New UNESCO World Heritage Sites for 2023: A Celebration of Cultural and Natural Wonders

Spanning five continents, the newest entries on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites celebrate natural treasures and human ingenuity.

A Viking Age fortress in Denmark, a Silk Road corridor in Uzbekistan, and an elephant stronghold in the Congo are just a few highlights among the 42 new destinations and five extensions added to UNESCO’s list this year. These additions ensure the protection of our world’s cultural and natural heritage for future generations.

The finalized list was announced on September 25, following two weeks of deliberations among World Heritage Committee members in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They reviewed 50 nominations submitted throughout 2022 and 2023, resulting in a total of 1,199 UNESCO World Heritage sites spanning across 168 countries.

Understanding UNESCO’s World Heritage List

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) promotes global peace and unity through cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication, and information. The concept of World Heritage was developed to identify, protect, and preserve sites of cultural and natural significance deemed to have outstanding universal value to humanity.

According to UNESCO, inclusion on the World Heritage List requires a site to meet one of ten criteria, such as representing “a masterpiece of human creative genius” or containing “superlative natural phenomena.”

UNESCO’s endorsement often benefits destinations, inspiring tourism, bringing prestige, and compelling countries to protect sites within their jurisdiction. In instances where a World Heritage site faces degradation due to natural disasters, conflict, or lack of funding, UNESCO-designated destinations can access contributions from member countries for emergency relief.

The powerful influence of the World Heritage platform has successfully steered resources to protect various sites. For example, it helped save Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park from plundering and blocked dam proposals threatening Africa’s Victoria Falls.

However, this prestigious status can also lead to overtourism, which brings negative consequences. Some criticize the phenomenon as “UNESCO-cide,” referring to the negative impacts on local cultures and environments when sites become overly commercialized.

Despite these challenges, the benefits frequently surpass the drawbacks. UNESCO’s designation provides a framework for nations to conserve their most treasured locations while helping travelers discover the world’s extraordinary sites.

Exciting Additions to the World Heritage List

This year’s new sites showcase a diverse array of cultural heritage and natural beauty.

The inclusion of Koh Ker, the ancient capital of the Khmer Empire, underscores UNESCO’s commitment to preserving Cambodia’s rich cultural history. Koh Ker is notable for Prasat Thom, Southeast Asia’s unique seven-tiered pyramid surrounded by various temples adorned with intricate sculptures and paintings. This remarkable site is an ideal day trip from Siem Reap, home to the famous Angkor Wat.

In Guatemala, the addition of Tak’alik Ab’aj honors the birthplace of Mayan culture and acknowledges the Indigenous groups continuing to engage with the site through cultural rituals.

Furthermore, the inclusion of Bale Mountains National Park in Ethiopia highlights the importance of its unique biodiversity and the rivers that support millions of people, showcasing a commitment to ecological preservation.

In Africa, this notable addition helps the continent reach a significant milestone of 100 destinations on the World Heritage List. Despite this progress, Africa accounts for only about 9% of the global World Heritage sites—a figure that UNESCO aims to increase significantly.

Controversial Inclusions

Despite the broad recognition associated with a World Heritage designation, certain sites evoke mixed reactions.

This year’s addition of prehistoric ruins near Jericho, one of the oldest inhabited settlements worldwide, stirred discussions regarding Israeli-Palestinian relations. UNESCO designated the site, Tell es-Sultan, as located in Palestine, despite Israeli control over the area.

For Palestinians, UNESCO’s recognition serves as an affirmation of their cultural identity, while some Israeli factions interpret it as a political affront. The complexities involved illustrate the multifaceted role UNESCO plays in global heritage discourse.

Protecting World Heritage Sites

In addition to the new entries, the committee designated two sites in Ukraine to its “Endangered List”: St Sophia’s Cathedral in Kyiv and the historic center of Lviv. This decision stems from the ongoing conflicts in the region that threaten these historical landmarks.

UNESCO noted that these sites face heightened risks due to the ongoing military actions, and their inclusion on the endangered list aims to facilitate access to financial and technical support for preservation efforts.

The Complete List of New and Extended World Heritage Sites

Here is a full list of new UNESCO additions for 2023, categorized by continent:

New UNESCO Sites in Africa

• The Gedeo Cultural Landscape, Ethiopia
• Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua, Congo
• Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba, Benin and Togo
• Andrefana Dry Forests, Madagascar
• Djerba, Tunisia
• Memorial sites of the Genocide: Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi and Bisesero, Rwanda
• Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
• Nyungwe National Park, Rwanda

New UNESCO Sites in Asia

• Cultural Landscape of Old Tea Forests of the Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er, China
• Deer Stone Monuments and Related Bronze Age Sites, Mongolia
• Gaya Tumuli, Republic of Korea
• Gordion, Turkey
• Koh Ker, Cambodia
• Santiniketan, India
• Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
• The Persian Caravanserai, Iran
• Ha Long Bay – Cat Ba Archipelago, Viet Nam
• Hyrcanian Forests, Azerbaijan and Iran
• Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan, State of Palestine
• Cultural Landscape of Khinalig People and “Köl Yolu” Transhumance Route, Azerbaijan
• Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, India
• The Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments, Thailand
• Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia, Turkey
• Cold Winter Deserts of Turan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
• Tugay forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve, Tajikistan
• The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks, Indonesia

New UNESCO Sites in Europe

• Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt, Germany
• Modernist architecture (1919–39) of Kaunas, Lithuania
• Old town of Kuldīga, Latvia
• Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca, Spain
• Viking-Age Ring Fortresses, Denmark
• Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops, Czechia
• Astronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University, Russian Federation
• Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker, Netherlands
• Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) in Belgium and France
• The Maison Carrée of Nîmes, France
• Zagori Cultural Landscape, Greece
• Evaporitic Karst and Caves of Northern Apennines, Italy
• Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone, Portugal

New UNESCO Sites in North America

• Tak’alik Ab’aj, Guatemala
• Tr’ondek-Klondike, Canada
• Volcanoes and Forests of Mount Pelée and the Pitons of Northern Martinique, France
• Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, United States of America
• Anticosti, Canada

New UNESCO Sites in South America

• ESMA Museum and Site of Memory – Former Clandestine Center of Detention, Torture and Extermination, Argentina
• Jodensavanne Archaeological Site: Jodensavanne Settlement and Cassipora Creek Cemetery, Suriname