The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.^[1] Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.^[2] The United Republic of Tanzania accepted the convention on 2 August 1977.^[3] There are seven World Heritage Sites in Tanzania, with a further six on the tentative list.^[3]

Serengeti

Ngorongoro

Kilimanjaro

Kilwa Kisiwani

Kondoa

Selous Game Reserve

Zanzibar

Location of World Heritage Sites in Tanzania

Ngorongoro Conservation Area, in 1979, was the first site in Tanzania to be added to the list. The most recent addition were the Kondoa Rock-Art Sites, in 2006. Three sites are listed for cultural significance, three for natural, and Ngorongoro for both.^[3] At different points, three sites have been listed as endangered. Ngorongoro was listed between 1984 and 1989 because of decline in conservation efforts.^[4] The Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara were listed between 2004 and 2014 because of the deterioration and decay that led to collapse of historic structures.^[5] The Selous Game Reserve is currently listed, having been designated endangered in 2014 because of unplanned tourism development, uncontrolled urban development, pollution, invasive species, and reduced water flows because of droughts and hydroelectric dams upstream.^[6]

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.^[7]

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World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Location (region)	Year listed	UNESCO data	Description
Ngorongoro Conservation Area		Arhusha	1979	39bis; iv, vii, viii, ix, x (mixed)	Ngorongoro Crater, after which the area is named, is the World's largest unbroken volcanic caldera and is a part of the East African Rift. The area is home to numerous big animals. It supports migration of over a million wildebeest (specimen pictured), as well as herds of zebras, Grant's gazelles, and Thomson's gazelles. The endangered black rhinoceros lives in the park. The site was initially listed for its natural significance. In 2010, it was extended to include the cultural aspects, namely the sites of Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli where the remains of early hominins and fossilized footprints, indicating the development of human bipedalism have been discovered. The site was listed as endangered between 1984 and 1989 because of decline in conservation efforts.[8][4]
Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara		Lindi	1981	144; iii (cultural)	The two port cities on small islands off the mainland were important trade centres of the Indian Ocean until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century. The merchants traded with gold, pearls, silver, perfumes, as well as porcelain from China. Kilwa Kisiwani, the larger of the two, reached its peak in the 13th and 14th centuries, when it was visited by Ibn Batutta. The city is now in ruins (the interior of the Great Mosque pictured). In Songo Mnara, the ruins of mosques, a palace complex, and residential buildings have been preserved. The site was listed as endangered between 2004 and 2014 because of deterioration and partial collapse of some structures.[5][9]
Serengeti National Park		Arusha, Mara	1981	156; vii, x (natural)	Serengeti is home to one of the largest mammal migration in the world, with vast herds of wildebeest, zebras, Thomson's gazelles, giraffes, different species of antelopes, and other herbivores move across the savanna plains in search of grazing grounds. They are followed by large predators, including lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, and African wild dogs.[10]
Selous Game Reserve†		Lindi, Ruvuma, Morogoro	1982	199; ix, x (natural)	Covering 50,000 km2 (19,000 sq mi), the reserve is one of the largest protected areas in Africa. There ares several vegetation types present, the dominant being deciduous miombo woodlands. There are also gallery forests, swamps, and lowland rain forests. A prominent feature of the park are dry rivers that turn to torrents in the rainy season. The park is home to important populations of black rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and African elephant, as well as different species of antelopes and gazelles. Since 2014, the site has been listed as endangered because of unplanned tourism development, uncontrolled urban development, pollution, invasive species, and reduced water flows because of droughts and hydroelectric dams upstream.[11][6]
Kilimanjaro National Park		Kilimanjaro	1987	403; vii (natural)	The national park encompasses Mount Kilimanjaro (pictured), a dormant stratovolcano and the highest point in Africa, at an elevation of 5,895 m (19,341 ft). From the bottom to the top, there are five vegetation belts on the mountain, starting with lowland savanna and montane forests, and with an alpine desert on the summit. Because of isolation, the slopes of the mountain are home to numerous endemic animal and plant species, many of them endangered.[12]
Stone Town of Zanzibar		Mjini Magharibi	2000	173; ii, iii, vi (cultural)	The Stone Town, the old part of Zanzibar City, was shaped by different cultures through trade, from Arab lands, India, and Europe. It is a prime example of a Swahili trading town on the east African coast. It was also a centre of slave trade in the Swahili coast. The major buildings, constructed in rag-stone and timber, date to the 18th and 19th centuries. They include the House of Wonders (pictured), churches, mosques, the Old Fort, the Old Dispensary, and hammams.[13]
Kondoa Rock-Art Sites		Dodoma	2006	1183; iii, vi (cultural)	This site comprises over 150 places with rock-art, located in rock shelters created by the forces shaping the East African Rift. The sites were occupied by hunter-gatherer and pastoralist societies for several millennia. They created rock paintings with a unique artistic expression, depicting their lives and beliefs. Human figures are depicted in a streaky style while domestic animals are rarely depicted. Some of the sites are still of ritual significance to the local communities.[14]

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In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.^[15] Tanzania maintains six properties on its tentative list.^[3]

• Tourism in Tanzania