# List of World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia

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. 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. Ethiopia accepted the convention on 6 July 1977. There are 12 World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia, with a further six on the tentative list.
The first two sites in Ethiopia added to the list were the Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela, and the Simien National Park, both at the Second Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Washington, D.C., in 1978. The most recent site listed was the Melka Kunture and Balchit, in 2024. Simien and Bale Mountains are natural sites while the other ten sites are listed for their cultural significance. In 1996 Simien was listed as endangered because of the impact of a new road across the property, excessive cattle grazing, agricultural encroachment, and a drop in the number of populations of large mammals. Following improvements in management and recovering animal communities, the site was removed from the endangered list in 2017. Ethiopia has served as a member of the World Heritage Committee twice: 2009–2013 and 2019–2023.

## 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.
World Heritage Sites :
| Site | Location (region) | Year listed | UNESCO data | Description |
| Simien National Park | Amhara | 1978 | 9; vii, x (natural) | Through millions of years, erosion has shaped the Ethiopian plateau into a landscape of jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys, and sharp precipices. The area is a biodiversity hotspot and home to threatened species including the Walia Ibex, gelada, and Ethiopian wolf. Between 1996 and 2017, the site was listed as endangered because of the impact of a new road across the property, excessive cattle grazing, agricultural encroachment, and a drop in the number of populations of large mammals. |
| Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela | Amhara | 1978 | 18; i, iii (cultural) | Eleven churches were hewn from monolithic blocks in the 13th century, under the king Gebre Meskel Lalibela, to substitute for places in the Holy Land at a time when the pilgrimages there were not possible. They had an important influence on the Ethiopian Church and are still in use, even if they have been damaged through centuries. Several churches have interior walls decorated by murals. A village with traditional houses is situated nearby. The Church of Saint George is pictured. |
| Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region | Amhara | 1979 | 19; ii, iii (cultural) | The Ethiopian Empire had no fixed capital until Emperor Fasilides settled in Gondar in 1636. The palace complex served as the residence of the monarchs until 1864. It comprises the royal castle (pictured), several palaces, churches, monasteries, and other buildings. The architectural style was influenced by Hindu and Arab architecture and later remodelled in the European Baroque style brought by Jesuit missionaries. |
| Aksum | Tigray | 1980 | 15; i, iv (cultural) | Axum was the capital of the important eponymous kingdom that was located at the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and the Greco-Roman world in the first millennium. The kingdom controlled the trade routes of the Red Sea and with North Africa. It converted to Christianity in the 4th century. The ruins of the city feature delicately carved stelae dating from the 3rd and 4th centuries (the Obelisk of Axum pictured), royal tombs, churches, and stone tablets with multilingual inscriptions. |
| Lower Valley of the Awash | Afar | 1980 | 10; ii, iii, iv (cultural) | The area of the lower Awash River is one of the most important archaeological sites in the study of human evolution. It was occupied by early hominids for millions of years and well preserved fossils have been discovered here. Among the most important finds are the remains of the Australopithecus afarensis Lucy, discovered in 1974 and dating back 3.2 million years (skeleton cast pictured) and the Ardipithecus ramidus Ardi, which is 4.4 million years old. |
| Tiya | Central Ethiopia Regional State | 1980 | 12; i, iv (cultural) | Tiya is the most representative of several prehistoric megalithic sites in the Soddo region. In Tiya, there are 36 stelae, 33 of which are aligned along an axis of 45 m (148 ft). Most of the stelae are carved with symbols, some of which resemble swords. As tombs have been discovered nearby, the stelae are interpreted to have funerary significance. The age of the site has not yet been precisely determined. |
| Lower Valley of the Omo | South Ethiopia Regional State | 1980 | 17; iii, iv (cultural) | The area close to Lake Turkana, with sediment layers spanning between 3.5 and one million years ago (Pliocene and Pleistocene), is an important archaeological site in the study of human evolution. Numerous remains of early hominids were find on site, including fossils belonging to the genera Australopithecus and Homo. Some of the oldest stone tools have been found as well, providing insight into the development of first technical activities. |
| Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town | Harari | 2006 | 1189rev; i, ii, iv, v (cultural) | The city of Harar is a sacred Muslim city with numerous mosques and shrines, some dating to the 10th century. The city walls (pictured) were built between the 13th and 16th centuries while the present-day urban layout dates to the 16th century. The architecture of the houses is different from that of Muslim countries but shows the influence of the coastal Arab style. The interiors are richly decorated. The arrival of Indian merchants in the late 19th century brought a new style, houses with wooden verandas. |
| Konso Cultural Landscape | South Ethiopia Regional State | 2011 | 1333rev; iii, v (cultural) | The Konso people have lived in the area for more than 400 years. To combat the harsh and dry environment in the highlands, they have created terraces for agriculture, as well as stonewalls and fortified villages for protection, resulting in a unique cultural landscape. The people maintain their traditions, including carving wooden anthropomorphic sculptures as grave markers, and are one of the last societies in the world that continue the practice of erecting stelae. A scene from a village is pictured. |
| Bale Mountains National Park | Oromia | 2023 | 111rev; vii, x (natural) | The Bale Mountains comprise different habitat types, including tropical forests, cloud forest, wetlands, and the largest extent of alpine habitat above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in Africa. Volcanic activity and glaciation in the past have created a rugged landscape with ridges, escarpments, valleys, and glacial lakes. The area is home to endemic and rare species, including the Ethiopian wolf, Bale monkey, mountain nyala, and eight endemic rodents. Among plants, giant lobelias (pictured) grow in the highlands. |
| Gedeo Cultural Landscape | South Ethiopia Regional State | 2023 | 1641; iii, v (cultural) | The cultural landscape was shaped by the Gedeo people who continue to live in line with their traditions and beliefs. They grow coffee, enset, and other food crops, and practice sustainable agroforestry. Traditional system of land use regulations has allowed for a high population density while maintaining the biodiversity of the area. There are numerous megalithic ritual monuments, either stelae or in phallic form (pictured). |
| Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in the Highland Area of Ethiopia | Oromiya | 2024 | 13rev; iii, iv, v (cultural) | Melka Kunture is a large archaeological site in the highlands of the upper Awash River. The deposits, at places up to 100 m (330 ft) thick, span more than 1.7 million years. Archaeologists have discovered thousands of stone tools, as well as remains of Homo erectus and archaic Homo sapiens, and remains of prehistoric flora and fauna. Stone tools begin with the earliest Oldowan tools (three choppers pictured), continue with the more sophisticated Acheulean tools, and end with Late Stone Age tools. An important material for the stone tools was obsidian that was sourced at the nearby site of Balchit. |

## Tentative list

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. Ethiopia maintains six properties on its tentative list.