List of World Heritage Sites in Western Asia

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has 126 World Heritage Sites in 18 countries/state parties of Western Asia. The countries/state parties are: Armenia (3 World Heritage Sites), Azerbaijan (5), Bahrain (3), Cyprus (3), Georgia (4), Iran (28), Iraq (6), Israel (9), Jordan (7), Lebanon (6), Oman (5), Palestine (5), Saudi Arabia (8), Syria (6), Turkey (21), United Arab Emirates (1), Qatar (1), and Yemen (5). Kuwait, which is also in the region, do not have any World Heritage Sites.

In this region, Iran is home to the most sites with 28 sites.

 Summary 

+Country/state partyCultural only sitesNatural only sitesMixed sitesSites in dangerTotal World Heritage SitesArmenia30003Azerbaijan41005Bahrain30003Cyprus30003Georgia31004Iran2620028Iraq50136Israel90009Jordan60107Lebanon60016Oman50005Palestine50035Qatar10000Saudi Arabia71000Syria60060Turkey1902021UAE10001Yemen41044

Legend
Site; named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation
Location; at city, regional, or provincial level and geocoordinates
Criteria; as defined by the World Heritage Committee
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 added to the World Heritage List
Description; brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable

Sites

 Site Image Location Criteria Areaha (acre) Year Description Refs Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman  —  Cultural:(v) ; buffer zone  2006  The property includes five aflaj irrigation systems.  It is representative of some 3,000 such systems still in use in Oman. The origins of this system of irrigation may date back to AD 500. Archaeological evidence suggests that irrigation systems were in this very arid area as early as 2500 BC. Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih) Cultural:(ii)(iii) ; buffer zone  2008  Formerly known as Hegra it is the largest conserved site of the Nabataeans south of Petra in Jordan. It has well-preserved monumental tombs with decorated facades dating from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD. Ancient City of Aleppo 150x150px|alt=City view with a wall and a mosque.   Cultural:(iii)(iv)    1986  Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans. Ancient City of Bosra  150x150px|alt=An old amphitheatre.  Cultural:(i)(iii)(vi) —   1980  Bosra, once the capital of the Roman province of Arabia, was an important stopover on the ancient caravan route to Mecca. A magnificent 2nd-century Roman theatre, early Christian ruins and several mosques are found in its great walls. Ancient City of Damascus  150x150px|alt=Ruins of a stone building with columns and without roof.   Cultural:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)   1979  Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. In the Middle Ages, it was the centre of a flourishing craft industry, specializing in swords and lace.Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultanlink=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cable_and_Ancient_Jericho_-_panoramio.jpg|150x150pxCultural:
(iii)(iv); buffer zone 2023 Ancient Villages of Northern Syria  150x150px|alt=Ruins of a stone church without roof.   Cultural:(iii)(iv)(v)   2011  Some 40 villages grouped in eight parks in north-western Syria show rural life in late Antiquity and during the Byzantine period. Anjar 150x150px|alt=Ruins of buildings consisting of some arches.   Cultural:(iii)(iv)  —   1984  The city of Anjar was founded by Caliph Walid I at the beginning of the 8th century.  Archaeological Site of Troy 150x150px|alt=Ruined walls. Cultural:(ii)(iii)(vi)  1998 Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn  —   Cultural:(iii)(iv) —   1988  The protohistoric site of Bat is near a palm grove in the interior of the Sultanate of Oman. Together with the neighbouring sites, it forms the most complete collection of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium B.C. in the world. Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran 150x150px|alt=Stone church in the mountains with two massive towers topped by a conical roof.  Cultural:(ii)(iii)(vi) ; buffer zone  2008  Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)   Cultural:(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2003 The ancient city of Ashur is on the Tigris River in northern Mesopotamia. The city dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. From the 14th to the 9th centuries BC it was the first capital of the Assyrian Empire. The city was destroyed by the Babylonians, but brought back during the Parthian period in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.  At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah 150x150px|alt=Earthen colored building with small windows.    Cultural:(ii)(iii)   2008  Diriyah was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty, in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, north-west of Riyadh. It has the remains of many palaces and an urban ensemble built on the edge of the ad-Dir’iyah oasis. Baalbek  150x150px|alt=Fairly well preserved classical building surrounded by columns. Cultural:(i)(iv)  —   1984  Baalbek, where a triad of deities was worshipped, was known as Heliopolis during the Hellenistic period. It kept its religious function during Roman times. Te sanctuary of the Heliopolitan Jupiter attracted thousands of pilgrims. Bagrati Cathedral and Gelati Monastery 150x150px|alt=Ruins of a stone church with the highest point located at the apsis.  Cultural:(iv)  1994  The site has been listed as endangered since 2010. A major reconstruction project that will lead to irreversible interventions and undermine the authenticity and integrity of the site.  Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee 150x150px|alt=Large white buildings in a landscape garden. Cultural:(iii)(vi) ; buffer zone  2008 Bahla Fort    Cultural:(iv) —   1987  The oasis of Bahla owes its richness to the Banu Nebhan, the dominant tribe in the area from the 12th to the end of the 15th century. The ruins of the large fort, with its walls and towers of unbaked brick and its stone foundations, is a remarkable example of this type of fortification. Bam and its Cultural Landscape  150x150px|alt=View over a large ruined city colored uniformly in a grey-brown tone. In the background there is a castle in overlooking the surrounding city.  Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv)(v) — 2004 The site has been listed as endangered since 2004 following the damage due to the 2003 Bam earthquake.  Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba 150x150px|alt=Ruins of building consisting of low walls of unhewn stones. Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) ; buffer zone  2005Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehemlink=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Church_of_the_nativity_beth.jpg|alt=View of The Church of the Nativity from Manger Square.|150x150pxCultural: (iv), (vi); buffer zone 2012 Bisotun 150x150px|alt=Frieze in a rock with many people.  Cultural:(ii)(iii) ; buffer zone  2006  Byblos  150x150px|alt=A small port in a town.  Cultural:(iii)(iv)(vi)  —   1984  The ruins of many civilizations are found at Byblos, one of the oldest Phoenician cities. People have live here since Neolithic times. It has been closely linked to the legends and history of the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots 150x150px|alt=Stone church with a central tower topped by a conical roof and several smaller towers.   Cultural:(ii)(iii)  2000  Choirokoitia 150x150px|alt=Small white circular huts with flat roof.  Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv) —  1998  City of Safranbolu 150x150px|alt=White houses with red tile roofs on a hillside. Cultural:(ii)(iv)(v)  1994 Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din 150x150px|alt=A fortress of grey stone.   Cultural:(ii)(iv)   2006  These two castles represent the most significant examples show the changes of fortified architecture in the Near East during the time of the Crusades (11th - 13th centuries). Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas) 150x150px|alt=A sandy path lined by low walls behind which are many palm trees.    Cultural:(iii)(iv)(v) ; buffer zone  2011 Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape 150x150px|alt=Petroglyphs of humans.    Cultural:(iii) ; buffer zone  2007 Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği 150x150px|alt=Low building of reddish stone with a prominent decorated entrance. Cultural:(i)(iv)  1985 Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia 150x150px|alt=White stone pinnacle rocks topped by a dark colored rock. Mixed:(i)(iii)(v)(vii)  1985 Hatra 150x150px|alt=Ruins of buildings with columns.  Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)  1985 A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. Hattusha: the Hittite Capital 150x150px|alt=Stone gate with sculpted lions. Cultural:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)  1986 Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town150x150pxHebron Governorate,Cultural: (ii)(iv)(vi)2017Endangered since 2017 Hierapolis-Pamukkale 150x150px|alt=Hanging white limestone wall. Mixed:(iii)(iv)(vii)  1988 Historical Monuments of Mtskheta 150x150px|alt=A compact tall stone church with a circular tower above the apsis.   Cultural:(iii)(iv) —1994 The site has been endangered since 2009.  Historic Areas of Istanbul 150x150px|alt=A large building with a square tower, three mosques and ten minarets near water. Cultural:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)  1985 Historic Town of Zabid 150x150px|alt=Partially ruined stone building with a decorated facade.   Cultural:(iii)  —   1993  Zabid was the capital of Yemen from the 13th to the 15th century. The city played an important role in the Arab and Muslim world for many centuries because of its Islamic university. It has been listed as endangered since 2000. Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev 150x150px|alt=Ruins of buildings in a desert. Cultural:(iii)(v) —  2005 Land of Frankincense —  Cultural:(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2000  The frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah and the remains of the caravan oasis and the ports of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed show the trade in frankincense that was strong in this region for many centuries. Masada 150x150px|alt=Ruins of a building made of unhewn stones. Cultural:(iii)(iv)(vi) ; buffer zone  2001 Meidan Emam, Esfahan 150x150px|alt=Large rectangular square surrounded by buildings some of which have cuppolas.  Cultural:(i)(v)(vi) —  1979  Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin 150x150px|alt=Small church of dark stone with a central tower topped by a conical roof.   Cultural:(ii)(iv) ; buffer zone  1996Extended in 2000 to include the Sanahin Monastery and name change from Monastery of Haghpat to the present name.  Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley 150x150px|alt=Stone church with a central tower topped by a conical roof.   Cultural:(ii)  2000  Nemrut Dağ 150x150px|alt=Large sculpted heads of a bird and a human lying on the ground. Cultural:(i)(iii)(iv)  1987 Old City of Acre 150x150px|alt=A fortress or a tower of a fortification. Cultural:(ii)(iii)(v)  2001 Old City of Sana'a 150x150px|alt=Houses with beige walls and white framed windows.   Cultural:(iv)(v)(vi)  —  1986  Sana’a has been lived in for more than 2,500 years. In the 7th and 8th centuries the city became a major centre for spreading Islam. This religious and political heritage can be seen in the 103 mosques, 14 hammams and over 6,000 houses, all built before the 11th century. Old Walled City of Shibam  150x150px|alt=Tall and narrow white and brownish houses with small windows.   Cultural:(iii)(iv)(v)  —   1982  The 16th-century city of Shibam is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning based on vertical construction.  Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)  150x150px|alt=Landscape with barren hills in the background, a valley and a mountain slope with low trees in the foreground. Cultural:(iii)(iv)  —   1998  The Qadisha valley is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. Nearby are the remains of the great forest of cedars of Lebanon, highly prized in antiquity for the construction of great religious buildings. Painted Churches in the Troodos Region   Cultural:(iii)(vi) —  1985Extended in 2001 to include the church Metamorfosis tou Sotiros (Transfiguration of the Saviour) in Palaichori.  Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir150x150pxCultural: (iv)(v); buffer zone 2014Endangered since 2014. Paphos 150x150px|alt=A colorful mosaic showing various people.  Cultural:(iii)(vi) —  1980  Pasargadae 150x150px|alt=A small step pyramid like structure with a house-shaped structure on top.  Cultural:(1)(ii)(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2004  Persepolis 150x150px|alt=Ruins of buildings and a frieze depicting humans carrying staffs or lances.  Cultural:(i)(iii)(vi)  1979  Petra  150x150px|alt=Facade of a building on a cliff face.    Cultural:(i)(iii)(iv)  —   1985  Lived in since prehistoric times, this Nabataean caravan-city, between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains covered with passages and gorges. Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun   Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2005Minor modification of the core zone and enlargement of the buffer zone in 2008. The site was the capital of the Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region.  Quseir Amra  150x150px|alt=Small ruined stone building.  Cultural:(i)(iii)(iv)  —   1985  Built in the early 8th century, this very well kept desert castle was both a fortress with a garrison and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. Saint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer150x150pxCultural:
(ii)(iii)(iv); buffer zone 2024Endangered since 2024. Samarra Archaeological City   Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2007 Samarra Archaeological City is the site of a powerful Islamic capital city that ruled over the provinces of the Abbasid Empire extending from Tunisia to Central Asia for a century. The 9th-century Great Mosque and its spiral minaret are among the many remarkable architectural monuments of the site, 80% of which remain to be excavated. The site has been listed as endangered since it was added. Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex 150x150px|alt=Large mosque with four minarets and a large dome of dark stone. Cultural:(i)(iv) ; buffer zone  2011 Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil 150x150px|alt=Two cuppolas covered in blue, yellow and brown tiles.  Cultural:(i)(ii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2010  Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System 150x150px|alt=Ruins of a river bridge.  Cultural:(i)(ii)(v) ; buffer zone  2009  Site of Palmyra 150x150px|alt=Ruins of stone buildigns with columns.   Cultural:(i)(ii)(iv)   1980  An oasis in the Syrian desert, north-east of Damascus, Palmyra has the monumental ruins of a great city that was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. Socotra Archipelago 150x150px|alt=A tree over a dry, barren, rocky landscape.  Natural:(x) ; buffer zone  2008 Socotra Archipelago, in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, is 250 km long.  It has four islands and two rocky islets. The site is of universal importance because of its biodiversity with rich and distinct flora and fauna. Soltaniyeh —  Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2005  Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex 150x150px|alt=Covered arcade lined by shops.  Cultural:(ii)(iii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2010  Takht-e Soleyman 150x150px|alt=Ruins of buildings near a lake.  Cultural:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) ; buffer zone  2003  Tchogha Zanbil 150x150px|alt=Ruins of a pyramid like structure.  Cultural:(iii)(iv) — 1979  The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls 150x150px|alt=City view with houses, churches and a building with a large golden dome.     Cultural:(ii)(iii)(vi)  —   1981 As a holy city for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Jerusalem has always been of great symbolic importance. It is recognized by all three religions as the site of Abraham's sacrifice. The site has been listed as endangered since 1982. The Persian Garden 150x150px|alt=Water basin in a garden, flowers trees and a building with open portico.  Cultural:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) ; buffer zone  2011  Tyre  150x150px|alt=Ruins of columns near the sea.  Cultural:(iii)(vi)    1984  Tyre ruled the seas and founded rich colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage. There are important archaeological remains, mainly from Roman times. Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)  150x150px|alt=Ruins of a building of white stone.   Cultural:(i)(iv)(vi)  ; buffer zone  2005  Most of this archaeological site, which started as a Roman military camp and grew to become a town from the 5th century, has not been excavated. It has remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Muslim periods (end of 3rd to 9th centuries AD) and a fortified Roman military camp. Upper Svaneti 150x150px|alt=Stone towers in a mountain landscape  Cultural:(iv)(v) ; buffer zone  1996  Wadi Rum Protected Area  150x150px|alt=A dry mountain landscape with smoothened rocks.   Mixed:(iii)(v)(vii)  ; buffer zone  2011  The 74,000-hectare property is in southern Jordan, near the border with Saudi Arabia. It has a varied desert landscape, as well as 25,000 rock carvings with 20,000 inscriptions. Walled City of Baku with the Shirvanshah's Palace and Maiden Tower 150x150px|alt=Ruins of underground buildings and a building with cuppola above ground.    Cultural:(iv)  2000 White City of Tel-Aviv -- the Modern Movement 150x150px|alt=White modern building. Cultural:(ii)(iv) ; buffer zone  2003 Xanthos-Letoon 150x150px|alt=Ruins of buildings and of an amphitheatre. Cultural:(ii)(iii) ; buffer zone  1988

Notes

References

*Western Asia
*Western Asia
Category:Asia-related lists