Civilisation/World Heritage Sites

World Heritage Sites are designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance.

Following a project to save the treasures of Nubia including the temple complexes of Abu Simbel and Philae from land which would be flooded by the Aswan High Dam, UNESCO initiated a draft convention to protect cultural heritage. The convention came into force in 1975.

In 1978, Quito and Krakow were the first World Cultural Heritage Sites declared by UNESCO.

As of September 2023, a total of 1,199 World Heritage Sites (933 cultural, 227 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 168 countries.

Countries with most World Heritage Sites

Italy	59
China	57
Germany	52
France	52
Spain	50

Tentative Lists

A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination. A State Party is a country that has adhered to the World Heritage Convention.

List of World Heritage in Danger

The List of World Heritage in Danger is designed to inform the international community of conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List, and to encourage corrective action. As of February 2023, there are 55 sites.

An asterisk (*) following the name of a site in the tables below indicates that a site is on The List of World Heritage in Danger.

UK and overseas territories World Heritage Sites

There are 33 sites in the UK and overseas territories.

The Giants Causeway and the Jurassic Coast are natural rather than cultural properties. St Kilda is one of only 39 global locations to be awarded mixed World Heritage Status for both natural and cultural significance.

Location	Name	Comments
England and Scotland	Frontiers of the Roman Empire	Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall. Hadrian’s Wall is 118-km-long and was built c122 CE at the northernmost limits of the Roman province of Britannia. The Antonine Wall is 60-km long and was started by Emperor Antonius Pius in 142 CE as a more northerly defense against the “barbarians”.
England	Blenheim Palace	Seat of the Duke of Marlborough in Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Designed by John Vanbrugh and Nicholas Hawksmoor. Completed in 1722 as a present to John Churchill, first Duke of Marlborough, in recognition of his victory at Blenheim in 1704. The surrounding park was created by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown.
England	Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey, and St Martin's Church	St Augustine's Abbey was a Benedictine monastery. St Martin's Church is the oldest church in England still in regular use. Canterbury Cathedral was the site of the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170 and in consequence became a mecca for pilgrims.
England	City of Bath	Bath is named after its baths built for the Roman settlement of Aquae Sulis. In addition to the Roman remains Bath is known for its Georgian architecture designed by such as Robert Adam.
England	Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape	Created and shaped by the deep mining of copper and tin in the 18th and 19th centuries. The landscape includes mines, engine houses, smallholdings, ports, harbours, canals, railways, tramroads, and industries allied to mining together with the new towns and villages needed for the workers.
England	Derwent Valley Mills	Located in Derbyshire. Birthplace of the factory system in the early 18th century including Richard Arkwright’s Cromford Mill plus workers’ housing. The area went into decline once steam power replaced water power in industrial production.
England	Dorset and East Devon Coast	An important area for fossils amidst a continuous sequence of rock formations spanning the Mesozoic Era spanning 185 million years and as such is significant in terms of geology and palaeontology. Also known as the Jurassic Coast.
England	Durham Castle and Cathedral	Durham Cathedral (11th/12th century) houses the relics of St Cuthbert and the Venerable Bede and was a centre for pilgrimage. The Norman castle was the residence of the prince-bishops of Durham.
England	The English Lake District	A picturesque mountainous area in North West England covering c2,292 square kms which includes, as the name suggests, many lakes plus large houses, gardens and parks. Noted for having inspired Romantic poets.
England	Ironbridge Gorge	The world's first bridge constructed of iron spans the River Severn in Shropshire. It was a centre of the 18th century Industrial Revolution.
England	Jodrell Bank Observatory	Opened in 1945 in northwest England this is one of the world's leading radio astronomy observatories.
England	Maritime Greenwich	A collection of buildings in Greenwich, London and the surrounding parkland. The buildings include The Queen's House designed by Inigo Jones, the Royal Naval College designed by Christopher Wren and the Old Royal Observatory. The park was originally designed by André Le Nôtre.
England	Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church	Westminster Palace was rebuilt in 1840 in neo-Gothic style after a fire in 1834. 11th century Westminster Hall survived the fire. St Margaret’s Church is the parish church of the Parish of Westminster. Westminster Abbey was built in the 11th century by Edward the Confessor and has been the site of all coronations since then.
England	Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew	Created in 1759 along the River Thames amid landscaped gardens and houses extensive botanic collections. Buildings include two large iron framed glasshouses - the Palm House and the Temperate House, the Orangery, Queen Charlotte's Cottage, the folly temples, Rhododendron Dell, William Chambers' pagoda and Syon Park House.
England	Saltaire	A well-preserved industrial village built in the 19th century on the river Aire. Includes Mill buildings, employees' housing, the Dining Room, Congregational Church, Almshouses, Hospital, School, Institute, and Roberts Park.
England	Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites	Located in Wiltshire, these are the most famous Neolithic monuments in the world with Avebury being the largest known and Stonehenge being the most sophisticated example. The associated sites include the Avenue, the Cursuses, Durrington Walls, Woodhenge, Windmill Hill, the West Kennet Long Barrow, the Sanctuary, Silbury Hill, the West Kennet and Beckhampton Avenues, and the West Kennet Palisaded Enclosures.
England	Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey	An 18th century designed landscape created around the ruins of the Cistercian Fountains Abbey, in Yorkshire. Includes the ruins of the 12th century abbey and water mill, the Jacobean mansion of Fountains Hall, St Mary’s Church designed by William Burges in 1871 and Georgian water gardens by the River Skell.
England	Tower of London	Construction of the Tower of London begun with the White Tower shortly after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century and was added to until the 16th century. The Crown Jewels have been housed at the Tower since the 17th century. The Tower is also notorious for being the site of torture and execution, particularly during the 16th century.
Scotland	The Forth Bridge	A railway bridge across the Firth of Forth which had the world’s longest span (541m) when it opened in 1890.
Scotland	Heart of Neolithic Orkney	A group of Neolithic monuments on Orkney - the large chambered tomb of Maes Howe, two ceremonial stone circles known as the Stones of Stenness and the Ring of Brodgar and the settlement of Skara Brae.
Scotland	New Lanark	An 18th century village built by philanthropist Robert Owen for his cotton-mill workers. Includes the cotton mill buildings, the workers' housing, an educational institute and school.
Scotland	Old and New Towns of Edinburgh	Old Town is dominated by Edinburgh Castle and development of New Town was begun in the 18th century with architects, including John and Robert Adam, Sir William Chambers and William Playfair. Old Town buildings include the Palace of Holyrood, the early 17th century restored mansion house of Gladstone's Land, the Canongate Tolbooth and St Giles Cathedral.
Scotland	St Kilda	An archipelago in the Outer Hebrides comprising the islands of Hirta, Dun, Soay and Boreray which is home to large colonies of rare and endangered species of birds, especially puffins and gannets. There is evidence of 2000 years of human activity in the region.
Wales	Blaenavon Industrial Landscape	An important area for coal mining and iron working in South Wales. The site includes the Blaenavon Ironworks and Big Pit plus the social infrastructure of the early industrial community such as workers’ terraced housing, St. Peter’s Church, the Blaenavon Workmen’s Hall and St. Peter’s School.
Wales	Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd	Castles of Beaumaris and Harlech plus the fortified complexes of Caernarfon and Conwy constructed by Edward I.
Wales	Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal	An innovative 18km long aqueduct and canal completed in the early 19th century to a design by Thomas Telford.
Wales	The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales	An industrial landscape in Snowdonia, Northwest Wales created by the slate quarrying and mining industry during the Industrial Revolution from the 1780s onwards. Interlinked components include quarries and mines, slate processing sites, settlements, country houses and gardens, ports, harbours and transport systems.
Northern Ireland	Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast	A formation of c40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea on the Antrim coast. Believed to have been caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary period (50–60 million years ago).
Bermuda	Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda	An example of an early English colonial town in the New World which also incorporates a dockyard and military elements such as fortifications, barracks and officer’s dwellings.
Gibraltar	Gorham’s Cave Complex	Four caves with archaeological and paleontological deposits providing evidence of Neanderthal occupation on the eastern side of the Rock of Gibraltar.
Pitcairn Islands	Henderson Island	A small remote and uninhabited coral atoll in the eastern South Pacific with exceptional biological diversity, with four endemic species of land birds, ten taxa of endemic vascular plants and large breeding seabird colonies.
Saint Helena	Gough and Inaccessible Islands	South Atlantic islands which, being mammal free, are home to large colonies of seabirds. Gough has 2 endemic species of land birds (gallinule and the Gough rowettie) plus 12 endemic species of plants. Inaccessible has 2 birds, 8 plants and at least 10 endemic invertebrates.

Selected World Heritage Sites

Africa

Botswana	Okavango Delta	Delta in north-west Botswana comprising permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. Home to a wide variety of wildlife, including all of the big five game animals.
DR Congo	Virunga National Park*	Includes the Rwenzori mountains and the active volcanoes Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira. Mountain gorillas are found in the park.
Egypt	Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur	Memphis was the first capital of Ancient Egypt. The Pyramid of Khufu is the largest Egyptian pyramid and is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World still standing. The site also includes the Great Sphinx of Giza.
Egypt	Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae	Contains the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae. The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 to higher ground to avoid it being submerged by Lake Nasser, the Aswan Dam reservoir. The island of Elephantine in the Nile is part of the site.
Eritrea	Asmara: A Modernist African City	After 1935, Asmara underwent a large-scale programme of Modernist construction under the Italian colonial occupation.
Ethiopia	Aksum	The Aksumite kingdom lasted from the 1st to the 8th centuries CE. Several stelae survive in the town of Aksum. The Church of Saint Mary of Zion claims to contain the original Ark of the Covenant.
Ethiopia	Lower Valley of the Awash	Contains important groupings of paleontological sites. The Lucy specimen was discovered in the valley in 1974.
Ethiopia	Rock-hewn churches of Lalibela	Contains eleven medieval monolithic churches that were carved out of rock in the late-12th and early 13th centuries.
Kenya	Lake Turkana National Parks*	Lake Turkana is the most saline of the African Great Lakes and is the world's largest permanent desert lake.
Libya	Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna *	Leptis Magna was a prominent city of the Carthaginian Empire and was enlarged by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor.
Mali	Timbuktu *	Timbuktu was an important Islamic city on the Saharan trade route. The site includes three mosques and sixteen mausoleums.
Mali	Old Towns of Djenne *	Djenne is famous for its distinctive adobe architecture, most notably the Great Mosque.
Morocco	Medina of Fez	Fez reached its height in the 13th–14th centuries under the Marinids, when it replaced Marrakesh as the capital. The medina contains the University of Al-Qarawiyyin which was founded in 857.
Morocco	Historic City of Meknes	The imperial city was created by the Sultan Moulay Ismail in the 17th century. It is surrounded by high walls with great doors.
Senegal	Island of Goree	The island lies 2 km from the main harbour of Dakar. From the 15th to the 19th century, it was the largest slave-trading centre on the African coast.
Seychelles	Aldabra Atoll	The atoll is comprised of four large coral islands surrounded by a coral reef. Largely untouched by humans for the majority of its existence, it is home to the largest giant tortoise population in the world.
South Africa	Fossil Hominid Sites (Cradle of Humankind)	Containing a complex system of limestone caves, the site is home to the largest concentration of human ancestral remains anywhere in the world.
South Africa	Robben Island	The island lies 11 km from Cape Town. In the late 20th century it was a maximum security prison for political prisoners, including Nelson Mandela from 1964 to 1982.
Sudan	Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region	Five archaeological sites on both sides of the Nile in an arid area considered part of Nubia. The sites represent cultures of the second kingdom of Kush. They include tombs, with and without pyramids.
Tanzania	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	Includes the spectacular Ngorongoro Crater and the Olduvai Gorge paleontological site. Approximately 25,000 large animals live in the crater.
Tanzania	Serengeti National Park	The park is well known for the largest annual animal migration in the world of over 1.5 million blue wildebeest and 250,000 zebras.
Tanzania	Stone Town of Zanzibar	Stone Town is located on the western coast of Unguja. It is an outstanding example of a Swahili trading town.
Tunisia	Dougga / Thugga	Before the Roman annexation of Numidia, Thugga had existed for more than six centuries and was, probably, the first capital of the Numidian kingdom. It flourished under Roman rule.
Uganda	Tombs of Buganda Kings at Kasubi *	The Kasubi Tombs in Kampala is the site of the burial grounds for four kabakas (kings of Buganda) and other members of the Baganda royal family.
Zimbabwe	Great Zimbabwe National Monument	The ruins of Great Zimbabwe are a unique testimony to the Bantu civilization of the Shona between the 11th and 15th centuries. According to legend, the city was the capital of the Queen of Sheba.
Zambia / Zimbabwe	Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls	One of the world’s largest waterfalls, on the Zambezi River. Mosi-oa-Tunya means "The Smoke That Thunders".

Asia

Afghanistan	Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam *	The 65m tall minaret was built in the 12th century entirely of fired bricks. It is completely covered with geometric decoration in relief enhanced with a Kufic inscription in turquoise tiles.
Afghanistan	Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley *	The landscape represents the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria. Two monumental statues known as the Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
Bangladesh	The Sundarbans	The Sundarbans mangrove forest lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is adjacent to the border of India’s Sundarbans World Heritage site.
China	China Danxia	The landscapes are characterized by spectacular red sandstone cliffs and a range of erosional landforms, including natural pillars, towers, ravines, valleys and waterfalls.
China	Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area	The Giant Buddha of Leshan was carved out of a hillside in the 8th century, and at 71 m high it is the largest Buddha in the world.
China	Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas	The site features sections of the upper reaches of the Yangtze, Mekong and Salween which run approximately parallel, north to south, through steep gorges.
China	The Great Wall	The Great Wall is a series of fortifications that was continuously built from the 3rd century BCE to the 17th century CE on the northern border of China. The official length of the wall is 21,196 km.
China	Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor	The burial site of Qin, who died in 210 BCE surrounded by the famous terracotta warriors, is at the centre of a complex designed to mirror the urban plan of the capital, Xianyang. It is located in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province.
China	Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang	The Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing known as the Forbidden City was constructed between 1406 and 1420 by the Ming emperor Zhu Di. The complex consists of 980 buildings.
China	Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area	Located in Hunan Province, the site is dominated by more than 3,000 narrow quartzite sandstone pillars and peaks.
China	Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa	Former winter palace of the Dalai Lama, in Tibet. The complex, comprising the White and Red Palaces, is built on Red Mountain. Norbulingka was the summer palace.
China	Mogao Caves	Situated along the Silk Road in Gansu province, the 500 cave sanctuaries are famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.
China	Mount Tiashan	Mount Tai (‘shan’ means ‘mountain’) is one of the Sacred Mountains of China. It has been a place of worship for at least 3,000 years and served as one of the most important ceremonial centres of China.
China	The Grand Canal	The canal runs from Beijing in the north to Huangzhou in the south, over a distance of 1,776 km. Construction started in the 5th century BC. The canal connected the Yellow River in the north with the Yangtze River in the south, which made it easier to transport grain from the south to the centers of political and military power in the north.
China	Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er	This cultural landscape was developed over a thousand years by the Blang and Dai peoples following practices that began in the 10th century.
Cambodia	Angkor	Angkor Archaeological Park contains the remains of the different capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. They include the Temple of Angkor Wat and, at Angkor Thom, the Bayon Temple.
India	Ellora Caves	Located in Maharashtra, Ellora is one of the largest rock-cut Hindu temple cave complexes in the world. The 34 caves open to the public are sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
India	Taj Mahal	Mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra on the bank of the River Yamuna in the 17th century for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
India	Agra Fort	16th century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. Built by the Mughal emperor Akbar in 1565, it served as the main residence of the rulers of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638.
India	Group of Monuments at Hampi	Hampi was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar in the 14th century. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged and destroyed.
India	Great Living Chola Temples	A group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in the state of Tamil Nadu built in the 11th and 12th centuries. Includes the Brihadishvara Temple at Thanjavur.
India	Red Fort Complex	Red Fort is a historic fort in Old Delhi that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort in 1638, when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi.
India	The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur	Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It features the world's largest stone sundial.
India	Sundarbans National Park	The park is part of the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta and is adjacent to the Sundarbans Reserve Forest in Bangladesh.
India	Mountain Railways of India	Consists of three railways: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railways, and the Kalka Shimla Railway.
Indonesia	Borobudur Temple Compounds	Buddhist temple, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries, located in Java. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.
Indonesia	Prambanan Temple Compounds	Hindu temples, dating from the 9th century, located in Java. Dedicated to the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva). The temples are decorated with reliefs illustrating the Indonesian version of the Ramayana epic.
Iran	Bam and its Cultural Landscape	The origins of Bam can be traced back to the Achaemenid period. The Arg-e Bam citadel is the largest adobe building in the world. The entire building was a large fortress containing the citadel, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 2003.
Iran	Persepolis	Founded by Darius I c. 518 BCE, Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The palace complex was built on a huge terrace, partly artificially constructed and partly cut out of a mountain.
Iran	Bisotun	The principal monument of this archaeological site is Behistun Inscription, a bas-relief and cuneiform inscription ordered by Darius I, The Great on a cliff at Mount Behistun.
Iran	Golestan Palace	The walled Palace, one of the oldest groups of buildings in Teheran, became the seat of government of the Qajar family, which came into power in 1779.
Iraq	Babylon	Situated 85 km south of Baghdad, Babylon was the capital city of the ancient Babylonian Empire. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Israel	Masada	Masada is a rugged natural fortress in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It was destroyed by the Roman army in 73 CE.
Israel	Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev	The Nabatean towns of Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta are linked directly with the Mediterranean terminus of both the Incense Road and spice trade routes.
Japan	Itsukushima Shinto Shrine	Itsukushima is an island in the Seto inland sea. The present shrine dates from the 12th century. The site is best known for its "floating" torii gate.
Japan	Himeji-jo	Hilltop castle complex constructed of wood with white plastered earthen walls. It is the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture.
Japan	Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)	Genbaku Dome was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded in 1945. It has been preserved in the same state as immediately after the bombing.
Japan	Fujisan, sacred place and source of artistic inspiration	The site surrounding Fujisan (Mount Fuji) consists of 25 sites including Sengen-jinja Shinto shrines.
Japan	Yakushima	Yakushima is a primeval temperate rainforest extending from the centre of the almost round-shaped, mountainous Yakushima Island.
Jordan	Wadi Rum Protected Area	Wadi Rum is a valley cut into sandstone and granite rock. The combination of 25,000 rock carvings with 20,000 inscriptions trace the evolution of human thought.
Jordan	Petra	Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and was the capital of the Nabateans. It became a major caravan centre for the incense of Arabia, the silks of China and the spices of India.
Laos	Town of Luang Prabang	Luang Prabang is known for both its rich architectural and artistic heritage that reflects the fusion of Lao traditional urban architecture with that of the colonial era.
Laos	Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang – Plain of Jars	The Plain of Jars contains thousands of undecorated stone jars used for funerary practices in the Iron Age.
Lebanon	Baalbek	Baalbek was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. The Baalbek temple complex includes two of the largest and grandest Roman temple ruins: the Temple of Bacchus and the Temple of Jupiter.
Lebanon	Byblos	Byblos has been continuously inhabited since c. 5000 BCE. Byblos is directly associated with the history and diffusion of the Phoenician alphabet.
Lebanon	Tyre	Tyre was a great Phoenician city that reigned over the seas and founded prosperous colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage.
Malaysia	Kinabalu Park	Located on the west coast of Sabah, it is dominated by Mount Kinabalu. It is one of the most important biological sites in the world with more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna.
Myanmar	Bagan	The city was the capital of the Bagan Kingdom from the 9th to 13th centuries. Thousands of Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed in the Bagan plains.
Nepal	Kathmandu Valley	The site is inscribed as seven Monument Zones – the Durbar Squares of Hanuman Dhoka (Kathmandu), Patan and Bhaktapur, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Bauddhanath and the Hindu temples of Pashupati and Changu Narayan.
Nepal	Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha	Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in the gardens of Lumbini during the 6th or 5th century BCE. Lumbini soon became a place of pilgrimage.
Pakistan	Fort and Shalimar Gardens in Lahore	The Lahore Fort and the Shalimar Gardens, constructed by Shah Jahan, are outstanding examples of Mughal artistic expression at its height.
Pakistan	Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol	The Buddhist monastic complex of Takht-i-Bahi (Throne of Origins) was founded in the early 1st century and was in use until the 7th century.
Palestine	Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem	Bethlehem is in the West Bank, 10 km south of Jerusalem on the site identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus.
Saudi Arabia	Hegra Archaeological Site (Al-Hijr / Mada’in Salih)	The site constitutes the Nabataean Kingdom's second largest city after Petra. First World Heritage site in Saudi Arabia.
South Korea	Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes	Jeju is the largest island in South Korea. A lava tube is a natural tunnel within a solidified lava flow, formerly occupied by flowing molten lava.
South Korea	Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty	Built over five centuries from 1408 to 1966, the Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty form a collection of 40 tombs scattered over 18 locations. Joseon was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea
Sri Lanka	Ancient City of Sigiriya	Sigiriya (“Lion Rock”) is an ancient rock fortress and the ruins of the capital built by King Kassapa I in the 5th century.
Sri Lanka	Sacred City of Kandy	Kandy was the last capital of the Sinhala kings. It is also the site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic (the sacred tooth of the Buddha).
Syria	Site of Palmyra *	Palmyra was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. The ruins of the Temple of Bel were considered among the best preserved at Palmyra. During the Syrian civil war in 2015, the Islamic State (IS) destroyed large parts of the ancient city.
Syria	Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din *	Crac des Chevaliers was built by the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem from 1142 to 1271 and is one of the best-preserved examples of the Crusader castles. The Qal’at Salah El-Din (Fortress of Saladin) is a medieval castle.
Thailand	Historic City of Ayutthaya	Founded in the 14th century, Ayutthaya was destroyed by the Burmese army in the 18th century. The ruins are characterized by the remains of tall prang (reliquary towers) and Buddhist monasteries.
Uzbekistan	Historic Centre of Bukhara	Bukhara is located on the Silk Road and is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia. The historic centre of Bukhara contains numerous mosques and madrasas.
Uzbekistan	Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures	Samarkand is located on the Silk Road and is considered the crossroads of world cultures with a history of over two and a half millennia. Registan square was the city's ancient centre.
Vietnam	Ha Long Bay	Ha Long Bay, in the Gulf of Tonkin, includes thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various shapes and sizes. The name Hạ Long means "descending dragon".
Vietnam	Complex of Hue Monuments	Hue was the capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The Imperial City is a walled enclosure within the city of Hue.
Yemen	Old Walled City of Shibam *	The city is surrounded by a fortified wall. Known for its mudbrick-made high-rise buildings, it is known as the “Manhattan of the Desert”.
Yemen	Socotra Archipelago	The archipelago consists of Socotra and three other islands. The site is of universal importance because of its biodiversity with rich and distinct flora and fauna including the dragon blood tree.
China / Kazakhstan / Kyrgyzstan	Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor	The Tianshan corridor is one section or corridor of the extensive Silk Roads network and extends across around 5,000 km.

Europe

Austria	Palace and Gardens of Schonbrunn	The residence of the Habsburg emperors. Designed by the architects Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach and Nicolaus Pacassi. Begun as a reconstruction of a destroyed hunting lodge in the 17th century and greatly expanded over the following centuries. Its gardens housed the world’s first zoo in 1752.
Azerbaijan	Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower	The Walled City of Baku on the shores of the Caspian Sea was founded on a site inhabited since the Palaeolithic period. It has been continuously occupied since at least the 7th century BCE. Important structures include the 12th century Maiden Tower and Murad’s Gate.
Belgium	La Grand-Place, Brussels	A cobbled rectangular market square in Brussels which dates back to the 12th century and features buildings emblematic of municipal and ducal powers, and the old houses of corporations. The most famous landmark is the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall).
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Old Bridge Area of the Old City of Mostar	Mostar stands on the Neretva River and over time was under control of the Ottoman Empire and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The result is a multicultural urban settlement with influences of pre-Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, Mediterranean and western European architecture. Stari Most (Mostar Bridge) collapsed during the Bosnian War but was rebuilt in 2004.
Bulgaria	Rila Monastery	Founded in the 10th century by the hermit St John of Rila and became a monastic centre. Destroyed and rebuilt in the mid-19th century.
Croatia	Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian	Landmarks include the ruins of the 3rd/4th century Palace of Diocletian, a medieval cathedral, 12th and 13th century Romanesque churches and medieval fortifications plus 15th-century Gothic palaces.
Cyprus	Paphos	Inhabited since the Neolithic period Paphos was a centre of the cult of Aphrodite and of pre-Hellenic fertility deities. Remains include villas, palaces, theatres, fortresses and tombs together with some notable mosaics.
Czechia	Historic Centre of Prague	Developed between the 11th and 18th centuries. Monuments in central Prague include Hradcany Castle, St Vitus Cathedral and Charles Bridge.
Denmark	Kronborg Castle	The Royal castle of Kronborg at Helsingør (Elsinore) overlooks the Sund, the stretch of water between Denmark and Sweden, and is world-renowned as the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Denmark	Roskilde Cathedral	Scandinavia's first Gothic cathedral was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and has been the mausoleum of the Danish royal family since the 15th century.
Denmark	Viking-Age Ring Fortresses	Constructed between about 970 and 980 CE, the five fortresses were positioned strategically near important land and sea routes.
France	Canal du Midi	Designed by Pierre-Paul Riquet and built between 1667 and 1694, the canal is a 360km network of navigable waterways which link the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. There are 328 structures (locks, aqueducts, bridges, tunnels, etc.) on the canal including the Saint-Ferréol dam on the Laudot River.
France	Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne	A fortified settlement since the pre-Roman period, it became a medieval town with a castle as defensive walls. A restoration campaign was carried out in the second half of the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc.
France	Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay	Built between the 11th and 16th centuries a Benedictine abbey dedicated to the archangel St Michael sits on a small rocky islet between Normandy and Brittany. Known as the “Wonder of the West”.
France	Palace and Park of Fontainebleau	A former 12th century Royal hunting lodge enlarged and embellished in the 16th century by Francis I. Important historical events which happened there include the repeal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and the abdication of Napoleon I in 1814.
France	Palace and Park of Versailles	Located south-west of Paris, the Palace of Versailles was the principal residence of the French kings from the time of Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Significant outbuildings include the Orangerie, the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon. The gardens were designed by Le Nôtre. The peace treaty which ended the First World War was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in June 1919.
France	Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct)	A Roman aqueduct built in the 1st century to take water across the Gardon River into the city of Nimes.
France	Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley	There are 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic and 25 decorated caves in the Vézère valley with the most significant being the Lascaux Cave. This was discovered in 1940 and is decorated with hunting scenes which show some 100 animal figures.
Georgia	Gelati Monastery	Founded in 1106, the Monastery of Gelati is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia.
Germany	Cologne Cathedral	Gothic cathedral begun in 1248 and not completed until 1880. Artifacts include the Shrine of the Magi.
Germany	Hanseatic City of Lübeck	A major trading centre for northern Europe, Lübeck was the capital and Queen City of the Hanseatic League. Public monuments include the Holstentor brick gate.
Germany	Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier	Standing on the Moselle River, Trier was a Roman colony from the 1st century and one of the capitals of the Tetrarchy at the end of the 3rd century. Roman era structures include the Moselle Bridge, the Barbara Baths, the Porta Nigra, the lgel Column, Imperial Baths and Aula Palatina. The Porta Nigra is the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. The cathedral is the oldest church in Germany with construction beginning in the 4th century – although it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times.
Greece	Acropolis, Athens	Following victory over the Persian Empire 5th century BCE Athens embarked on an ambitious building programme initiated by the statesman Pericles. The most important monuments on the Acropolis (Greek for ‘high city’) are: the Parthenon, built by Ictinus, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles and the temple Athena Nike.
Greece	Archaeological site of Delphi	A sanctuary to the god Apollo, it was the home of the most famous oracle of ancient Greece, known as the Pythia. The development of the sanctuary and oracle began in the 8th century BC. Delphi was considered to be the centre of the world (omphalos) because according to myth, it was the meeting point of two eagles released by Zeus, one to the East and one in the West.
Greece	Archaeological site of Olympia	Site of the Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia every four years beginning in 776 BCE. The holding of the Games were marked by a sacred truce. The sanctuary was the centre of worship of Zeus and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia made by Phidias around 435 BCE was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Greece	Meteora	Rock formation hosting one of the largest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built from the 11th century onwards on 'columns of the sky'.
Greece	Mount Athos	A spiritual centre for Orthodox Christianity since 1054 housing c. 20 monasteries. The 'Holy Mountain' is forbidden to women and children.
Iceland	Surtsey	A new volcanic island formed by eruptions that took place from 1963 to 1967 which is c. 32 km from the south coast of Iceland.
Iceland	Vatnajokull National Park – Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice	The National Park covers an area of over 1,400,000 ha, nearly 14% of Iceland's territory and has ten volcanoes, eight of which are subglacial.
Ireland	Bru na Boinne – Archaeological Ensemble of the Bend of the Boyne	The Brú na Bóinne Complex consists of 3 prehistoric burial mounds: Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth, on the north bank of the River Boyne 50 km north of Dublin.
Ireland	Skellig Michael	Sceilg Mhichíl (aka Skellig Michael) is an isolated island in the Atlantic with a small early religious settlement which was dedicated to St Michael somewhere between 950 and 1050.
Italy	Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annuziata	The well-preserved remains of the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum which were overwhelmed when Mount Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79 CE. Also included are the Villa of the Mysteries (west of Pompeii), the Villa of the Papyri (west of Herculaneum) plus the Villa A (Villa of Poppaea) and Villa B (Villa of Lucius Crassius Tertius) (both in Torre Annunziata).
Italy	Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua	Created in Padua in 1545 this was the world's first botanical garden and it has kept its original layout – a circular central plot, symbolising the world, surrounded by a ring of water. Its collection includes 6,000+ species of plants.
Italy	Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with ‘The Last Supper’ by Leonardo da Vinci	On the north wall of the refectory of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie is ‘The Last Supper’, painted between 1495 and 1497 by Leonardo da Vinci. The complex, including the Church and Convent, was built from 1463 onwards by Guiniforte Solari and later modified by Bramante.
Italy	Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna	Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire (402-476), served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy (493-540) and an Exarchate of the Byzantine Empire (584-751). Its 8 existing 5th and 6th century monuments are the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Baptistery, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Church of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe.
Italy	Historic Centre of Florence	Flourishing under the Medici family during the Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries, Florence’s architectural gems include the 14th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Church of Santa Croce, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi gallery, and the Palazzo Pitti. It also boasts many artistic works of great masters such as Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo.
Italy	Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura	The World Heritage site which covers the whole historic centre of Rome within the city walls at their widest extent in the 17th century, as well as the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. The site includes some of the major monuments of antiquity such as the Roman Forums, the Mausoleum of Augustus, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, the Pantheon, Trajan’s Column and the Column of Marcus Aurelius, the Colosseum plus the religious and public buildings of papal Rome.
Italy	Historic Centre of Siena	Siena developed on three hills connected by three major streets forming a Y-shape and intersecting in the Piazza del Campo and has a distinctive Gothic style which is illustrated by the Sienese Arch.
Italy	Mount Etna	Mount Etna is the highest Mediterranean island mountain and the most active stratovolcano in the world.
Italy	Piazza del Duomo, Pisa	The Piazza del Duomo in Pisa is the home to a group of monuments known the world over – the cathedral, the baptistry, the campanile (bell tower aka the 'Leaning Tower') and the cemetery erected between the 11th and 14th centuries.
Italy	Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands (Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto)	This site comprises 15km of the eastern Ligurian coast between Levanto and La Spezia. Cinque Terre is the collective name for the five villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Portovenere was an important commercial and cultural centre dating back to the Roman period, and is dominated by the Doria Castle. The three islands off the coast at Portovenere - Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto, have the remains of early monastic establishments.
Italy	Rock drawings in Valacamonica	A collection of prehistoric petroglyphs on the Lombardy plain – more than 140,000 symbols and figures carved in the rock over a period of 8,000 years and depicting themes connected with agriculture, navigation, war and magic.
Italy	Venice and its Lagoon	The city of Venice and its lagoon was founded in the 5th century and is spread over 118 small islands. Venice became a major maritime power in the 10th century and defended its trading markets against the commercial undertakings of the Arabs, the Genoese and the Ottoman Turks. The city contains architectural masterpieces and the works by some of the world's greatest artists such as Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.
Malta	Megalithic Temples of Malta	Seven megalithic temples are found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, On Gozo - two temples of Ggantija are notable for their gigantic Bronze Age structures. On Malta are the temples of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and Tarxien plus the Ta'Hagrat and Skorba complexes.
Malta	City of Valletta	The capital of Malta was ruled successively by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and the Order of the Knights of St John. It is home to 320 monuments, all within an area of 55 ha, which makes it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world. These include the 16th century cathedral of St John, the Palace of the Grand Master, the Auberge de Castile et Léon, the Auberge de Provence, the Auberge d’Italie, the Auberge d’Aragon and the Infirmary of the Order and the churches of Our Lady of Victory, St Catherine and il Gesù.
Montenegro	Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor	Boka Kotorska Bay, a natural harbour on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro. A large number of the monuments (including four Romanesque churches and the town walls) were seriously damaged by an earthquake in 1979 but have been restored with UNESCO’s help.
Netherlands	Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout	A series of preserved windmills plus dykes, reservoirs and pumping stations which helped drain the land for agriculture and settlement.
Norway	Bryggen	Bryggen is the old wharf area of the Hanseatic League port of Bergen with c. 62 original wooden buildings remaining from the post-Medieval period.
Norway	Urnes Stave Church	The wooden church was built in the 12th and 13th centuries and is an outstanding example of traditional Scandinavian wooden (stave) architecture.
Norway	West Norwegian Fjords – Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord	Situated in south-western Norway, north-east of Bergen, Geirangerfjord and Nærøyfjord are considered to represent the archetypical fjord landscape.
Poland	Castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork	This 13th century medieval brick castle was restored in the 19th and early 20th centuries and again after being damaged in World War II. It was the seat of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order from 1309.
Poland	Historic Centre of Kraków	Krakow on the River Vistula was the former capital of Poland. It is an urban complex formed by: the medieval chartered City of Krakow, the Wawel Hill complex, and the town of Kazimierz with the suburb of Stradom.
Poland	Wieliczka and Bochnia Royal Salt Mines	Wieliczka and Bochnia salt mines and Wieliczka Saltworks Castle began in the 13th century and have hundreds of kilometers of galleries with works of art, underground chapels and statues sculpted in the salt. There is an underground tourist route.
Portugal	Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém in Lisbon	The 15th century monastery of the Hieronymites (aka Jerónimos Monastery) is located at the entrance to Lisbon harbour. Nearby is the Belem Tower (aka Tower of Saint Vincent), a fortification which was built between 1514 and 1519 to commemorate Vasco da Gama's voyages of discovery.
Russia	Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments	The foundations of the fortress of St Peter and Paul were laid by Peter the Great in May 1703 and became the base for the building of the city of St Petersburg. It has numerous canals and 400+ bridges. Significant buildings include the Admiralty, the Winter Palace, the Marble Palace and the Hermitage. The city was at the centre of the October Revolution of 1917, was known as Leningrad under the Soviet Union and survived a prolonged siege during World War II.
Russia	Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow	The Kremlin is the oldest part of Moscow having been begun as early as the 12th century and developed further until the 16th century. It was the residence of the supreme power until the capital of Russia moved to St. Petersburg in the early 18th century. Red Square lies beneath the Kremlin’s east wall. At its south end is the 16th century Pokrovski Cathedral (aka Cathedral of St Basil the Blessed), built to commemorate the victory of Ivan the Terrible over the Kazan Khanate. Its decorative domes were added in the 17th century.
Russia	Lake Baikal	Situated in south-east Siberia, the 3.15 million ha Lake Baikal is the oldest (25 million years) and deepest (1,700 m) lake in the world. It contains 20% of the world's total unfrozen freshwater reserve.
Spain	Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzin, Granada	Alhambra (palatine) and the Albayzín (residential) form the medieval part of the City of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the gardens of the Generalife built during the 13th and 14th centuries, a rural home to the Emirs. The city blends Moorish and Andalusian architecture.
Spain	Burgos Cathedral	The Gothic Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos was begun in the 13th century and was completed in the 15th and 16th centuries after a 200 year hiatus.
Spain	Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain	Eighteen (Altamira, Peña de Candamo, Tito Bustillo, Covaciella, Llonín, El Pindal, Chufín, Hornos de la Peña, Las Monedas, La Pasiega, Las Chimeneas, El Castillo, El Pendo, La Garma, Covalanas, Santimamiñe, Ekain and Altxerri) decorated Paleolithic (35,000 – 11,000 BP) caves. The cave art in the Cave of Altamira was discovered by Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola in 1879.
Spain	Historic Centre of Cordoba	Originally founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, it was after the Moorish conquest in the 8th century that 300 mosques and other public buildings were constructed in Cordoba. The city’s Great Mosque was turned into a cathedral in the 13th century, under Ferdinand III.
Spain	Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid	The Escurial Monastery was built at the end of the 16th century and stands at the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, north of Madrid. It was founded by Philip II, and became the seat of power in the last years of his reign. It was designed by Juan Bautista de Toledo, Spanish pupil of Michelangelo and completed by Juan de Herrera after Toledo’s death.
Spain	Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias	The Kingdom of the Asturias was a Christian outpost in Spain the 9th century. The area around the capital city of Oviedo has many examples of a Pre-Romanesque architectural style: churches of Santa Maria del Naranco, San Miguel de Lillo, Santa Cristina de Lena, the Camara Santa of Oviedo Cathedral and San Julian de los Prados. The Foncalada is a public water fountain located over a well outside the city walls using hydraulic engineering to bring the water to the surface.
Spain	Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct	A well-preserved Roman aqueduct of Segovia, it was probably built c50 CE, and was in use until 1973. A colossal monument 813m in length with 2 tiers and 221 pillars. Other important monuments in Segovia include: the 11th century Alcázar; Romanesque churches; 15th and 16th century palaces and the 16th century Gothic cathedral, the last such to be built in Spain. The Segovia Mint is the oldest industrial building still existing in Spain.
Sweden	Hanseatic Town of Visby	The walled town of Visby on the island of Gotland was the main centre of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic from the 12th to the 14th century.
Switzerland	Old Town of Berne	Berne was founded in the 12th century on the Aare River. The city was expanded over the centuries but always in accordance with the original planned layout with secular and religious public buildings always located at the periphery.
Switzerland	Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch	An area of c. 82,400 ha covering the most glaciated part of the European Alps with a diverse flora and fauna shaped by the changes in glacial formation. The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in the Alps.
Turkey	Archaeological Site of Troy	Troy in Anatolia is famous for its appearance in the epic poems of Homer and is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world. Often considered the starting point of modern archaeology, the first excavations on the mound of Hisarlık (Troy), overlooking the Aegean coast, were undertaken by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. Multiple excavation campaigns since then have revealed many features from all the periods of occupation in the citadel and the lower town over a period of 4,000 years. These include defensive walls, gates, a paved stone ramp and the lower portions of defensive bastions.
Turkey	Ephesus	A city whose configuration was dictated by the shifting coastal and riverine shoreline. A Greek colonial settlement which was the site of the Temple of Artemis (completed c550 BCE), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a capital of the Roman Province of Asia. Monuments from the Roman period include the Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre. the 5th century Basilica of St. John and the pilgrimage site of the House of the Virgin Mary.
Turkey	Gobekli Tepe	A Neolithic monument site in the Germuş mountains of south-eastern Anatolia featuring distinctive T-shaped pillars carved with images of wild animals dating to between 9,600 and 8,200 BCE.
Turkey	Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia	Goreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia on the central Anatolian plateau includes dwellings, rock-hewn cells for monks, churches, troglodyte villages and subterranean cities within the rock formations known as ‘fairy chimneys’.
Turkey	Hattusha: The Hittite Capital	Hattusha was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. The ruins include five gateways: two in the west, the Lion’s Gate in the south-west, the King’s Gate in the south-east and a procession gate, the Sphinx Gate in the south of the city. The Great Temple from the 13th century BCE is the best-preserved ruin of a Hittite Temple. The rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya is an open-air temple with two natural chambers cut into the bedrock. The walls of the rock chambers are covered with Hittite relief art.
Turkey	Nemrut Dag	Located in the Eastern Taurus mountain range, Nemrut Dag is the mausoleum of Antiochus I (69–34 BCE). A number of large statues are erected around the tomb.
Turkey	Neolithic Site of Catalhoyuk	The site covers two hills (or tells) on the Southern Anatolian Plateau which document the story of the development of the settlement over 2000 years (7400-5200 BCE) and it is considered a key to the understanding of human prehistory. One of the features is a unique streetless settlement of houses clustered back-to-back with only roof access into the buildings.
Turkey	Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape	Pergamon, on the Bakirçay Plain in Turkey’s Aegean region, was founded in the 3rd century BCE as the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty. It was a major centre of learning in the ancient world. Monuments include temples, theatres, stoa or porticoes, a three-terraced gymnasium, the Great Altar of Pergamon and library. Further developed by the Romans providing important structures including the Asclepion Sanctuary; one of the largest Roman amphitheatres; a great aqueduct; the Trajan Temple and the Serapeum.
Turkey	Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex	Built in the 1570s, the Selimiye Mosque Complex was commissioned by Selim, designed by the architect Sinan and dominates the skyline of Edirne, a former capital of the Ottoman.
Ukraine	Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra	The early 11th century Saint-Sophia Cathedral was built during the reign of the Great Prince of Kyiv, Yaroslav the Wise, and is surrounded by monastic buildings constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries in the Ukrainian Baroque style. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra comprises unique surface and underground churches from the 11th to the 19th centuries, in a complex of caves on a plateau overlooking the right bank of the Dnieper River.
Belarus / Poland	Biaiowieza Forest	On the border between Poland and Belarus this is a primary forest including both conifers and broadleaved trees covering a total area of 141,885 hectares. It is home to the largest population of the European bison.
Denmark / Germany / Netherlands	Wadden Sea	The Wadden Sea is the largest unbroken system of intertidal sand and mud flats in the world. The 1,143,403 ha site is considered one of the most important areas for migratory birds in the world. Up to 6.1 million birds can be present at the same time, and an average of 10-12 million pass through it each year.
7 Countries	The Great Spa Towns of Europe	Eleven spa towns, located in seven European countries: Baden bei Wien (Austria); Spa (Belgium); Františkovy Lázně; Karlovy Vary; Mariánské Lázně (Czechia); Vichy (France); Bad Ems; Baden-Baden; Bad Kissingen (Germany); Montecatini Terme (Italy); and City of Bath (United Kingdom).
10 Countries	Struve Geodetic Arc	Chain of survey triangulations stretching from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea. These are points of a survey, carried out by Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve, which represented the first accurate measuring of a long segment of a meridian.

North America

Canada	Rideau Canal	The canal connects Ottawa to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River at Kingston. It was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States.
Canada	L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site	At the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, the remains of an 11th century Viking settlement are evidence of the first European presence in North America.
Cuba	Old Havana and its Fortification System	Havana was founded in 1519 by the Spanish. its old centre retains a mix of Baroque and neoclassical monuments.
Dominica	Morne Trois Pitons National Park	The park is named after its highest mountain and is an area of significant volcanic activity. Features include the Boiling Lake that is filled with bubbling greyish-blue water.
Guatemala	Antigua	Antigua, the capital of the Captaincy-General of Guatemala, was founded in the early 16th century. In 1773, an earthquake destroyed much of the town, but its principal monuments are still preserved as ruins.
Guatemala	Tikal National Park	Tikal is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in a rainforest in the department of Peten.
Honduras	Maya Site of Copan	Copan was the capital city of a major Classic period kingdom from the 5th to 9th centuries CE. The Acropolis was the royal complex at the heart of Copan.
Mexico	Pre-Hispanic City of Chichen-Itza	Located on the Yucatan peninsula, Chichen Itza was one of the largest Maya cities. Surviving buildings include the Temple of Kukulcan (El Castillo), the Temple of Warriors, and the ancient observatory building known as El Caracol.
Mexico	Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan	Teotihuacan is situated 50 km north-east of Mexico City. Built between the 1st and 7th centuries CE, it is characterized by the vast size of its monuments – in particular, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. The city's elite housing compounds were clustered around the Avenue of the Dead.
Mexico	Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque	Palenque was a Maya city state in southern Mexico. it contains some of the finest architecture, sculpture, and bas-relief carvings that the Mayas produced. The most famous ruler of Palenque was Pacal the Great.
Mexico	Historic Centre of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Alban	Oaxaca is best known for its indigenous peoples and cultures. The most numerous and best known are the Zapotecs and the Mixtecs. The monumental centre of Monte Alban is the Main Plaza, that was created through artificial levelling of the mountaintop.
Saint Lucia	Pitons Management Area	Located near the town of Soufriere, the volcanic spires Gros Piton and Petit Piton are linked by the Piton Mitan ridge. Coral reefs cover almost 60% of the site’s marine area.
United States	Mesa Verde National Park	Located in Colorado, the park protects some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the United States. Some villages were built on the Mesa top, at an altitude of more than 2,600 metres. The Ancestral Puebloan culture lasted from c. 450 to 1300.
United States	Chaco Culture	Chaco Culture National Historical Park is located in New Mexico. Chaco Canyon was a major centre of ancestral Pueblo culture between 850 and 1250. Petroglyphs on Fajada Butte at what is now called the Sun Dagger site is the most famous site in Chaco Canyon.
United States	Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site	Site of a pre-Columbian Native American city near St. Louis. It is the largest prehistoric earthen construction in the Americas north of Mexico. Monks Mound was constructed by the Mississippian culture and is 30 metres high.
United States	Grand Canyon National Park	The Grand Canyon is located in Arizona and was carved out by the Colorado River. It is 446 km long and over a mile in depth. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site.
United States	Yosemite National Park	Yosemite is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. Repeated glaciations over millions of years have resulted in a concentration of distinctive landscape features. The indigenous natives of Yosemite called themselves the Ahwahneechee.
United States	Yellowstone National Park	Yellowstone is located largely in Wyoming and extends into Montana and Idaho. It was the first National Park in the United States. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially the Old Faithful geyser.
United States	Carlsbad Caverns National Park	The site in New Mexico contains over 100 limestone caves. The largest limestone chamber in the Carlsbad Cavern chamber is known as the Big Room. Lechuguilla Cave is famous for its unusual geology, rare formations, and pristine condition.
United States	Mammoth Cave National Park	Mammoth Cave, located in Kentucky, has the world's largest network of natural caves and underground passageways. It developed in thick limestone strata capped by a layer of sandstone.
United States	Monticello and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville	Thomas Jefferson designed Monticello, his plantation home, and his ideal 'academical village', which is still the heart of the University of Virginia. Jefferson designed the main house using neoclassical design principles described by Andrea Palladio.
United States	Statue of Liberty	Made in Paris by the French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi, in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel (who was responsible for the steel framework), the copper statue was a gift from France on the centenary of American independence. Inaugurated in 1886, the sculpture stands at the entrance to New York Harbour.

Oceania

Australia	Great Barrier Reef	Great Barrier Reef is the world’s most extensive coral reef ecosystem, extending 2,000 km along Queensland's coast.
Australia	Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park	The park contains the sandstone monolith Uluru / Ayers Rock and the group of large, domed rock formations Kata Tjuta / The Olgas. The traditional owners of the park are the Anangu Aboriginal people.
Australia	Greater Blue Mountains Area	Inland from Sydney, The Greater Blue Mountains Area consists of sandstone plateaux, escarpments and gorges dominated by temperate eucalypt forest. Includes the Three Sisters rock formation.
Australia	Shark Bay	Shark Bay is the most westerly point of Australia. It has the largest known area of seagrass and a large population of dugongs.
Marshall Islands	Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test Site	Site of 67 nuclear tests carried out from 1946 to 1958, including the explosion of the first H-bomb (1952).
Micronesia	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 walls of basalt and coral boulders. These ruins represent the ceremonial centre of the Saudeleur dynasty.
New Zealand	Tongariro National Park	The park is a site of mixed cultural and natural values. It contains a number of Maori religious sites and three active volcanoes.

South America

Argentina	Los Glaciares National Park, Santa Cruz Province	Los Glaciares is an ice cap in the Andes, that feeds numerous glaciers including the Perito Moreno glacier that regularly ruptures into Lake Argentino.
Argentina	Cueva de las Manos, Rio Pinturas	The site takes its name (Cave of the Hands) from the stencilled outlines of human hands in the cave, but there are also many depictions of animals.
Brazil	Pantanal Conservation Area	Located within the state of Mato Grosso, the Pantanal is one of the world's largest freshwater wetland ecosystems, and is recognised as a Ramsar Site.
Brazil	Brasilia	Brasilia was founded by President Juscelino Kubitschek in 1960, to serve as the new national capital. It was designed by urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Chile	Rapa Nui National Park	Rapa Nui is the Polynesian name of Easter Island. The island is located in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. It is famous for its stone statues of ancestors known as “moai”, carved out of volcanic rocks.
Ecuador	Galapagos Islands	Archipelago of volcanic islands situated 1,000 km west of Ecuador. Known for their large number of endemic species that were studied by Charles Darwin during his voyage in 1835.
Peru	Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu	Machu Picchu is an Incan citadel standing 2,430 m above sea level, in the middle of a tropical mountain forest. It was probably constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century.
Peru	Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa	The Nasca Lines are geoglyphs created in the Nasca Desert between 500 BCE and 500 CE. They depict living creatures, stylized plants and imaginary beings, as well as geometric figures.
Peru	City of Cuzco	Cuzco developed under the Inca ruler Pachacuti into a complex urban centre. It was the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th century until the 16th century Spanish conquest.
Peru	Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa	Arequipa was founded by the Spanish in 1540. Most buildings in the historical centre are built from white or pink volcanic rock.
Uruguay	Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape	The town was founded in 1859. It includes buildings and equipment of the Liebig Extract of Meat Company, which exported meat extract and corned-beef to the European market from 1865.

Delisted World Heritage Sites

Arabian Oryx Sanctuary	Removed from the list in 2007 following a decline in the oryx population and the decision by the government of Oman to reduce the size of the sanctuary following the discovery of oil.
Dresden Elbe Valley	Removed from the list in 2009 on the basis that the Waldschlosschen Bridge that was under construction would bisect the valley.
Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City	Removed from the list in 2021 after UNESCO decided that developments including a planned new football stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock had resulted in a "serious deterioration" of the historic site.

Partially Delisted Sites

UNESCO removed Bagrati Cathedral in Georgia from its World Heritage Sites in 2017, considering its major reconstruction detrimental to its integrity and authenticity. Both it and Gelati Monastery were inscribed as a joint World Heritage Site in 1994.