UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) added 25 new sites to its list of World Heritage Sites at its 48th session in Busan, South Korea this week, spanning millennia of history and carrying “outstanding universal value” for humanity.
What is a World Heritage Site?
Established under the 1972 World Heritage Convention, a treaty ratified by nearly 200 countries, the designation of “World Heritage Site” includes sites in three categories: cultural sites, natural sites, and mixed sites which combine the two.
While the label carries global weight and often drives up tourism, it does not transfer any legal authority of the site to UNESCO. Rather, host countries maintain full responsibility over the site and its protection in exchange for access to international funding, expertise, and support when needed.
Adding a site to the list is an extensive process. Countries first place candidate sites on a “Tentative List,” then submit a formal nomination dossier arguing for the site’s value and outlining its protections.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) independently review the submissions before the 21-member WHC makes the final decision at its annual meeting.
“Heritage is a force for cohesion and empowerment,” said UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany in a statement following the conclusion of the 48th WHC meeting. “It carries shared memories, knowledge, and helps restore exchanges after periods of division. It is also a powerful driver of sustainable development, supporting local employment, cultural and creative industries, and responsible tourism.”
So, what are some of the newly designated World Heritage Sites?
Mount Olympus, Greece
The designation of the wider area of Mount Olympus in Greece as a mixed World Heritage Site was announced by UNESCO on Sunday.
In 1938, Greece named the mountain its first National Park. In 1981, UNESCO named Mount Olympus a “Biosphere Reserve,” a location where science and culture come together to conserve the natural. The European Union has listed Olympus in the “Significant for Birdlife Regions of European Union,” and in the list of Natura 2000 as an area of special protection and community interest.
Located in northern Greece, Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in the Mediteranian country. Famously, it is the home of the 12 Olympian Gods, the Muses, and the Graces, of the ancient Greeks.
Mount Olympus’s mythological affiliation is not the only reason the mountain was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, but – being home to over 1,700 plants (25% of all Greek flora) – its diverse terrain and vegetation played a hand in the designation as well.
Featuring a collection of landforms, including “glacial cirques, limestone cliffs, karstic sinkholes, and olistolith fields,” it also bears evidence of ongoing neotectonic activity, as seen in the Mytikas and Stefani peaks, and the Enipeas gorge.
Greece’s Culture Ministry and Environment and Energy Ministry praised the move in a statement, calling it “one of the most significant international distinctions in the field of protecting cultural and natural heritage.”
Normandy D-Day Beaches, France
The designation of the Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944, as a World Heritage Site for their “exceptional cultural landscape shaped both by the events of 1944 and by their enduring remembrance,” was announced by UNESCO on Sunday.
Encompassing an area of approximately 80 km of Normandy’s coastline in northern France, the site includes the Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword, and Pointe du Hoc beaches.
The six mark the site of the Allied landings at the opening of Operation Overlord against the Nazis during World War II, a decisive stage in the liberation of Europe.
Soldiers participating in the Normandy landings came from the United States, Britain, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Luxembourg, Greece, Czechoslovakia, New Zealand and Australia. Some 177 French commandos also took part.
In total, 156,115 Allied troops either landed by sea onto the beaches, or were airdropped behind German coastal defenses.
Remains of the Atlantic Wall, including casemates, artillery batteries, and fire‑control posts constructed by the Nazis can be seen on the beaches, as well as traces of the battlefield itself and wartime equipment left behind.
Additionally, the site includes the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville‑sur‑Mer.
“Twenty years of effort to have this memorial site recognized as a heritage of humanity,” French Culture Minister Catherine Pégard wrote on X/Twitter following UNESCO’s announcement. “Pride for Normandy and for France!”
French Ambassador to the United Kingdom Hélène Duchêne echoed Pégard, saying that “the recognition honours France, the United Kingdom and all Allied nations, and reminds us of our shared duty of remembrance.”
Aqaba Marine Reserve, Jordan
The designation of Jordan’s Aqaba Marine Reserve as a World Heritage Site was announced by UNESCO on Saturday.
Established by Jordan as a nature reserve in 1997, it is located at the tip of the Red Sea and covers an area of just under three square kilometers.
The reserve is recognized as the world’s northernmost tropical coral reef system, home to numerous coral and mesophotic reefs, and seagrass beds, including more than 150 species of hard coral, over 500 species of fish, and 1,000 species of molluscs.
“This achievement underscores Jordan’s commitment to preserving one of the world’s most prominent marine ecosystems and protecting its unique biodiversity for future generations,” said Jordan’s delegation to UNESCO in a post to X, applauding the organization’s decision.
In its own X post, the reserve added that it is proud of the “national achievement” and the inclusion of the site on the World Heritage Site List.
Alamut Castle, Iran
Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications (ACRF) were designated a World Heritage Site, UNESCO announced on Monday.
The site, which includes Alamūt Castle as well as its associated fortifications of Lambesar, Navizaršāh, Šams Kelāyeh, Qosṭinlār, Širkūh, and Ilān, are located in the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran.
From the late 11th century CE, Alamūt served as the political, military, and intellectual center of the Nizari Isma’ilism (Nezāri Ismaʿilis) movement until the castle’s fall in 1256. Nizari Isma’ilism is the largest segment of the Ismailis, the second largest branch of Shia Islam. The movement is famed for its
Before its fall, Alamūt Castle was home to the Persian branch of the movement’s Order of Assassins. The order, founded in 1090, are believed to have conducted several high-profile assassinations across the region during the Crusades.
Its Levant branch was based in Syria’s Masyaf Castle.
Iranian opposition outlet Iran International reported earlier this weeek that archaeologist Hamideh Choubak is being hailed as the driving force behind Alamūt’s designation.
“She devoted 25 years and 16 excavation seasons to the historic fortress,” wrote the outlet, sharing footage of Choubak in tears following UNESCO’s announcement.
Choubak’s team had unearthed the castle’s prison, observatory, main entrance, and central courtyard, Iran International added, adding that she had documented the site and prepared it for its World Heritage designation.
“I worked for 50 years, and this has been the greatest work of my life,” Choubak shared with Iran International. “It has been a blessing and a fortune that came my way… This has been the greatest achievement of my life.”
The complete list of all 25 new World Heritage sites can be found on UNESCO’s website here.
Reuters contributed to this report.
