List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Western_Asia

List of World Heritage Sites in Western Asia

List of World Heritage Sites in Western Asia

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The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated 95 World Heritage Sites in 18 countries (also called "state parties") of Western Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Yemen. While Egypt is partially in Western Asia, its World Heritage Sites are listed under Africa instead. One site is located in Jerusalem.[nb 1] Kuwait is the only country in the region that does not have any World Heritage Sites.[1][2] Arabian Oryx Sanctuary was designated as a World Heritage Site of Oman in 1994 but was delisted in 2007. As the protected area was reduced by 90% as a result of Oman's decision, UNESCO delisted the site.[3]

In this region, Iran is home to the most inscribed sites with 27 sites.[4] The first sites to be recognized by UNESCO from the region were Persepolis, Meidan Emam, Esfahan, Tchogha Zanbil (Iran) and the Ancient City of Damascus (Syria).[5] Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list, or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x).[6] Some sites, designated "mixed sites," represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Western Asia, there are 67 cultural, 1 natural, and 3 mixed sites.[7]

The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered, citing "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List." Seven sites in this region are currently listed as endangered; one site (Bahla Fort) had been listed previously, and possible danger listing has been considered by UNESCO in a number of other cases.[8]

Legend

The table is sortable by column by clicking on the at the top of the appropriate column; alphanumerically for the site, area, and year columns; by state party for the location column; and by criteria type for the criteria column. Transborder sites sort at the bottom.
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

Site; named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation[4]
Location; at city, regional, or provincial level and geocoordinates
Criteria; as defined by the World Heritage Committee[6]
Area; in hectares and acres. If available, the size of the buffer zone has been noted as well. A value of zero implies that no data has been published by UNESCO
Year; during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List
Description; brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable

World Heritage Sites

  † In danger
More information Site, Image ...

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Site proposed by Jordan. UNESCO has stated that "In line with relevant UN resolutions, East Jerusalem remains part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the status of Jerusalem must be resolved in permanent status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians."
  2. [N 2]
    Significantly reduced in 2017 and name changed from Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery to the present name.
  3. [N 3]
    Extended in 2000 to include the Sanahin Monastery and name change from Monastery of Haghpat to the present name.
  4. [N 4]
    Extended in 2001 to include the church Metamorfosis tou Sotiros (Transfiguration of the Saviour) in Palaichori.
  5. [N 5]
    Minor modification of the core zone and enlargement of the buffer zone in 2008.

References

General
  • "World Heritage Committee: Twenty-fourth session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Twenty-seventh session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Twenty-eighth session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirty-first session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirty-third session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  • "World Heritage Committee: Thirty-fourth session" (PDF). UNESCO. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
Notes
  1. [1]
    "Number of World Heritage Properties by region". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  2. [2]
    "Composition of macro geographical (continental) regions, geographical sub-regions, and selected economic and other groupings". Geographical region and composition of each region. United Nations Statistics Division. 2010. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  3. [3]
    Arabian Oryx Sanctuary, UNESCO
  4. [4]
    "World Heritage List". UNESCO. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  5. [5]
    "Number of World Heritage properties inscribed each Year". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  6. [6]
    "The Criteria for Selection". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 September 2011.
  7. [7]
    "World Heritage List Nominations". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  8. [8]
    "World Heritage in Danger". UNESCO. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  9. [9]
    "Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  10. [10]
    "Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape". UNESCO. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  11. [11]
    "Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih)". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  12. [12]
    "Al Zubarah Archaeological Site". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2013.
  13. [13]
    "Ancient City of Aleppo". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  14. [14]
    "Ancient City of Bosra". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  15. [15]
    "Ancient City of Damascus". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  16. [16]
    "Ancient City of Qalhat". UNESCO. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  17. [17]
    "Ancient Villages of Northern Syria". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  18. [18]
    "Anjar". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  19. [19]
    "Archaeological Site of Troy". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  20. [20]
    "Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  21. [21]
    "Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  22. [22]
    "Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  23. [23]
    27th session 2003, pp. 123–124
  24. [24]
    "At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  25. [25]
    "Baalbek". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  26. [26]
    "Babylon". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 Aug 2019.
  27. [27]
    "Bahá'i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  28. [28]
    "Bahla Fort". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  29. [29]
    "Bam and its Cultural Landscape". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  30. [30]
    "Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas)". UNESCO. Retrieved 6 Oct 2015.
  31. [31]
    "Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  32. [32]
    "Bisotun". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  33. [33]
    "Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2014.
  34. [34]
    "Byblos". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  35. [35]
    "Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves". UNESCO. Retrieved 11 Nov 2017.
  36. [36]
    "Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  37. [37]
    "Choirokoitia". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  38. [38]
    Nativity Church: 1st World Heritage Site under 'Palestine Archived 2012-06-29 at the Wayback Machine
  39. [39]
    Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem
  40. [40]
    "The site of the Birthplace of Jesus in Bethlehem (Palestine) removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  41. [41]
    "Erbil Citadel". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2014.
  42. [42]
    "City of Safranbolu". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  43. [43]
    "Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  44. [44]
    "Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 Dec 2011.
  45. [45]
    "Dilmun Burial Mounds". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 Aug 2019.
  46. [46]
    "Gelati Monastery". UNESCO. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  47. [47]
    "Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 Dec 2011.
  48. [48]
    "Golestan Palace". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  49. [49]
    "Gonbad-e Qabus". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  50. [50]
    "Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  51. [51]
    "Göbekli Tepe". Unesco. Retrieved 1 Jul 2018.
  52. [52]
    "Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  53. [53]
    "Hatra". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  54. [54]
    "Hattusha: the Hittite Capital". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  55. [55]
    "Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Unesco. Retrieved 7 Jul 2017.
  56. [56]
    "Hierapolis-Pamukkale". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  57. [57]
    "Ḥimā Cultural Area". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  58. [58]
    "Historic Areas of Istanbul". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  59. [59]
    "Historic Centre of Sheki with the Khan's Palace". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 Aug 2019.
  60. [60]
    "Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2014.
  61. [61]
    "Historic Town of Zabid". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  62. [62]
    24th session 2000, pp. 26–27
  63. [63]
    "Hyrcanian forests". UNESCO. Retrieved 27 Aug 2019.
  64. [64]
    "Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  65. [65]
    "Land of Frankincense". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  66. [66]
    Land of Olives and Vines
  67. [67]
    "Masada". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  68. [68]
    "Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  69. [69]
    "Meidan Emam, Esfahan". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  70. [70]
    "Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  71. [71]
    "Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  72. [72]
    "Nemrut Dağ". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  73. [73]
    "Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2013.
  74. [74]
    "Old City of Acre". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  75. [75]
    "Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  76. [76]
    "Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2014.
  77. [77]
    "Old City of Sana'a". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  78. [78]
    "Shahr-e Sūkhté". UNESCO. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  79. [79]
    "Old Walled City of Shibam". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  80. [80]
    "Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  81. [81]
    "Painted Churches in the Troodos Region". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  82. [82]
    "Decision - 25COM X.B - Painted Churches in the Troodos Region [Extension to include the Church of Ayia Sotira, Palaichori] (Cyprus)". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  83. [83]
    "Paphos". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  84. [84]
    "Pasargadae". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  85. [85]
    "Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy". UNESCO. Retrieved 4 Aug 2013.
  86. [86]
    "Persepolis". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  87. [87]
    "Petra". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  88. [88]
    "Qal'at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  89. [89]
    "Evaluatinos of Cultural Properties: 32nd ordinary session" (PDF). UNESCO. p. 37. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  90. [90]
    "Quseir Amra". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  91. [91]
    "Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2019-02-08.
  92. [92]
    "Samarra Archaeological City". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  93. [93]
    31st session 2007, pp. 152–153
  94. [94]
    "Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region". Unesco. Retrieved 1 Jul 2018.
  95. [95]
    "Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
  96. [96]
    "Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  97. [97]
    "Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  98. [98]
    "Site of Palmyra". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  99. [99]
    "Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me'arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves". UNESCO. Retrieved 16 Jul 2012.
  100. [100]
    "Socotra Archipelago". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  101. [101]
    "Soltaniyeh". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  102. [102]
    "Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  103. [103]
    "Takht-e Soleyman". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  104. [104]
    "Tchogha Zanbil". Unesco. Retrieved 2018-07-01.
  105. [105]
    "The Persian Garden". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 December 2011.
  106. [106]
    "Tyre". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  107. [107]
    "Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  108. [108]
    "Upper Svaneti". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  109. [109]
    "'Uruq Bani Ma'arid". UNESCO. Retrieved 11 Feb 2024.
  110. [110]
    "Wadi Rum Protected Area". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  111. [111]
    "Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower". UNESCO. Retrieved 10 Dec 2011.
  112. [112]
    "White City of Tel-Aviv -- the Modern Movement". UNESCO. Retrieved 17 Aug 2011.
  113. [113]
    "Xanthos-Letoon". UNESCO. Retrieved 7 Dec 2011.
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