UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Middle East • Family Travel in the Middle East

Did you know that the Middle East is home to almost 100 UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Middle East 02

Whilst these sites make a great “bucket list” of experiences for travellers to the Middle East, many are inaccessible due to their location or the impact of civil war.

Not all of these sites have the infrastructure to capitalise on tourism either, but they are definitely worth bearing in mind planning your Middle East adventures. Even if you cannot get to see these sites in person, learning more about these fascinating places before travelling is a great introduction to the region and its rich history.

Where we have stories about visiting these sites – especially tips for visiting with kids – we have provided links from this page. Please let us know if there’s an article you would like to add.

What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

UNESCO World Heritage Sites were created in 1978 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It was recognised that important sites around the globe should have a special designation to preserve the world’s cultural and natural heritage, in the collective interest of humanity.

These sites whilst administered locally – in most cases by the government of the country they are located in – are protected by international treaties. In certain cases, they may receive World Heritage Funds to conserve the site.

As of the time of writing (last updated in April 2022), there are 1,121 UNESCO World Heritage Sites globally (869 cultural, 213 natural and 39 mixed properties).

You can read more on the official UNESCO website about how a site comes to gain UNESCO World Heritage classification.

We follow their country listing conventions, though they classify the “Arab States” slightly differently from how we have classified the Middle East on our site (primarily, we include Turkey and Israel while excluding Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Sudan & Morocco – hence they list only 88 World Heritage Sites in the Arab States).

Full listing of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Middle East

As of April 2022, the following sites fall under the international World Heritage Program. (Note 21 of these sites are listed as in danger, designated ^)

Bahrain

Qal’at al-Bahrain Ancient Harbor and Capital of Dilmun
Muharraq Island, Qal’at Bu Mahir Fortress,
Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy

Egypt

Abu Mena ^
Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
Historic Cairo
Memphis & its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur
Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae
Saint Catherine Area
Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)

Iran

Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran
Bam and its Cultural Landscape
Bisotun
Cultural Landscape of Maymand
Gonbad-e Qabus
Golestan Palace
Historic City of Yazd
Hyrcanian Forests
Lut Desert
Masjed-e Jamé of Isfahan
Meidan Emam, Esfahan
Pasargadae
Persepolis
Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region
Shahr-e Sukhteh
Sheikh Safi al-din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil
Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System
Soltaniyeh
Susa
Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex
Takht-e Soleyman
Tchogha Zanbil
The Persian Garden
The Persian Qanat

Iraq

Ashur (Qal’at Sherqat) ^
Babylon
Erbil Citadel
Hatra ^
Samarra Archaeological City ^
The Ahwar of Southern Iraq

Israel

Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee
Biblical Tels – Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba
Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves
Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev
Masada
Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal
Old City of Acre
Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves
White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement

Jerusalem (Proposed)

Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls ^

Jordan

Al-Maghtas (Baptism Site Bethany Beyond Jordan)
Petra
Quseir Amra
Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa’a)
Wadi Rum Protected Area

Lebanon

Anjar
Baalbek
Byblos
Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab)
Tyre

Oman

Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman (Nizwa)
Ancient City of Qalhat
Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn
Bahla Fort
Land of Frankincense

Palestine

Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem
Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines Cultural landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir ^
Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town ^

Qatar

Al Zubarah Archaeological Site

Saudi Arabia

Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape
Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Mada’in Saleh)
At-Turaif District In ad-Dir’iyah
Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah
Rock Art in the Hail Region

Syria

Ancient City of Aleppo ^
Ancient City of Bosra ^
Ancient City of Damascus ^
Ancient Villages of Northern Syria ^
Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din ^
Site of Palmyra ^

Türkiye (Turkey)

Aphrodisias
Archaeological Site of Ani
Archaeological Site of Troy
Bursa and Cumalikizik: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire
City of Safranbolu
Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape
Ephesus
Great Mosque and Hospital of Divrigi
Göbekli Tepe
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
Hierapolis-Pamukkale
Hattusha: the Hittite Capital
Historic Areas of Istanbul
Nemrut Dag
Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape
Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex
Xanthos-Letoon

United Arab Emirates

Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)

Yemen

Historic Town Of Zabid ^
Old City Of Sana’a ^
Old Walled City Of Shibam^
Socotra Archipelago

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