List of World Heritage Sites in the Arab States

This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Arab countries.World Heritage Centre - World Heritage List Some of these countries are geographically in Asia and some in Africa.

List
The list below has an image of the site or part of the site; the name; the location; the nominating state party; the criteria met by the site, including if it is a cultural, natural or mixed; the area in hectares and acres; the year the site was added; and a description of the site. 

 Image  Site  Location  Criteria  Area(ha)   Area(acre)  Year  Description 150x150px  Al Qal'a of Beni Hammad  AlgeriaM'Sila Province,  Cultural:AlgAlq(iii)   1980  The ruins of the first capital of the Hammadid emirs.  It was formed in 1007 and ended in 1152. 150x150px  Djémila  AlgeriaSétif Province,  Cultural:AlgDje(iii)(iv)   1982  An interesting example of a Roman town in a mountain location. 150x150px  Kasbah of Algiers  AlgeriaAlgiers Province,  Cultural:AlgKas(ii)(v)   1982  The Kasbah is a unique kind of medina, or Islamic city. It stands in one of the finest coastal sites on the Mediterranean, overlooking the islands where a Carthaginian trading-post was formed in the 4th century BC. 150x150px  M'zab Valley  AlgeriaGhardaïa Province,  Cultural:AlgMzb(ii)(iii)(v)   1982  A traditional human habitat, formed in the 10th century by the Ibadites.  It is around their five ksour (fortified cities). 150x150px  Tassili n'Ajjer  AlgeriaIllizi Province and Tamanrasset Province,  Mixed:AlgTas(i)(iii)(vii)(viii)   1982  This site has one of the most important groupings of prehistoric cave art in the world. More than 15,000 drawings and engravings record the climatic changes, the animal migrations and the evolution of human life on the edge of the Sahara from 6000 BC to the first centuries of the present era. —  Timgad  AlgeriaBatna Province,  Cultural:AlgTim(ii)(iii)(iv)   1982  Timgad is on the northern slopes of the Aurès mountains.  It was formed as a military colony by the Emperor Trajan in AD 100. —  Tipaza  AlgeriaTipaza Province,  Cultural:AlgTip(iii)(iv)   1982  Tipasa was an ancient Punic trading-post conquered by Rome. It has a unique group of Phoenician, Roman, palaeochristian and Byzantine ruins alongside indigenous monuments such as the Kbor er Roumia, the great royal mausoleum of Mauritania. 150x150px  Qal'at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun  BahrainNorthern Governorate,  Cultural:BahQal(ii)(iii)(iv)   2005  This was the capital of the Dilmun, one of the most important ancient civilizations of the region. It has the richest remains of this civilization. 150x150px   Abu Mena  EgyptAlexandria Governorate,  Cultural:EgyAbu(iv)   1979  The church, baptistry, basilicas, public buildings, streets, monasteries, houses and workshops in this early Christian holy city were built over the tomb of the martyr Menas of Alexandria, who died in A.D. 296. 150x150px  Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis  EgyptLuxor Governorate,  Cultural:EgyAnc(i)(iii)(vi)   1979  Thebes, the city of the god Amon, was the capital of Egypt during the period of the Middle and New Kingdoms. 150x150px  Historic Cairo  EgyptCairo Governorate,  Cultural:EgyHis(i)(v)(vi)   1979  One of the world's oldest Islamic cities, with its famous mosques, madrasas, hammams and fountains. Founded in the 10th century, it became the new centre of the Islamic world, reaching its golden age in the 14th century. 150x150px  Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur  EgyGiza Governorate,  Cultural:EgyMem(i)(iii)(vi)   1979  The capital of the Old Kingdom of Egypt has some extraordinary funerary monuments, including rock tombs, ornate mastabas, temples and pyramids. In ancient times, the site was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. 150x150px  Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae  EgyAswan Governorate,  Cultural:EgyNub(i)(iii)(vi)   1979  This outstanding archaeological area has such magnificent monuments as the Temples of Ramses II at Abu Simbel and the Sanctuary of Isis at Philae.  They were saved from the rising waters of the Nile thanks to the International Campaign launched by UNESCO, in 1960 to 1980. 150x150px  Saint Catherine Area  EgySouth Sinai Governorate,  Cultural:EgySai(i)(iii)(iv)(vi)   2002  The Orthodox Monastery of St Catherine stands at the foot of Mount Horeb.  This is where, the Old Testament records, Moses received the Tablets of the Law. The mountain is known and revered by Muslims as Jebel Musa. The entire area is sacred to three world religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. 150x150px  Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)  EgyFaiyum Governorate,  Natural:EgyWad(viii)    2005  Located in a desert, the site has fossil remains of the now extinct Archaeoceti, a suborder of whales.  This shows the evolution of the whales from a land-based to an aquatic mammal. —  Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat)  IrqSalah ad Din Governorate,  Cultural:IrqAss(iii)(iv)    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 revived during the Parthian period in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. 150x150px  Hatra  IrqNinawa Governorate,  Cultural:IrqHat(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)    1985  Hatra was a large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom.  It withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. 150x150px  Samarra Archaeological City  IrqSalah ad Din Governorate,  Cultural:IrqSam(ii)(iii)(iv)    1985  Samarra Archaeological City is the site of a powerful Islamic capital city.  It ruled over the provinces of the Abbasid Empire from Tunisia to Central Asia for a century. The 9th-century Great Mosque and its spiral minaret are among the numerous remarkable architectural monuments of the site, 80% of which remain to be excavated. 150x150px  The Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls†  PalJerusalem,  Cultural:JerOld(ii)(iii)(vi)  —  —  1985  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. 150pxHebron/Al-Khalil Old Town†PalHebron GovernateCultural: (ii)(iv)(vi)20.62017 150pxPalestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir†PalBethlehem GovernateCultural: (iv)(v)3492014 150pxSaint Hilarion Monastery/Tell Umm Amer†PalDeir al-Balah GovernateCultural: (ii)(iii)(vi)1.332024 150pxAncient Jericho/Tell es-SultanPalJericho GovernateCultural (iii)(iv)5.932023 150pxBirthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, BethlehemPalBethlehem GovernateCultural: (iv)(vi)2.982012 150x150px  Petra  JorMa'an Governorate,  Cultural:JorPet(i)(iii)(iv)  —  —  1985  Lived in since prehistoric times, between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, this city was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains. 150x150px  Qasr Amra  JorZarqa Governorate,  Cultural:JorQas(i)(iii)(iv)  —  —  1985  Built in the early 8th century, this exceptionally well-preserved desert castle was both a fortress with a garrison and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. 150x150px  Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a)  JorMadaba Governorate,  Cultural:JorUme(i)(iv)(vi)    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. 150x150px  Wadi Rum Protected Area  JorAqaba Governorate,  Mixed:JorWad(iii)(v)(vii)    2005  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 trace the evolution of human thought and the early development of the alphabet. 150x150px  Anjar  LbnBeqaa Governorate,  Cultural:LbnAnj(iii)(iv)  —  —  1984  The city of Anjar was founded by Caliph Walid I at the beginning of the 8th century. The ruins reveal a very regular layout, like the palace-cities of ancient times, and are a unique testimony to city planning under the Umayyads. 150x150px  Baalbek  LbnBeqaa Governorate,  Cultural:LbnBal(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, when the sanctuary of the Heliopolitan Jupiter had thousands of pilgrims. 150x150px  Byblos  LbnMount Lebanon Governorate,  Cultural:LbnByb(iii)(iv)(vi)  —  —  1984  Lived in since Neolithic times, it has been closely linked to the legends and history of the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. 150x150px  Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)  LbnNorth Lebanon Governorate,  Cultural:LbnOua(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. 150x150px  Tyre  LbnSouth Lebanon Governorate,  Cultural:LbnTyr(iii)(vi)    1984  Tyre ruled the seas and founded colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage, but its historical role declined at the end of the Crusades. There are important archaeological remains, mainly from Roman times. 150x150px  Archaeological Site of Cyrene  LibJabal al Akhdar,  Cultural:LibArc(ii)(iii)(vi) —  —  1982  A colony of the Greeks of Thera, Cyrene was one of the main cities in the Hellenic world. It was Romanized and remained a great capital until the earthquake of 365. A thousand years of history is written into its ruins, which have been famous since the 18th century. 150x150px  Archaeological Site of Leptis Magna  LibKhoms,  Cultural:LibArc(i)(ii)(iii)  —  —  1982  Leptis Magna was made larger by Septimius Severus, who was born there and later became emperor. It was one of the most beautiful cities of the Roman Empire, with its imposing public monuments, harbour, market-place, storehouses, shops and residential districts. 150x150px  Archaeological Site of Sabratha  LibZawiya District,  Cultural:LibArc(iii)  —  —  1982  A Phoenician trading-post that served as an outlet for the products of the African hinterland, Sabratha was part of the short-lived Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa before being Romanized.  It was rebuilt in the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. 150x150px  Old Town of Ghadamès  LibNalut District,  Cultural:LibGha(v)  —  —  1986  Ghadamès, known as 'the pearl of the desert', stands in an oasis. It is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and an outstanding example of a traditional settlement. 150x150px  Amphitheatre of El Jem  TunMahdia Governorate,  Cultural:TunEld(iv)(vi)   1979  The Amphitheatre of El Jem, built during the 3rd century, is North Africa's largest coliseum with a capacity of 35,000 spectators. 150x150px  Rock-Art Sites of Tadrart Acacus  LibFezzan,  Cultural:LibRoc(iii)  —  —  1985  The rocky massif has thousands of cave paintings in very different styles, dating from 12,000 BCE to 100 CE. 150x150px  Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata  MauritaniaOuadane,Chinguetti,Tichitt,and Oualata,  Cultural:MauAnc(iii)(iv)(v) —  —  1996  Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. They have managed to keep an urban fabric that grew between the 12th and 16th centuries. 150x150px  Banc d'Arguin National Park  MauritaniaNouadhibouand Azefal,  Natural:MauBan(ix)(x)    1989  The park has sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands, and shallow bodies of water, all bordering the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Birds are often found to migrate in the area, along with various species of sea turtles and dolphins, whose presence fishermen often use to attract fish. 150x150px  Archaeological Site of Volubilis  MorMeknès-Tafilalet,  Cultural:MorArc(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)    1997  The important Roman outpost of Volubilis was formed in the 3rd century BCE to become the capital of Mauritania. It had many buildings, the remains of which have mostly survived to this day. 150x150px  Historic City of Meknes  MorMeknès-Tafilalet,  Cultural:MorHis(iv) —  —  1996  The former capital was formed in the 11th century and turned into an impressive city in Spanish-Moorish style during the 17th and 18th centuries. 150x150px  Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou  MorSouss-Massa-Draâ,  Cultural:MorKsa(iv)(v)   1987  The ksar is a group of earthen building surrounded by high walls, a traditional pre-Saharan habitat. 150x150px  Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)  MorMarrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz,  Cultural:MorEss(ii)(iv)   2001  The fortified seaport built during the late 18th century has a mix of North African and European architecture.  It has been a major trading hub between Sahara and Europe. 150x150px  Medina of Fez  MorFez,  Cultural:MorMedinaofFez(ii)(v)   1981  The former capital was formed in the 9th century and has the world's oldest university. The main monuments date from the 13th and 14th centuries. 150x150px  Medina of Marrakesh  MorMarrakesh-Tensift-El Haouz,  Cultural:MorMedinaofMarra(i)(ii)(iv)(v)    1985  The town was formed in the 1070s and remained a political, economic and cultural center for a long time. Monuments from that period include the Koutoubia Mosque, the kasbah and the battlements. The city also has newer architectural jewels, including palaces. 150x150px  Medina of Tétouan (formerly known as Titawin)  MorTangier-Tetouan,   Cultural:MorMedinaofTet(ii)(iv)(v)    1997  Morocco's most complete medina served as the main point of contact between Morocco and Andalusia during the 8th century. After the reconquista, the town was rebuilt by Andalusian refugees. 150x150px  Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida)  MorDoukkala-Abda,  Cultural:MorPor(ii)(iv)   2004  The fortification was built in Renaissance military design in the early 16th century, and taken over by Morocco in 1769. Surviving Portuguese buildings include the cistern and a Gothic church. —  Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman  OmnSharqiyah and Batinah Regions,  Cultural:OmnAfl(v)   2006  The property includes five aflaj irrigation systems and 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, but archaeological evidence suggests that irrigation systems existed in this extremely arid area as early as 2500 BC. —  Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn  OmnAd Dhahirah Region,  Cultural:OmnArc(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. —  Bahla Fort  OmnAd Dakhiliyah Region,  Cultural:OmnBah(iv) —  —  1987  The oasis of Bahla owes its prosperity 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. —  Land of Frankincense  OmnDhofar Governorate,  Cultural:OmnArc(iii)(iv)   2000  The frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah show the trade in frankincense that was strong in this region for many centuries.  It was one of the most important trading activities of the ancient and medieval world. Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih)  SauAl Madinah Province,  Cultural:SauAlh(ii)(iii)   2008  Formerly known as Hegra it is the largest conserved site of the civilization 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. 150x150px  At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah  SauRiyadh Province,  Cultural:SauAtt(ii)(iii)   2008  Diriyah was the first capital of the Saudi Dynasty, in the heart of the Arabian Peninsula, north-west of Riyadh. It includes the remains of many palaces and an urban ensemble built on the edge of the ad-Dir’iyah oasis. 150x150px  Archaeological Sites of the Island of Meroe  SdnRiver Nile State,  Cultural:SdnArc(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)    2011  The site, a semi-desert landscape between the Nile and Atbara rivers, was the heartland of the Kingdom of Kush, a major power from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D. 150x150px  Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region  SdnNorthern State,  Cultural:SdnGeb(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)    2003  The five sites in the Nile Valley have temples that are a testimony to the Napatan (900–270 BCE) and Meroitic (270 BCE – 350 CE) cultures. 150x150px  Ancient City of Aleppo  SyrAleppo Governorate,  Cultural:SyrAnc(iii)(iv)   1986  At the crossroads of several trade routes from the 2nd millennium B.C., Aleppo was ruled by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans. 150x150px  Ancient City of Bosra  SyrDaraa Governorate,  Cultural:SyrAnc(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 within its great walls. 150x150px  Ancient City of Damascus  SyrDamascus Governorate,  Cultural:SyrAnc(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)   1979  Formed 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. 150x150px  Ancient Villages of Northern Syria  Syr  Cultural:SyrAnc(iii)(iv)(v)   2011  Some 40 villages grouped in eight parks in north-western Syria provide remarkable testimony to rural life in late Antiquity and during the Byzantine period. 150x150px  Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din  SyrHoms and Latakia Governorates,  Cultural:SyrCra(ii)(iv)   2006  These two castles show the most significant examples of the exchange of influences and documenting the evolution of fortified architecture in the Near East during the time of the Crusades (11th - 13th centuries). 150x150px  Site of Palmyra  SyrHoms Governorate,  Cultural:SyrAnc(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. 150x150px  Archaeological Site of Carthage  TunTunis Governorate,  Cultural:TunArc(ii)(iii)(vi) —  —  1979  Formed in the 9th century BCE, Carthage was made into a trading empire spanning the Mediterranean. The city was destroyed in 146 BCE in the Punic Wars at the hands of the Romans, but was later rebuilt by these. 150x150px  Dougga / Thugga  TunBeBéja Governorate,  Cultural:TunDou(ii)(iii)    1997  The site has the ruins of Dougga, a former capital of a Libyan–Punic state, which flourished under Ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire, but declined in the Islamic period. 150x150px  Ichkeul National Park  TunBiBizerte Governorate,  Natural:TunIch(x)    1980  Ichkeul Lake and the surrounding wetlands is a major stopover for hundreds of thousands of migrating bird, including ducks, geese, storks and pink flamingos. Ichkeul is the last remaining lake in a chain that once went across North Africa. 150x150px  Kairouan  TunKairouan Governorate,  Cultural:TunKai(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)   1988  The city was formed in 670 and flourished as a capital in the 9th century. Its heritage includes the Mosque of Uqba and the Mosque of the Three Gates. 150x150px  Medina of Sousse  TunSousse Governorate,  Cultural:TunMedinaofSou(iii)(iv)(v)    1988  The city was an important commercial and military port during the 9th century and a typical example of a town dating from the first centuries of Islam. 150x150px  Medina of Tunis  TunTunis Governorate,  Cultural:TunMedinaofTun(ii)(iii)(v)    1979  The medina has 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasah and fourtains, testifying to Tunis golden age from the 12th to the 16th century. 150x150px  Punic Town of Kerkuane and its Necropolis  TunNabeul Governorate,  Cultural:TunPun(iii)  —  —  1985  The city was abandoned in 250 BCE during the First Punic War, and remains the only example of a Phoenicio–Punic settlement. 150x150px  Historic Town of Zabid  YemAl Hudaydah Governorate,  Cultural:YemHis(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. 150x150px  Old City of Sana'a  YemSana Governorate,  Cultural:YemOld(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 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. 150x150px  Old Walled City of Shibam  YemHadhramaut Governorate,  Cultural:YemOld(iii)(iv)(v)  —  —  1982  The 16th-century city of Shibam is one of the oldest and best examples of urban planning. 150x150px  Socotra Archipelago  YemHadhramaut Governorate,  Natural:YemSoc(x)    2008  Socotra Archipelago, in the northwest Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, is 250 km long and has four islands and two rocky islets. The site is of universal importance because of its biodiversity with rich and distinct flora and fauna.

References

*Arab States
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