Park of China
Cultural 300Natural 61Mixed 11
Asia has 372 World Heritage Sites (300 cultural, 61 natural, 11 mixed). China, India, Japan and Türkiye have their own pages: click a name or the country on the map (their sites are shown faded). Below are the 219 sites of the other 35 countries (including sites they share with others). Hover over or tap a dot to see its name; click a name in the list to show it on the map. Listed by year of inscription.
Other countries
- Tchogha Zanbil The ruins of a holy city of the Elamite kingdom in Khuzestan, south-western Iran, founded about 1250 BCE and ringed by three concentric walls. Its central ziggurat is among the best preserved in the world, and the city was left unfinished after an Assyrian invasion.
- Persepolis The capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Darius I in 518 BCE in Fars, Iran. Its palace complex stands on a large terrace, and its reliefs depicting delegations from across the empire make it a landmark of ancient Persian architecture.
- Meidan Emam, Esfahan A large public square in central Isfahan, Iran, built by Shah Abbas I in the early 17th century and surrounded by two-storey arcades. It is flanked by the Royal Mosque, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and the Ali Qapu Palace, and symbolises the Safavid capital.
- Sagarmatha National Park In the Himalayas of north-eastern Nepal, the park includes Mount Everest, known in Nepal as Sagarmatha. Its high peaks, glaciers and deep valleys shelter wildlife such as the snow leopard and are home to the Sherpa people.
- Kathmandu Valley In central Nepal, the valley holds seven monument groups in and around the old cities of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, including stupas, temples and palaces. They concentrate the architecture and Buddhist and Hindu art of the Malla period.
- Ancient City of Damascus Damascus, capital of Syria, is one of the oldest cities in the Middle East, founded in the 3rd millennium BC. The old city has the Umayyad Mosque, a citadel, souks and traditional houses, and was long a centre of crafts and trade.
- Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro In Sindh, Pakistan, the ruins of a large city of the Indus civilisation from the third millennium BC. Its grid of streets, brick drainage and public buildings show a high level of urban planning.
- Taxila In Punjab, Pakistan, near Islamabad, a city on routes between South and Central Asia. The site includes the Bhir Mound, Sirkap and Sirsukh and a number of Buddhist monasteries and stupas.
- Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol In north-western Pakistan, the site comprises a Buddhist monastery complex founded in the 1st century on a hilltop at Takht-i-Bahi and the remains of the nearby fortified town of Sahr-i-Bahlol. It is one of the better preserved Buddhist complexes of Gandhara.
- Ancient City of Bosra In southern Syria, Bosra was the capital of the Roman province of Arabia and a stopover on the caravan route to Mecca. It has a Roman theatre of the 2nd century, as well as early Christian ruins and mosques.
- Site of Palmyra An oasis city in the Syrian desert north-east of Damascus, Palmyra was one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. Its monumental 1st–2nd century ruins, including a colonnaded street and temples, combine Graeco-Roman techniques with local and Persian traditions.
- Historical Monuments at Makli, Thatta Near Thatta in Sindh, Pakistan, a large necropolis of about 10 sq km with tombs of rulers, saints and nobles from the 14th to the 18th century. The monuments blend local and imported decorative traditions.
- Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore In Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, two Mughal royal complexes. The fort holds palaces, mosques and gates, and the Shalamar Gardens are a 17th-century Persian-style garden. Both show the architecture and landscape art of the Mughal period.
- Old Walled City of Shibam In the Hadramawt valley of eastern Yemen, the walled 16th-century city of Shibam is one of the oldest and best examples of vertical urban planning. Its mud-brick tower houses of five to eleven storeys have earned it the nickname 'Manhattan of the desert'.
- Sacred City of Anuradhapura Anuradhapura, in northern Sri Lanka, was established around a cutting of the Buddha's bodhi tree brought there in the 3rd century BC by Sanghamitta. It was the political and religious capital of Ceylon for 1,300 years before being abandoned, and its remains include monasteries, stupas and palaces.
- Ancient City of Polonnaruwa Polonnaruwa, in north-central Sri Lanka, was the second capital after the destruction of Anuradhapura in 993. It includes Brahmanic monuments built by the Cholas and the monumental ruins of the garden-city created by Parakramabahu I in the 12th century.
- Ancient City of Sigiriya Sigiriya, in central Sri Lanka, is the ruined capital built by King Kassapa I in the 5th century on the slopes and summit of a granite peak about 180 m high, known as Lion Rock. The site has galleries, staircases, frescoes and carefully planned gardens, and is an outstanding example of ancient urban planning.
- Chitwan National Park In the Terai lowlands of southern Nepal, the park protects sal forest, grassland and river wetlands. It is an important habitat of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, the Bengal tiger and the gharial.
- Anjar Anjar, in the Beqaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, was founded by Caliph Walid I at the beginning of the 8th century. Its ruins show a very regular layout reminiscent of the palace-cities of antiquity, and are a unique testimony to Umayyad urban planning.
- Baalbek Baalbek, in the Beqaa Valley of eastern Lebanon, was a Phoenician city that was known as Heliopolis in the Hellenistic period and retained its religious role under the Romans, when the sanctuary of Heliopolitan Jupiter drew many pilgrims. Its colossal structures are among the finest examples of Imperial Roman architecture.
- Byblos Byblos, on the Mediterranean coast of Lebanon, is one of the oldest Phoenician cities, inhabited since Neolithic times, and preserves the ruins of many successive civilisations. It is closely associated with the history and spread of the Phoenician alphabet.
- Tyre Tyre, on the Mediterranean coast of southern Lebanon, was a great Phoenician city that ruled the seas and founded colonies such as Cadiz and Carthage; purple dye is traditionally said to have been invented here. Its archaeological remains date mainly from Roman times.
- Hatra A fortified desert city in northern Iraq, under Parthian influence and the capital of the first Arab kingdom. Its thick walls resisted Roman attacks in 116 and 198 CE, and its temples combine Hellenistic, Roman and Eastern architectural styles.
- Historic Mosque City of Bagerhat Bagerhat, in southwestern Bangladesh, was formerly called Khalifatabad and was founded in the 15th century by Khan Jahan Ali. It preserves dozens of mosques and tombs, among them the Sixty Dome Mosque, one of the largest medieval mosques in Bangladesh.
- Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur Paharpur in northwestern Bangladesh is the site of Somapura Mahavihara, evidence of the rise of Mahayana Buddhism in Bengal from the 7th century. The monastery has a square plan around a central cruciform temple, and was a renowned centre of Buddhist learning.
- Petra Petra, in the mountains of southern Jordan between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, was a Nabataean caravan city at the crossroads of Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Its buildings are partly constructed and partly carved into the rock, set among mountains cut by gorges and passages, and reflect Nabataean architecture and water engineering.
- Quseir Amra Quseir Amra is a desert castle in eastern Jordan, built in the early 8th century as both a garrisoned fortress and a residence of the Umayyad caliphs. Its reception hall and bath house retain well-preserved murals with figurative scenes, which illustrate secular art of the early Islamic period.
- Ancient City of Aleppo In northern Syria, Aleppo lay at the crossroads of trade routes from the 2nd millennium BC and was ruled in turn by Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamluks and Ottomans. The old city has a citadel, mosques, madrasas and souks.
- Old City of Sana'a In a mountain valley at about 2,200 m in western Yemen, Sana'a has been inhabited for more than 2,500 years. The old city is known for tall rammed-earth and brick houses with white gypsum decoration and stained-glass windows, and was an important early centre of Islam.
- Bahla Fort A mud-brick fort in inland Oman, built in the 13th and 14th centuries and surrounded by an oasis and town walls. It is a prominent example of traditional earthen military architecture and was a centre of power of an inland tribe.
- Sinharaja Forest Reserve Sinharaja Forest Reserve in south-west Sri Lanka is the country's last viable area of primary tropical rainforest. More than 60% of its trees are endemic, and it is home to over half of Sri Lanka's endemic mammals and butterflies, among many other endemic species.
- Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn At the foot of the Hajar Mountains in inland Oman, tombs, towers and settlement remains from the third millennium BC. They are important evidence of Bronze Age society in south-eastern Arabia.
- Sacred City of Kandy Kandy, in central Sri Lanka, was the last capital of the Sinhala kings, until the British occupation in 1815. It is the site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which houses the sacred tooth of the Buddha and remains a major Buddhist pilgrimage site.
- Old Town of Galle and its Fortifications The Old Town of Galle, on the south coast of Sri Lanka, was founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century and reached its height in the 18th century under Dutch rule. It is the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction of European architecture with South Asian traditions.
- Itchan Kala In Khiva in the Khorezm region of western Uzbekistan, Itchan Kala is the inner town of the old oasis, enclosed by brick walls about 10 m high. It was the last resting place for caravans before crossing the desert, and keeps mosques, minarets, madrasas and palaces.
- Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple The Dambulla Cave Temple in central Sri Lanka has been a pilgrimage site for 22 centuries. Its five sanctuaries form the largest and best-preserved cave-temple complex in the country, with Buddhist murals covering 2,100 sq m and 157 statues.
- Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns In northern Thailand, Sukhothai was the capital of the first Kingdom of Siam in the 13th and 14th centuries. Its temples and palaces show the beginnings of Thai architecture and art; the neighbouring towns of Si Satchanalai and Kamphaeng Phet are included.
- Historic City of Ayutthaya Ayutthaya in central Thailand, founded around 1350, became the second Siamese capital after Sukhothai and was destroyed by the Burmese in the 18th century. Its tall prangs and extensive monastery ruins show the local architectural style.
- Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries In western Thailand along the Myanmar border, these sanctuaries cover over 600,000 ha and are among the better preserved forest areas of mainland South-East Asia. They contain examples of almost all forest types of the region and many large mammals.
- Borobudur Temple Compounds Borobudur is a Buddhist temple of the 8th and 9th centuries in central Java. It has three levels: a pyramidal base of five square terraces, a cone-shaped middle of three circular platforms, and a monumental stupa at the top. Its many relief panels and Buddha images make it an outstanding example of Mahayana Buddhist architecture and art.
- Ujung Kulon National Park Ujung Kulon National Park is at the south-western tip of Java and includes the Ujung Kulon peninsula, several offshore islands and the Krakatoa nature reserve. It protects one of the last areas of lowland rainforest in Java and is the main habitat of the endangered Javan rhinoceros.
- Komodo National Park Komodo National Park, in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia, consists of volcanic islands inhabited by about 5,700 Komodo dragons, giant lizards found nowhere else in the world. It is of great interest to scientists studying evolution, and also protects the surrounding marine areas and coral reefs.
- Prambanan Temple Compounds The Prambanan Temple Compounds in central Java date from the 10th century and form the largest Shiva temple complex in Indonesia. At the centre stand three main temples dedicated to Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, decorated with reliefs illustrating the Ramayana epic.
- Ban Chiang Archaeological Site In north-eastern Thailand, Ban Chiang is regarded as the most important prehistoric settlement yet found in South-East Asia. Its painted pottery and early bronze and iron objects show early agriculture and metalworking.
- Angkor Angkor, near Siem Reap in Cambodia, is one of the most important archaeological sites in South-East Asia, extending over some 400 sq km. It contains the remains of the successive capitals of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th centuries, including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom with its Bayon temple.
- Historic Centre of Bukhara In central Uzbekistan, Bukhara on the Silk Road is over 2,000 years old and is the most complete medieval city in Central Asia. The old town has tombs, mosques, madrasas and domed trading halls.
- Historic Town of Zabid On the Red Sea coastal plain of western Yemen, Zabid was the capital of Yemen from the 13th to the 15th century and a centre of Islamic learning. The old city's houses, defences, mosques and schools show its distinctive urban plan.
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park In the middle of the Sulu Sea, Philippines, two atolls and a smaller reef lie far from any mainland. The reefs have very high marine biodiversity and are important for seabirds, turtles and many fish species.
- Baroque Churches of the Philippines Four churches built in the Spanish colonial period, San Agustin in Manila and those of Paoay, Santa Maria and Miagao, dating from the 16th to 18th centuries. They combine European Baroque forms with Chinese and Philippine decoration and craftsmanship.
- Complex of Hué Monuments In central Vietnam, Hué became the capital of unified Vietnam in 1802 and was the political, cultural and religious centre under the Nguyen dynasty. The Imperial City, Forbidden City, royal tombs, palaces and temples lie along the Perfume River.
- Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago In north-eastern Vietnam, this 65,650 ha area has 1,133 islands and islets of limestone peaks and caves rising from the sea. The landscape is the product of long karst processes and changes in sea level.
- Town of Luang Prabang Luang Prabang in northern Laos is an outstanding example of the fusion of traditional Lao architecture and urban structures with those built by European colonial authorities in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its well-preserved townscape illustrates a key stage in the blending of these two traditions.
- Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras In the Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon, Philippines, terraces built by the Ifugao people over some 2,000 years follow the contours of the hills, with irrigation systems and forest above them. They are an example of long-term harmony between people and environment.
- Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple The Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple stand on the slopes of Mount Toham near Gyeongju in the Republic of Korea, and were established in the 8th century. Seokguram contains a monumental seated Buddha facing the sea, surrounded by finely carved deities and disciples, and Bulguksa is a leading example of Silla Buddhist architecture.
- Haeinsa Temple Janggyeong Panjeon, the Depositories for the Tripitaka Koreana Woodblocks Haeinsa Temple on Mount Gaya in the Republic of Korea houses the Tripitaka Koreana, one of the most complete collections of Buddhist texts, engraved on 80,000 woodblocks between 1237 and 1248. The Janggyeong Panjeon depositories, built in the 15th century, are notable for their ingenious ventilation and preservation design.
- Jongmyo Shrine Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul is the oldest and most authentic surviving Confucian royal shrine, dedicated to the ancestors of the Joseon dynasty. It has existed in its present form since the 16th century and still hosts ancestral rites.
- Sangiran Early Man Site Sangiran, in central Java, is where the first hominid fossil was found in excavations from 1936 to 1941. About 50 further fossils of Homo erectus and related forms have been found since, roughly half of all known hominid fossils in the world, making it a key site for the study of human evolution.
- Rohtas Fort Near Jhelum in Punjab, Pakistan, a fort built by Sher Shah Suri in the mid-16th century to control a route into the Punjab. Its walls run for about 4 km, and it is a notable example of early Muslim military architecture.
- Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha At Lumbini in southern Nepal, traditionally the birthplace of the Buddha. The site includes the Mayadevi temple, an Ashoka pillar and remains of early monasteries, and is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage places.
- The Sundarbans The Sundarbans lie on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers and form one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, covering about 140,000 ha. They are home to the Bengal tiger and many birds, reptiles and aquatic species.
- Changdeokgung Palace Complex Changdeokgung Palace in Seoul was ordered by King Taejong in the early 15th century and covers 58 ha, with official and residential buildings set in gardens. Its buildings are cleverly adapted to the uneven topography, making it an outstanding example of East Asian palace architecture in harmony with its setting.
- Hwaseong Fortress Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, south of Seoul, was built at the end of the 18th century when King Jeongjo moved his father's tomb to the city. Laid out according to the precepts of an influential military architect, it combines the latest Eastern and Western fortification techniques in massive walls, gates and bastions.
- Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley) and the Forest of the Cedars of God (Horsh Arz el-Rab) The Qadisha Valley in northern Lebanon is one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world, with old monasteries set in dramatic positions in a rugged landscape. Nearby are the remains of the great forest of cedars of Lebanon, prized in antiquity for building religious structures.
- Historic City of Vigan A planned town in Ilocos Sur on northern Luzon, Philippines, dating from the Spanish colonial period of the 16th century. Its streets combine Spanish, Chinese and local Philippine architectural styles.
- Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park On Palawan in the Philippines, a navigable underground river about 24 km long flows through a karst cave system directly to the sea. The park also protects a continuous ecosystem from mountains to coast.
- State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv” In the Karakum Desert oasis of south-eastern Turkmenistan, Merv is the oldest and best-preserved oasis city on the Silk Road. Its remains span some 4,000 years and include several successive cities.
- Hoi An Ancient Town On the coast of central Vietnam, Hoi An is an exceptionally well-preserved South-East Asian trading port of the 15th–19th centuries. Its timber shophouses, assembly halls, covered bridge and streets blend local, Chinese and Japanese influences.
- My Son Sanctuary In central Vietnam, between the 4th and 13th centuries the Cham people developed a culture of Indian Hindu origin here. The sanctuary's temple towers, mostly of brick, represent Cham architecture, though some were damaged in war.
- Lorentz National Park Lorentz National Park, in the western part of New Guinea, covers 2.35 million ha and is the largest protected area in South-East Asia. It is the only protected area in the world that includes a continuous, intact transect from snowcap to tropical marine environment, along with extensive lowland wetlands.
- Land of Frankincense In the Dhofar region of southern Oman, the site includes frankincense tree habitat in Wadi Dawkah and the ancient port ruins of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed. It reflects the importance of the frankincense trade in ancient Arabia.
- Kinabalu Park Kinabalu Park in the state of Sabah on the northern end of Borneo is dominated by Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea. Its habitats range from tropical lowland rainforest to sub-alpine scrub and support an exceptionally rich flora.
- Gunung Mulu National Park Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak on Borneo covers 52,864 ha and is the most studied tropical karst area in the world. It has seventeen vegetation zones with some 3,500 species of vascular plants, and very large cave systems.
- Historic Centre of Shakhrisyabz In southern Uzbekistan, Shakhrisyabz was the birthplace of Timur. Its 14th–15th century palaces, mosques and mausoleums survive in the historic quarters, notably the great gateway of the Ak-Saray palace.
- Gyeongju Historic Areas The Gyeongju Historic Areas, in the south-east of the Republic of Korea, contain a remarkable concentration of Korean Buddhist art, including sculptures, reliefs, pagodas and the remains of temples and palaces, mainly from the 7th to 10th centuries.
- Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa Dolmen Sites The dolmen sites at Gochang, Hwasun and Ganghwa in the Republic of Korea contain hundreds of dolmens, tombs of large stone slabs from the 1st millennium BC. They belong to the megalithic culture found in many parts of the world, but nowhere in such a concentrated form.
- Masada Masada is a rugged natural fortress in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. It was the last stand of Jewish defenders against the Roman army in 73 AD, and the site preserves palaces and baths from the time of Herod as well as the Roman siege camps. It is a symbol in the history of ancient Israel.
- Old City of Acre Acre is a walled port city on the Mediterranean coast with continuous settlement since the Phoenician period. The present town is a fortified Ottoman city of the 18th and 19th centuries, with a citadel, mosques, khans and baths, built over the remains of the Crusader city.
- Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the Champasak Cultural Landscape The Champasak cultural landscape in southern Laos, centred on the Vat Phou temple complex, is a well-preserved planned landscape more than 1,000 years old. It was shaped to express the Hindu vision of the relationship between nature and humanity, with temples, towns and water works laid out along an axis from mountain top to river bank.
- Samarkand – Crossroad of Cultures In eastern Uzbekistan, Samarkand grew from ancient Afrasiab, founded in the 7th century BC, into a Silk Road crossroads of cultures. Timurid-era monuments of the 14th–15th centuries, such as the Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Gur-e-Amir, are masterpieces of Islamic architecture.
- Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam The Minaret of Jam stands in a remote river valley in Ghor province, central Afghanistan. Built in the 12th century, it is 65 metres tall and decorated with intricate brickwork and a blue-tiled inscription, and is an outstanding example of Ghurid Islamic architecture.
- Takht-e Soleyman An archaeological site in a volcanic valley in north-western Iran, the principal Zoroastrian sanctuary, partly rebuilt in the Ilkhanid period. It is arranged around a crater lake and includes a fire temple and Sasanian palace remains.
- White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement The White City of Tel Aviv was built from the early 1930s to the 1950s on a plan by Sir Patrick Geddes. Its many buildings in the Bauhaus and International Style were adapted to the local climate, and form a significant example of modern movement architecture and urban planning.
- Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi stands in Turkestan in southern Kazakhstan and was built between 1389 and 1405 in the time of Timur. In this partly unfinished building, Persian master builders experimented with architectural and structural solutions later used in Samarkand.
- Ashur (Qal'at Sherqat) The ruins of an ancient city on the Tigris in northern Iraq, founded in the 3rd millennium BCE. It was the first capital and religious centre of the Assyrians, dedicated to the god Ashur, and illustrates the rise of Assyrian power in northern Mesopotamia.
- Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley The Bamiyan Valley lies in the Hindu Kush in central Afghanistan and was a Buddhist centre of ancient Bactria from the 1st to the 13th century. It includes monasteries, cave paintings, fortified remains and the niches of two giant standing Buddhas, and shows the meeting of Indian, Hellenistic and Persian traditions.
- Uvs Nuur Basin The Uvs Nuur Basin, in north-western Mongolia and the Russian Federation, is the northernmost of the enclosed basins of Central Asia, covering 1,068,853 ha. It is named after Uvs Nuur, a large, shallow and saline lake important for migrating birds, and its twelve protected areas represent the major biomes of eastern Eurasia.
- Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park The Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No National Parks form a transboundary property along the border of Viet Nam and Laos, one of the most exceptional and well-preserved limestone karst landscapes in the world. The karst began to develop about 400 million years ago in the Palaeozoic, making it among the oldest in Asia, with extensive caves and underground rivers.
- Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape The Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape in central Mongolia covers 121,967 ha of pastureland on both banks of the Orkhon River, with archaeological remains dating back to the 6th century. It includes Kharkhorum, the 13th- and 14th-century capital of the Mongol Empire, and reflects the pastoral traditions of nomadic peoples.
- Complex of Koguryo Tombs The Koguryo tombs are located around Pyongyang and Nampo in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, with about 30 individual tombs from the later period of the Koguryo Kingdom. Many have fine wall paintings that illustrate the life, beliefs and art of the time.
- Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa'a) An archaeological site in central Jordan that grew from a Roman military camp into a town from the 5th century, with Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic remains, most of it still unexcavated. Its churches contain 8th-century floor mosaics showing towns and cities.
- Pasargadae The first capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BCE in Fars, Iran. Its palaces, gardens and the tomb of Cyrus show the early development of Persian architecture and garden design.
- Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly The Tanbaly archaeological landscape lies in the Chu-Ili mountains of south-eastern Kazakhstan, where about 5,000 petroglyphs cluster around the Tanbaly Gorge, dating from the second half of the second millennium BC to the early 20th century. They are distributed among 48 complexes with associated settlements and burial grounds.
- Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra The Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra covers about 2.5 million hectares and consists of three national parks: Gunung Leuser, Kerinci Seblat and Bukit Barisan Selatan. It has the greatest potential for long-term conservation of Sumatra's lowland and montane rainforest, and shelters endangered species such as the Sumatran tiger, rhinoceros, orangutan and elephant.
- Bam and its Cultural Landscape An ancient city on the edge of the desert in south-eastern Iran, with roots in the Achaemenid period and a heyday from the 7th to 11th centuries as a Silk Road trading centre. Its mudbrick citadel is a major example of desert earthen architecture; it was badly damaged by the 2003 earthquake and has since been restored in part.
- Incense Route - Desert Cities in the Negev The Incense Route site in the Negev Desert comprises four Nabatean towns, Haluza, Mamshit, Avdat and Shivta, with associated fortresses and agricultural landscapes. They lie along routes to the Mediterranean end of the incense and spice trade, and reflect the prosperity of that trade and the development of desert farming.
- Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba Tels are mounds formed by successive layers of ancient settlement, characteristic of the flatter lands of the eastern Mediterranean. Of more than 200 in Israel, Megiddo, Hazor and Beer Sheba are representative, with city gates, palaces, fortifications and elaborate water systems, and are associated with places named in the Bible.
- Soltaniyeh The remains of the Ilkhanid capital in Zanjan province, Iran, centred on the mausoleum of Oljaytu built between 1302 and 1312. Its large double-shelled dome is a major achievement of Islamic architecture and influenced later building.
- Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun Qal'at al-Bahrain on the north coast of Bahrain is a tell, an artificial mound built up from successive layers of human occupation. Settled from the third millennium BCE to the 16th century, it was the capital of the Dilmun civilisation and has a Portuguese fort on top.
- Kunya-Urgench In north-western Turkmenistan on the left bank of the Amu Darya, Kunya-Urgench was the capital of the Khorezm region. Its 11th–16th century mausoleums, mosque, minaret and gateway are important examples of Islamic architecture in Central Asia.
- Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex In eastern Thailand, this forest complex stretches about 230 km from Ta Phraya National Park near the Cambodian border to Khao Yai National Park. Its varied forests shelter elephants, tigers and many threatened birds and reptiles.
- Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman Five traditional irrigation systems in Oman known as aflaj, some dating back around 2,500 years and still in use. They carry water by gravity and share it out by time allocation, sustaining agriculture and settlement in an arid region.
- Bisotun A site in western Iran on an ancient trade route, with remains from prehistoric times through the Median, Achaemenid, Sasanian and Ilkhanid periods. Its main monument is the cliff relief and inscription of Darius I, written in three languages, recounting his rise to the throne.
- Crac des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din In western Syria, these two castles are leading examples of fortress building in the Crusader and Islamic periods. Crac des Chevaliers was extended by a military order, and Qal'at Salah El-Din shows the exchange of Frankish, Byzantine and Islamic defensive design.
- Parthian Fortresses of Nisa Near Ashgabat in Turkmenistan, two mounds, Old Nisa and New Nisa, mark one of the earliest and most important cities of the Parthian Empire. Royal and religious buildings show how Parthian culture blended influences.
- Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes Jeju Volcanic Island lies off the south coast of the Republic of Korea. The property comprises three sites totalling 18,846 ha: the Geomunoreum lava tube system, regarded as among the finest in the world, the Seongsan Ilchulbong tuff cone rising out of the sea, and Mount Halla.
- Samarra Archaeological City An Abbasid capital on both banks of the Tigris, about 130 km north of Baghdad in Iraq, in the 9th century. It ruled a realm reaching from Tunisia to Central Asia, and the site retains the Great Mosque with its spiral minaret.
- Saryarka – Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan Saryarka in northern Kazakhstan comprises the Naurzum and Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserves, totalling 450,344 ha. Its wetlands are of outstanding importance for migratory water birds, including globally threatened species such as the Siberian crane.
- Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee The Bahá'í Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee include the two most holy places of the Bahá'í faith: the Shrine of the Báb in Haifa and the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh near Acre. They are inscribed for their spiritual meaning and the pilgrimage tradition of the faith.
- Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca Melaka and George Town, on the Straits of Malacca in Malaysia, are historic cities shaped by over 500 years of trade and cultural exchange between East and West. Asian and European influences have given them a distinctive multicultural heritage, both tangible and intangible.
- Temple of Preah Vihear The Temple of Preah Vihear stands on the edge of a cliff-bound plateau in northern Cambodia, and is dedicated to Shiva. It dates from the first half of the 11th century and consists of sanctuaries linked by pavements and staircases along an axis about 800 m long, closely adapted to the natural terrain.
- Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran Three Armenian Christian monastic ensembles in north-western Iran: St Thaddeus, St Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzor. They are important surviving examples of Armenian religious architecture and show cultural exchange with Persian traditions.
- Socotra Archipelago In the north-west Indian Ocean near the Gulf of Aden, the 250 km long archipelago has four islands and two rocky islets. Long isolation has produced a high number of endemic plants, such as dragon's blood trees, and distinctive biodiversity.
- Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ) In the desert of north-western Saudi Arabia, Hegra is the country's first World Heritage site and the largest conserved site of the Nabataean civilisation south of Petra. It has over 100 rock-cut tombs with decorated façades, along with wells and rock inscriptions.
- Sulaiman-Too Sacred Mountain Sulaiman-Too rises above the Fergana Valley in southern Kyrgyzstan, behind the city of Osh, at a crossroads of the Central Asian Silk Roads. For over 1,500 years it has been revered as a sacred mountain, and its five peaks and slopes hold caves, petroglyphs and places of worship.
- Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System A hydraulic system in Khuzestan, south-western Iran, traced to the time of Darius the Great in the 5th century BCE. Canals diverting the Karun River, together with dams, bridges and water mills, make it a masterpiece of ancient water engineering.
- Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty comprise 40 tombs at 18 locations, built between 1408 and 1966, mostly in the area around Seoul. They honoured ancestors, asserted royal authority and reflect Korean geomantic principles and ancestral rites.
- Proto-urban Site of Sarazm In north-western Tajikistan, Sarazm, meaning 'where the land begins', is an archaeological site tracing early settlement in Central Asia from the 4th millennium BC. It shows contacts between farming and pastoral communities and long-distance trade.
- Central Highlands of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka's Central Highlands lie in the south-central part of the island and comprise the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, Horton Plains National Park and the Knuckles Conservation Forest, rising to 2,500 m. These montane forests hold a wide range of endemic flora and fauna, including threatened species.
- Historic Villages of Korea: Hahoe and Yangdong Hahoe and Yangdong, in the south-east of the Republic of Korea, were founded in the 14th and 15th centuries and are regarded as the two most representative historic clan villages in the country. Sheltered by forested mountains and facing rivers and farmland, they reflect the aristocratic Confucian culture of early Joseon.
- Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long - Hanoi In Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, the Thang Long citadel was built in the 11th century by the Ly dynasty to mark the independence of Dai Viet. Excavated remains and surviving structures show nearly a thousand years of continuous use as a political centre.
- At-Turaif District in ad-Dir'iyah North-west of Riyadh, At-Turaif was the first capital of the Saudi dynasty, founded in the 15th century. Its mud-brick buildings in the Najdi style bear witness to political and religious change on the Arabian Peninsula in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
- Sheikh Safi al-din Khānegāh and Shrine Ensemble in Ardabil A Sufi spiritual retreat and shrine ensemble in Ardabil, north-western Iran, built between the early 16th and late 18th centuries. It uses traditional Iranian architectural forms to fit a range of religious functions into a compact space.
- Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex A historic bazaar in Tabriz, north-western Iran, one of the most important commercial centres on the Silk Road. It consists of interconnected brick-vaulted markets, caravanserais and halls, and is among the largest covered bazaars in the Middle East.
- Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas) In the Al Ain region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this serial site includes the Hafit tombs, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and several oases. It shows sedentary life in a desert region since the Neolithic, with Bronze Age tombs, settlements and early irrigation systems.
- Ancient Villages of Northern Syria In north-western Syria, some 40 villages grouped in eight parks preserve houses, churches, baths and agricultural installations from late Antiquity and the Byzantine period, giving a picture of rural life at that time.
- Citadel of the Ho Dynasty In Thanh Hoa province in northern Vietnam, this citadel from the late 14th century was laid out according to feng shui principles and reflects the flowering of neo-Confucianism. Its stone gates and walls survive, rare for a South-East Asian capital.
- The Persian Garden Nine gardens in nine provinces of Iran, showing the variety of Persian garden design adapted to different climates. They keep principles dating back to Achaemenid times, combining water, planting and architecture.
- Wadi Rum Protected Area A mixed natural and cultural property of 74,000 ha in southern Jordan near the Saudi border. It has narrow gorges, natural arches, cliffs and desert, and its rock art and inscriptions record more than 10,000 years of human activity.
- Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai The Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai, in western Mongolia, comprise rock carvings and funerary monuments at three sites that illustrate cultural development over 12,000 years. The earliest images show hunting of large game in a partly forested landscape, and later ones depict herding and horse riding.
- Cultural Landscape of Bali Province: the Subak System as a Manifestation of the Tri Hita Karana Philosophy The cultural landscape of Bali consists of five rice terraces and their water temples, covering 19,500 ha. The temples are the focus of the subak, a cooperative system of canals and weirs dating back to the 9th century, which expresses the Tri Hita Karana philosophy of harmony between people, the spirit world and nature.
- Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy This property in Muharraq, Bahrain, includes 17 buildings, three offshore oyster beds, part of the seashore and the Qal'at Bu Mahir fortress. It bears witness to the pearl-based island economy of the Gulf before the natural pearl trade declined in the early 20th century.
- Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves This site on the western slopes of Mount Carmel includes the caves of Tabun, Jamal, el-Wad and Skhul. Ninety years of research have revealed a cultural sequence of exceptional length, spanning hundreds of thousands of years, and provide an archive of early human life and the transition to settled farming.
- Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley The Lenggong Valley in Perak, Malaysia, contains four archaeological sites in two clusters spanning close to 2 million years, one of the longest records of early human presence in a single locality and the oldest outside Africa. They include open-air and cave sites with Palaeolithic tool workshops.
- Masjed-e Jāmé of Isfahan The Friday mosque in the historic centre of Isfahan, Iran, begun in 841 CE. Added to over twelve centuries, it illustrates the evolution of mosque architecture and is among the oldest preserved mosques in Iran.
- Gonbad-e Qābus A tomb tower in north-eastern Iran, built in 1006 CE for the Ziyarid ruler Qabus ibn Voshmgir and about 53 m high. Its brick cylindrical body has a star-shaped plan and reflects exchange between Central Asian nomadic and Iranian traditions.
- Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem In Bethlehem, Palestine, the site includes the Church of the Nativity, traditionally held to stand on the birthplace of Jesus, and the pilgrimage route leading to it. Founded in the 4th century, it is among the oldest Christian churches.
- Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs) In eastern Tajikistan, this park covers over 2.5 million ha in the centre of the Pamir knot. It has high peaks, large glaciers including the Fedchenko Glacier, and alpine lakes, and is important for geological and glacial study.
- Historic Monuments and Sites in Kaesong The historic monuments and sites in Kaesong, in the south of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, consist of 12 components that testify to the Koryo Dynasty from the 10th to the 14th centuries. They include the geomantic layout of the former capital, its palaces, institutions, tomb complex, walls and gates.
- Al Zubarah Archaeological Site On the north-west coast of Qatar, the remains of a pearling and trading town of the 18th and early 19th centuries. Walls, harbour, streets and houses make it a representative example of a traditional Gulf trading town.
- Golestan Palace A palace complex in old Tehran, Iran, from the Qajar era and one of the oldest building groups in the city. It combines traditional Persian crafts and architecture with Western influences and is known for its mirror work, tiles and paintings.
- Historic Jeddah, the Gate to Makkah On the eastern shore of the Red Sea, Jeddah has been a major Indian Ocean trading port since the 7th century and the gateway for pilgrims to Mecca. The old town keeps tall coral-stone houses with carved timber lattice balconies.
- Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves The caves of Maresha and Bet Guvrin lie in the Judean Lowlands in southern Israel, where about 3,500 underground chambers were cut into the soft chalk beneath the former towns of Maresha and Bet Guvrin. They were used over the centuries for quarrying, dwelling, storage and burial, at a crossroads of trade routes.
- Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary On the south-eastern part of Mindanao in the Philippines, the mountain range holds several forest types, including montane and ultramafic-soil forest. It has many species found only in the Philippines, such as the Philippine eagle.
- Erbil Citadel A fortified settlement on an oval mound in the centre of Erbil, in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. Its outer ring of house fronts forms a continuous wall, and the site has been occupied for thousands of years.
- Trang An Landscape Complex In Ninh Binh province, on the southern edge of the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam, limestone karst peaks, caves and valleys surround the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Temples and archaeological remains give it both natural and cultural value.
- Namhansanseong Namhansanseong is in the mountains about 25 km south-east of Seoul, in the Republic of Korea, and was designed as an emergency capital for the Joseon dynasty. It could accommodate about 4,000 people and was built and defended by Buddhist monk-soldiers; its earliest remains date from the 7th century, with the present fortifications mainly from the 17th century.
- Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor This 5,000 km section of the Silk Roads runs from Chang'an and Luoyang in China to the Zhetysu region of Central Asia, with sites in China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
- Pyu Ancient Cities The Pyu Ancient Cities comprise three walled and moated brick cities, Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra, in the dry zone of the Ayeyarwady basin in Myanmar. They reflect the Pyu kingdoms that flourished for over 1,000 years between 200 BC and AD 900, and the spread of Buddhism and irrigated agriculture.
- Shahr-i Sokhta Meaning 'Burnt City', this Bronze Age site in south-eastern Iran lies at a junction of trade routes across the Iranian plateau. Its mudbrick remains show the emergence of the first complex societies in eastern Iran, from about 3200 BCE.
- Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir Around the village of Battir, west of Bethlehem in Palestine, stone terraces, ancient irrigation channels and family plots are watered by springs. The landscape has been farmed in traditional ways for centuries, with olives and vines.
- Cultural Landscape of Maymand A semi-arid valley in Kerman province, south-central Iran, where semi-nomadic villagers graze animals on mountain pastures and live in dwellings cut into soft rock. It preserves a way of life that has continued for thousands of years.
- Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape Burkhan Khaldun Mountain lies in the central Khentii range in north-eastern Mongolia, where the Central Asian steppe meets the Siberian taiga. It is associated with the worship of sacred mountains, rivers and ovoo cairns, and with the life of Genghis Khan and the formation of the Mongol nation.
- Baptism Site “Bethany Beyond the Jordan” (Al-Maghtas) A site on the east bank of the River Jordan, about 9 km north of the Dead Sea, traditionally the place where Jesus was baptised. It includes Elijah's Hill and a group of churches near the river, with remains from the Roman and Byzantine periods, and is an important Christian pilgrimage place.
- Susa An archaeological site in the lower Zagros Mountains of south-western Iran, with mounds on the east bank of the Shavur River and Ardeshir's palace on the opposite bank. One of the oldest cities in the world, it was occupied in Elamite, Achaemenid and later periods.
- Necropolis of Bet She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal The necropolis of Bet She'arim, south-east of Haifa, is a series of catacombs that from the 2nd century became the main Jewish burial place outside Jerusalem. Its carvings and inscriptions reflect the revival of the Jewish community in that period.
- Rock Art in the Hail Region of Saudi Arabia In the desert of northern Saudi Arabia, two areas, Jabal Umm Sinman at Jubbah and Jabal al-Manjor at Shuwaymis, hold rock art spanning some 10,000 years. Its images of people and animals record changing climate and ways of life.
- Baekje Historic Areas The Baekje Historic Areas are in the mid-west of the Republic of Korea and comprise eight sites dating from 475 to 660 CE, including the Gongsanseong fortress and the Songsan-ri royal tombs at Gongju, and the Busosanseong fortress and Gwanbuk-ri remains at Buyeo. They show the exchange of architecture, technology and religion between the Baekje kingdom, China and Japan.
- Singapore Botanic Gardens In the centre of Singapore, this British colonial tropical botanic garden has grown into a modern research institution. It retains its 19th-century landscape, historic buildings and plantings, and played a key role in rubber cultivation and tropical botany in South-East Asia.
- The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities A site in southern Iraq made up of three Sumerian archaeological sites, Uruk, Ur and Eridu, and four wetland marsh areas. It preserves the remains of early Mesopotamian cities and a wetland refuge for wildlife, with a long tradition of marsh settlement.
- Western Tien-Shan Western Tien-Shan lies in the western part of the Tien-Shan range across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, at altitudes of 700 to 4,503 m. It has varied landscapes and exceptionally rich biodiversity, and is a centre of origin for wild relatives of cultivated plants such as walnut and apple.
- Lut Desert An arid desert in south-eastern Iran where strong winds from June to October carry sediment and cause wind erosion on a large scale. It has extensive dune fields, salt flats and wind-carved ridges known as yardangs, and is an important site for studying aeolian landforms.
- The Persian Qanat The ancient qanat system of the arid regions of Iran, which taps groundwater at the head of valleys and carries it by gravity through underground tunnels to settlements and fields. The property includes eleven qanats and records a water-supply technique used for thousands of years.
- Landscapes of Dauria The Landscapes of Dauria span eastern Mongolia and south-eastern Siberia in the Russian Federation, and are an outstanding example of the Daurian Steppe eco-region. Cyclical dry and wet climate phases support a wide diversity of species and ecosystems and important bird migration routes.
- Temple Zone of Sambor Prei Kuk, Archaeological Site of Ancient Ishanapura Sambor Prei Kuk, in the forests of central Cambodia, has been identified as Ishanapura, capital of the Chenla kingdom in the late 6th and early 7th centuries. It has more than a hundred temples, ten of them octagonal and unique in type, and influenced later Khmer architecture.
- Historic City of Yazd A city on the central Iranian plateau, about 270 km south-east of Isfahan and near the Silk Road. Its mudbrick buildings, qanat water supply, wind towers and courtyard houses show how a desert city adapted to scarce resources.
- Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town In Hebron, Palestine, the old town centres on the tombs of the patriarchs (the Ibrahimi Mosque), venerated by Muslims, Jews and Christians. Many of its lanes and houses date from the Mamluk and Ottoman periods.
- Ancient City of Qalhat The ruins of a medieval port city on the north-eastern coast of Oman, an important harbour of the Kingdom of Hormuz from the 11th to the 15th century. Surviving walls, a mosque and tombs reflect the trade networks of the Indian Ocean.
- Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries in Korea The Sansa are seven Buddhist mountain monasteries in the southern provinces of the Republic of Korea, founded between the 7th and 9th centuries. They share a distinctly Korean layout built around an open courtyard (madang) flanked by halls, and remain active centres of religious life.
- Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape In eastern Arabia, Al-Ahsa is one of the world's largest oases, with gardens, canals, springs, wells and a drainage lake. Historic buildings and archaeological remains show how people have settled and farmed here for thousands of years.
- Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region Eight archaeological sites in three areas of south-eastern Fars province, Iran: Firuzabad, Bishapur and Sarvestan. Fortifications, palaces and city plans date from the earliest to the latest periods of the Sasanian Empire.
- Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies This property comprises nine seowon, a type of Neo-Confucian academy of the Joseon dynasty (15th to 19th centuries), in central and southern parts of the Republic of Korea. Seowon combined teaching, veneration of scholars and a relationship with the natural setting, which is expressed in their architecture.
- Dilmun Burial Mounds The Dilmun Burial Mounds lie in the west of Bahrain, were built between 2200 and 1750 BCE and are spread over 21 archaeological sites. Their varied forms reflect the funerary practices of the Dilmun civilisation, and they make up one of the largest burial grounds of the period.
- Hyrcanian Forests The Hyrcanian Forests stretch along the southern Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan and Iran and form a unique broad-leaved forest massif. Their history goes back 25 to 50 million years, and they preserve many ancient tree species and ecological processes.
- Megalithic Jar Sites in Xiengkhuang – Plain of Jars The Plain of Jars lies on the Xiengkhuang plateau in central Laos and takes its name from more than 2,100 tubular megalithic stone jars used for funerary practices in the Iron Age. The 15 components also include stone discs, secondary burials, tombstones, quarries and funerary objects.
- Bagan Bagan lies on a bend of the Ayeyarwady River in the central plain of Myanmar and is a sacred landscape with an exceptional range of Buddhist art and architecture. Its seven components include numerous temples, stupas, monasteries and pilgrimage sites, as well as archaeological remains and frescoes.
- Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage of Sawahlunto The Ombilin coal mining heritage is at Sawahlunto in West Sumatra. It was developed by the Netherlands East Indies government from the late 19th century to extract, process and transport high-quality coal from an inaccessible region. The mines, railway, port and mining community together show an important period of industrialisation.
- Babylon The ruins of the capital of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 626 to 539 BCE, about 85 km south of Baghdad, Iraq, together with surrounding villages and farmland. Under Nebuchadnezzar II it was one of the best-known cities of the ancient world.
- Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex In western Thailand along the Thai side of the Tenasserim range on the Myanmar border, this is the country's largest protected forest area. Its varied forests shelter large mammals such as elephants, tigers and leopards, and many bird species.
- Trans-Iranian Railway A railway linking the Caspian Sea with the Persian Gulf, crossing two mountain ranges, rivers, highlands, forests and plains in four climatic zones. Begun in 1927 and completed in 1938, it is known for its many bridges and tunnels.
- Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats The Korean tidal flats lie along the western, south-western and southern coasts of the Republic of Korea on the Yellow Sea, in six component parts, inscribed in 2021 and extended in 2026. They include estuarine, open-coast and archipelagic tidal flat ecosystems, and are important stopover and wintering sites for migratory birds.
- Ḥimā Cultural Area In an arid mountain area of south-western Saudi Arabia on an ancient caravan route, Ḥimā has a large collection of rock art and inscriptions covering thousands of years. They record hunting, herding and travel along the route.
- Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat A remote mountain landscape in western Iran, home to the Hawrami people, an agropastoral Kurdish group living in the region since about 3000 BCE. Its terraced villages on steep slopes illustrate a traditional mountain farming and herding culture.
- As-Salt - The Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality As-Salt stands on three neighbouring hills in the Balqa highlands of west-central Jordan and was an important trading link between the eastern desert and the west. In the later Ottoman period merchants from Nablus, Syria and Lebanon settled here, leaving a townscape of public buildings and houses in local limestone.
- Deer Stone Monuments and Related Bronze Age Sites The deer stone monuments stand on the slopes of the Khangai Ridge in central Mongolia. Dating from about 1200 to 600 BCE, the stones rise up to four metres, are set directly in the ground, and are almost always part of complexes that include burial mounds and ritual features. They take their name from stylised deer carvings and were used for ceremonial and funerary practices.
- The Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments In central Thailand, this serial property has three parts, including a twin town of inner and outer areas surrounded by moats, and large monuments. Si Thep was an important Dvaravati-period town and shows contact with Indian culture.
- Gaya Tumuli The Gaya Tumuli are burial-mound cemeteries in the southern Republic of Korea belonging to the Gaya Confederacy, which flourished from the 1st to the 6th century CE. Their distribution, burial types and grave goods reflect the political organisation of the Gaya polities and their contacts with neighbouring regions.
- Koh Ker: Archaeological Site of Ancient Lingapura or Chok Gargyar Koh Ker, in northern Cambodia, was a Khmer capital that rivalled Angkor, and from 928 the only capital, built over a period of 23 years. The site is a sacred urban ensemble of temples and sanctuaries with sculptures, inscriptions and other remains.
- The Persian Caravanserai Fifty-four caravanserais across Iran, roadside inns that offered shelter, food and water to caravans, pilgrims and travellers. Their locations followed water sources and terrain, and they illustrate the network of historic trade routes in Persia.
- The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks The central axis of Yogyakarta was established in the 18th century by Sultan Mangkubumi. This six-kilometre north–south axis links Mount Merapi with the Indian Ocean to the south, and is lined with historic landmarks including the palace, squares and tombs. It remains a centre of government and Javanese cultural tradition.
- Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor A key section of the Silk Roads in Central Asia, this corridor runs from the mountains of Tajikistan through Uzbekistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. Towns, caravanserais, fortresses and irrigation systems along it reflect trade and cultural exchange between East and West.
- Tugay forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve In south-western Tajikistan between the Vakhsh and Panj rivers, the reserve protects Central Asia's characteristic riparian tugay forest, with reeds and poplars. It is habitat for the endangered Bukhara deer and other wildlife.
- Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan A site in the Jordan Valley, Palestine, among the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the world, with settlement going back to around 9000 BC. Excavations revealed a Neolithic tower and walls.
- Cold Winter Deserts of Turan The Cold Winter Deserts of Turan consist of fourteen component parts across the arid temperate zone of Central Asia between the Caspian Sea and the Turanian high mountains, in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Under very cold winters and hot summers, the area supports an exceptionally diverse flora and fauna.
- ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid In southern Saudi Arabia, the reserve covers the western part of the Rub' al-Khali, the largest continuous expanse of windblown sand on Earth. Its dunes and gravel plains are home to reintroduced species such as the Arabian oryx.
- Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba, Marib At Marib in central Yemen, seven archaeological sites bear witness to the prosperous ancient Kingdom of Saba. They include the Marib dam, temples and urban remains, reflecting wealth from the South Arabian incense and spice trade.
- Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli The Rachid Karami International Fair in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, was designed in 1962 by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer on a 70-ha site between Tripoli's historic centre and the port of Al Mina. Its main building is a boomerang-shaped covered hall 750 m long, a leading example of 20th-century modernist architecture.
- The Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex The Niah National Park caves complex lies near the west coast of Borneo and consists of colossal interconnected caverns. It contains the longest known record of human interaction with rainforest, spanning at least 50,000 years from the Pleistocene to the Mid-Holocene.
- Phu Phrabat, a testimony to the Sīma stone tradition of the Dvaravati period In north-eastern Thailand, the site illustrates the Sīma stone tradition of the Dvaravati period (7th–11th centuries), in which stones mark the sacred boundaries of Theravada Buddhist sites. Natural rock formations here were adapted as boundary markers and Buddhist shrines.
- The Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area In south-western Saudi Arabia on the ancient trade routes of the peninsula, Al-Faw was abandoned around the 5th century CE. About 12,000 remains, including a town, tombs, temples, water works and rock art, document the Kindite civilisation.
- Hegmataneh The ancient city site at Hamadan in north-western Iran, inhabited for nearly three millennia and an important source of evidence for Median civilisation of the 7th and 6th centuries BCE. It later served as an Achaemenid summer capital.
- Umm Al-Jimāl Umm Al-Jimal is a rural settlement in northern Jordan, which grew on the site of an earlier Roman settlement around the 5th century CE and was occupied until the end of the 8th century. It preserves basalt buildings of the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods that represent the local architecture of the Hauran region, together with a water-catchment system that supported farming and herding.
- Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer Near Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, the remains of a monastery founded by Saint Hilarion in the 4th century, regarded as one of the earliest monasteries in the Holy Land. The site has a church, baths and mosaic floors.
- Cultural Heritage Sites of Ancient Khuttal In southern Tajikistan between the Panj and Vakhsh rivers, Khuttal was a medieval kingdom. The property includes ten sites and one monument that illustrate towns, fortifications and religious life along the Silk Roads.
- Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea Mount Kumgang, in the east of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a long-celebrated mountain known for its near-white granite peaks, deep valleys, waterfalls and changing mists, rising to nearly 1,600 m. It also holds Buddhist temples and sites linked to centuries of artistic tradition, and is inscribed for both natural and cultural values.
- Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes In northern Vietnam, 12 sites centred on the Yen Tu mountain range were home to the Tran dynasty and the Truc Lam Zen school. Pagodas, stupa gardens and forested landscapes reflect the development of Vietnamese Buddhism.
- Forest Research Institute Malaysia Forest Park Selangor The Forest Research Institute Malaysia Forest Park in Selangor lies 16 km north-west of Kuala Lumpur and is a human-made tropical rainforest established from the 1920s on degraded tin-mining land. It includes scientific, residential and service buildings, water bodies and trails, and represents a pioneering reforestation effort.
- Faya Palaeolandscape Lying between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, this landscape preserves traces of human occupation from the Middle Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. Its archaeological layers show how hunter-gatherers and early herders used the area through changing climates.
- Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream The Bangucheon Stream petroglyphs lie along a stretch of about three kilometres on the south-eastern coast of the Republic of Korea, with two rock art sites, Daegok-ri and Cheonjeon-ri. Their dense engravings, made by prehistoric and later communities, depict animals, hunting and whaling.
- Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley Five caves and one rock shelter in Lorestan, western Iran, within a narrow valley corridor rich in water, plants and animals. Human occupation here goes back about 63,000 years, spanning the Middle Palaeolithic to the Neolithic.
- Cambodian Memorial Sites: From centres of repression to places of peace and reflection This property consists of three places that reflect human rights abuses by the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia between 1971 and 1979: the former M-13 prison, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (the former S-21 prison) and the Choeung Ek killing field. They are now places of remembrance and reflection.
- Wadi Wurayah Located in the Hajar Mountains in the Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, this mountain wadi has permanent water, which is rare in the arid eastern Arabian Peninsula. It supports a rich range of plants and animals, including some endemic species.
- Aqaba Marine Reserve The Aqaba Marine Reserve lies at the northern tip of the Red Sea, off Jordan's coast, and consists of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mesophotic reefs. It is the world's northernmost tropical coral reef system, and its corals show notable resilience to rising sea temperatures while supporting diverse marine life.
- The Cemetery Complexes of the Xiongnu Nobility The Cemetery Complexes of the Xiongnu Nobility, in Mongolia, comprise eight funerary complexes. The Xiongnu established a powerful nomadic empire between the 3rd century BCE and the 2nd century CE centred on what is now Mongolia, and the tombs reflect their interaction with neighbouring cultures.
- Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau The rock mosques of Mangystau are on the Mangystau Peninsula on the Caspian Sea in western Kazakhstan. The five sacred sites carved into rock, each associated with a Sufi master, and their adjacent burial grounds date from the 12th to the 18th centuries.
- Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat In Nakhon Si Thammarat in peninsular Thailand, on a narrow sand ridge, Wat Phra Mahathat is one of southern Thailand's most important Buddhist monasteries. Its great stupa reflects Sri Lankan Buddhist influence and the spread of Theravada Buddhism in South-East Asia.
- Tashkent Modernist Architecture. Modernity and Tradition in Central Asia In Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, ten modernist buildings and urban complexes built from the 1960s to the early 1990s, many during reconstruction after the 1966 earthquake, combine modern design with Central Asian traditions.
- Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications Alamut Castle and six related fortifications in the Alborz Mountains of Qazvin province, Iran. Built in strategic positions in rugged terrain, they are associated with the medieval Nizari Ismaili state.
- Sebastia Near Nablus in Palestine, ancient Samaria, was a capital of the kingdom of Israel. Roman, Byzantine and Crusader buildings overlie it, including a theatre, a forum and churches.
- Mount Amel Castles The Mount Amel Castles are five fortified sites in the historic region of Jabal Amel in southern Lebanon, including Beaufort (Qalaat Al Chakif) and Tibnin. Occupying prominent hilltops and strategic positions, they reflect medieval military architecture and defensive systems in the region.