# List of World Heritage Sites in Nepal

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries which are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. 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. Nepal ratified the convention on 20 June 1978, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
Four sites in Nepal were on the list in 2023, with a further fifteen on the tentative list, of sites that may be considered for future submission. The first sites in Nepal to be added to the list were the Sagarmatha National Park and the Kathmandu Valley, added in 1979. Due to the partial or substantial loss of the traditional elements of six out of seven monument zones and resulting general loss of authenticity and integrity of the whole property, Kathmandu Valley was also added to the List of World Heritage in Danger between 2003 and 2007. Chitwan National Park was listed in 1984, and Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha according to Buddhist tradition, was added in 1997. The National Parks are natural sites, and the other two are cultural.

## World Heritage Sites

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.
| Site | Location | Year listed | UNESCO data | Description |
| Sagarmatha National Park | Solukhumbu District | 1979 | 120; vii (natural) | Sagarmatha National Park encompasses the mountains of the Great Himalayan Range which includes the Earth's highest mountain above sea level, Mount Everest (known in Nepal as Sagarmatha), and the Sacred Himalayan Landscape, the transboundary landscape in the eastern Himalayas. The park covers an area of 124,400 hectares (307,000 acres) of land and 20 villages with 6000 Sherpas who have lived in the area for the last four centuries. |
| Kathmandu Valley | Kathmandu Valley | 1979 | 121; iii, iv, vi (cultural) | The World Heritage Site comprises seven properties: Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Boudhanath, Changu Narayan Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Patan Durbar Square, and Swayambhunath (pictured). Three royal Durbar Squares were used by the Mallas, after the unification of Nepal they were used by the Shahs, and the Ranas. Two stupas: Swayambhunath is the oldest and Boudhanath is the largest in Nepal. Changu Narayan Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Nepal dating back to the fifth century AD, and Pashupatinath Temple is the largest temple complex in Nepal. Kathmandu Valley was listed as endangered from 2003 to 2007 due to the partial or substantial loss of the traditional elements of six out of seven monument zones and resulting in a general loss of authenticity and integrity of the whole property. |
| Chitwan National Park | Chitwan District, Nawalpur District, Parasi District, Parsa District, and Makwanpur District | 1984 | 284; vii, ix, x (natural) | Chitwan National Park, part of the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal, is home to one of the last populations of Indian rhinoceros and the Bengal tiger. Historically used by the feudal big game hunters and their entourage, where they stayed for a couple of months shooting hundreds of tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants, leopards, and sloth bears. The park is now one of the last remaining ecosystems of the Tarai region and it is home to over 68 mammal species. |
| Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha | Rupandehi District | 1997 | 666; iii, vi (cultural) | Lumbini, where the founder of the world religion of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha, was born in 623 BC. Lumbini is regarded as one of the holiest places in Buddhism and it features pilgrimage sites dating back to the 3rd century BC. The complex includes the Lumbini pillar inscription, Maya Devi Temple, and Shakya Tank where Maya bathed before giving birth to Buddha. |

## Tentative list

In addition to the 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. As of 2019, Nepal recorded 15 sites on its tentative list.