetation, lies one of the major sites of Mayan civilization, inhabited

Stone Town of Zanzibar

The Stone Town of Zanzibar is a fine example of the Swahili coastal trading towns of East Africa

Byblos

The ruins of many successive civilizations are found at Byblos, one of the oldest Phoenician cities

Mount Huangshan

Huangshan, known as 'the loveliest mountain of China', was acclaimed through art and literature during a good part of Ch

Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)

The Ligurian coast between Cinque Terre and Portovenere is a cultural landscape of great scenic and cultural value

Antigua Guatemala

Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century

Lake Turkana National Parks

The most saline of Africa's large lakes, Turkana is an outstanding laboratory for the study of plant and animal communit

Site of Palmyra

An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that was on

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area

Stretching over 72,000 ha in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of mor

The Dolomites

The site of the Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to abov

Maya Site of Copan

Discovered in 1570 by Diego García de Palacio, the ruins of Copán, one of the most important sites of the Mayan civiliza

Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest

At 5,199 m, Mount Kenya is the second highest peak in Africa

Ancient City of Damascus

Founded in the 3rd millennium B

Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area

A spectacular area stretching over more than 26,000 ha in China's Hunan Province, the site is dominated by more than 3,0

Piazza del Duomo, Pisa

Standing in a large green expanse, Piazza del Duomo houses a group of monuments known the world over

Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan

The holy city of Teotihuacan ('the place where the gods were created') is situated some 50 km north-east of Mexico City

Lamu Old Town

Lamu Old Town is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa, retaining its traditional functions

Ancient City of Aleppo

Located at the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B

West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou

The West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou, comprising the West Lake and the hills surrounding its three sides, has in

Historic Centre of Siena

Siena is the embodiment of a medieval city

Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque

A prime example of a Mayan sanctuary of the classical period, Palenque was at its height between AD 500 and 700, when it

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers nearly 100,000 ha in western Uganda and comprises the main part of the Rwenz

Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din

These two castles represent the most significant examples illustrating the exchange of influences and documenting the ev

South China Karst

South China Karst is one of the world’s most spectacular examples of humid tropical to subtropical karst landscapes

The Sassi and the Park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera

This is the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted t

Pre-Hispanic Town of Uxmal

The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatán, was founded c

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls

These are among the most spectacular waterfalls in the world

Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls

As a holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem has always been of great symbolic importance

Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing

The Summer Palace in Beijing &ndash; first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its origi

Val d'Orcia

The landscape of Val d’Orcia is part of the agricultural hinterland of Siena, redrawn and developed when it was integrat

Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Albán

Inhabited over a period of 1,500 years by a succession of peoples – Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mixtecs – the terraces, dams, c

Okavango Delta

This delta in north-west Botswana comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains

Medina of Marrakesh

Founded in 1070–72 by the Almoravids, Marrakesh remained a political, economic and cultural centre for a long period

Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing

The Temple of Heaven, founded in the first half of the 15th century, is a dignified complex of fine cult buildings set i

City of Verona

The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century B

Historic Town of Guanajuato and Adjacent Mines

Founded by the Spanish in the early 16th century, Guanajuato became the world's leading silver-extraction centre in the

Namib Sand Sea

Namib Sand Sea is the only coastal desert in the world that includes extensive dune fields influenced by fog

Medina of Fez

Founded in the 9th century, Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marra

Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area

The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in Sichuan Province in the 1st century A

Tower of London

The massive White Tower is a typical example of Norman military architecture, whose influence was felt throughout the ki

Historic Centre of Mexico City and Xochimilco

Built in the 16th century by the Spanish on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the old Aztec capital, Mexico City is now one of

Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes

Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes has one of the largest concentrations of [

Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou

The ksar, a group of earthen buildings surrounded by high walls, is a traditional pre-Saharan habitat

Ancient City of Ping Yao

Ping Yao is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional Han Chinese city, founded in the 14th century

Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret’s Church

Westminster Palace, rebuilt from the year 1840 on the site of important medieval remains, is a fine example of neo-Gothi

Historic Centre of Puebla

Puebla, which was founded ex nihilo in 1531, is situated about 100 km east of Mexico City, at the foot of the Popocatepe

Cape Floral Region Protected Areas

Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004, the property is located at the south-western extremity of South Africa

Archaeological Site of Volubilis

The Mauritanian capital, founded in the 3rd century B

Mount Wutai

With its five flat peaks, Mount Wutai is a sacred Buddhist mountain

City of Bath

Founded by the Romans as a thermal spa, Bath became an important centre of the wool industry in the Middle Ages

Historic Centre of Morelia

Built in the 16th century, Morelia is an outstanding example of urban planning which combines the ideas of the Spanish R

Robben Island

Robben Island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unaccep

Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin)

T&eacute;touan was of particular importance in the Islamic period, from the 8th century onwards, since it served as the

Mount Taishan

The sacred Mount Tai ('shan' means 'mountain') was the object of an imperial cult for nearly 2,000 years, and the artist

Old and New Towns of Edinburgh

Edinburgh has been the Scottish capital since the 15th century

Historic Centre of Zacatecas

Founded in 1546 after the discovery of a rich silver lode, Zacatecas reached the height of its prosperity in the 16th an

Maloti-Drakensberg Park

The Maloti-Drakensberg Park is a transnational property composed of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg National Park in South Af

Medina of Tunis

Under the Almohads and the Hafsids, from the 12th to the 16th century, Tunis was considered one of the greatest and weal

China Danxia

China Danxia is the name given in China to landscapes developed on continental red terrigenous sedimentary beds influenc

Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast

The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Nort

Sian Ka'an

In the language of the Mayan peoples who once inhabited this region, Sian Ka'an means 'Origin of the Sky'

Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape

Mapungubwe is set hard against the northern border of South Africa, joining Zimbabwe and Botswana

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784

Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace, near Oxford, stands in a romantic park created by the famous landscape gardener 'Capability' Brown

Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios

Founded in the early 16th century in honour of the Holy Trinity, the city was a bridgehead for the conquest of the Ameri

Great Zimbabwe National Monument

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe – the capital of the Queen of Sheba, according to an age-old legend – are a unique testimony

Timgad

Timgad lies on the northern slopes of the Aurès mountains and was created ex nihilo as a military colony by the Emperor

Himeji-jo

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings wi

Frontiers of the Roman Empire – The Danube Limes (Western Segment)

It covers almost 600km of the whole Roman Empire’s Danube frontier

Viñales Valley

The Viñales valley is encircled by mountains and its landscape is interspersed with dramatic rocky outcrops

Rainforests of the Atsinanana

The Rainforests of the Atsinanana comprise six national parks distributed along the eastern part of the island

Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna

Leptis Magna was enlarged and embellished by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb

Palace and Park of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI

Brasilia

Brasilia, a capital created ex nihilo in the centre of the country in 1956, was a landmark in the history of town planni

Aldabra Atoll

The atoll is comprised of four large coral islands which enclose a shallow lagoon; the group of islands is itself surrou

Archaeological Site of Sabratha

A Phoenician trading-post that served as an outlet for the products of the African hinterland, Sabratha was part of the

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine

The island of Itsukushima, in the Seto inland sea, has been a holy place of Shintoism since the earliest times

Paris, Banks of the Seine

From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris

Historic Town of Ouro Preto

Founded at the end of the 17th century, Ouro Preto (Black Gold) was the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil’s golden

Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve

In the heart of the small island of Praslin, the reserve has the vestiges of a natural palm forest preserved in almost i

Old Town of Ghadamès

Ghadamès, known as 'the pearl of the desert', stands in an oasis

Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration

The beauty of the solitary, often snow-capped, stratovolcano, known around the world as Mount Fuji, rising above village

Chartres Cathedral

Partly built starting in 1145, and then reconstructed over a 26-year period after the fire of 1194, Chartres Cathedral m

Historic Centre of Salvador de Bahia

As the first capital of Brazil, from 1549 to 1763, Salvador de Bahia witnessed the blending of European, African and Ame

Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary

Situated in the Senegal River delta, the Djoudj Sanctuary is a wetland of 16,000 ha, comprising a large lake surrounded

Old City of Sana'a

Situated in a mountain valley at an altitude of 2,200 m, Sana’a has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama

Located in a mountainous region that was cut off from the rest of the world for a long period of time, these villages wi

The Loire Valley between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes

The Loire Valley is an outstanding cultural landscape of great beauty, containing historic towns and villages, great arc

Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea

The site consists of an exceptional urban setting encompassing the key natural elements that have shaped and inspired th

Island of Gorée

The island of Gor&eacute;e lies off the coast of Senegal, opposite Dakar

Old Walled City of Shibam

Surrounded by a fortified wall, the 16th-century city of Shibam is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning

Shrines and Temples of Nikko

The shrines and temples of Nikko, together with their natural surroundings, have for centuries been a sacred site known

Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge

In the 14th century, this city in the South of France was the seat of the papacy

Pantanal Conservation Area

The Pantanal Conservation Area consists of a cluster of four protected areas with a total area of 187,818 ha

Island of Saint-Louis

Founded as a French colonial settlement in the 17th century, Saint-Louis was urbanised in the mid-19th century

Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ)

The Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) is the first World Heritage property to be inscribed in Saudi

Ogasawara Islands

The property numbers more than 30 islands clustered in three groups and covers surface area of 7,939 hectares

Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne

Since the pre-Roman period, a fortified settlement has existed on the hill where Carcassonne now stands

Central Amazon Conservation Complex

The Central Amazon Conservation Complex makes up the largest protected area in the Amazon Basin and is one of the planet

Old Towns of Djenné