List of World Heritage Sites in the State of Palestine

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

Hebron

Jericho

Battir

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Location of the sites in Palestine and East Jerusalem

The

UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.^[13] The West Bank is the location of all four sites listed; none are located in the Gaza Strip.

World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Governorate	UNESCO data	Year listed	Description
Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan		PalJericho GovernorateJericho Governorate	1687; Cultural:PalPal (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)	2023	This tell dates back to at least 10,500 BC, as well as the nearby village of Ein es-Sultan. During the 9th to 8th millennium BC, humans began permanently settling here due to the soils' fertility and accessible water. Surviving architectural works include a ha-ha and tower. The Bronze Age saw urban planning and the establishment of a Canaanite city-state.[14] It was in the tentative list on 4 February 2012.[15]
Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem		PalBethlehem Governorate	1433; Cultural:PalBir (iv)(vi)	2012	Located 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) away from World Heritage in Danger due to the church's poor condition, but removed it in 2019 with the extensive restoration done to its exterior.[6] It was previously in the tentative list on 8 March 2012.[17]
Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town†		PalHebron Governorate	1565; Cultural:PalHeb (ii)(iv)(vi)	2017	This town was established amid the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517) at an area known for its limestone. A pilgrimage site for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Hebron's landmark is the Cave of the Patriarchs, where Abraham and his family were allegedly buried. Once a trading hub for the nearby countries, it was expanded during the country's rule under the Ottoman Empire, although the Mamluk architecture persists.[5] The site was immediately listed as endangered due to persistent damage cases.[12] It was on the tentative list on 2 April 2012.[18]
Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir †		PalBethlehem Governorate	1492; Cultural:PalPal (iv)(v)	2014	Located between Hebron and rock-cut tombs and watchtowers.[4] The impact of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, exemplarily taking form in a border wall, may lead to a loss of heritage; thus, it was immediately listed endangered.[19] It was on the tentative list on 25 April 2012.[20]

World Heritage Sites located in East Jerusalem

Although listed without a specific state attributed, UNESCO acknowledges the area to be within Palestine, hence its inclusion here.^[8]

World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Governorate	UNESCO data	Year listed	Description
Old City and Walls of Jerusalem†		Jerusalem Governorate	148rev; Cultural: (ii)(iii)(vi)	1981	Jerusalem is a holy city for the three Abrahamic religions: Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, with one of its landmark, the 7th-century Islamic Dome of the Rock, recognised by all three as where Abraham was sacrificed. Other icons include the Western Wall, a worshipping site for Jews, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, whose rotunda is believed by Christians to be Jesus' burial site.[7] Proposed by Jordan in 1980,[21] the Old City was listed as endangered in 1982 with only the United States opposing.[22] In 2000, Israel published a tentative extension of the site, but due to its still-debated status, the proposal is put on hold.[23]

Tentative list

In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites for nomination consideration. Nominations for the list are only accepted if the site had been on the tentative list.^[24]

World Heritage Sites

Site	Image	Location (governorate)	UNESCO data	Date listed	Description
Anthedon Harbour		Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip	5719; Cultural: (ii)(iv)	2 April 2012	This site is Gaza's first seaport between 800 BC to 1100 AD. Nearby is the ancient Maiumas seaport, once dubbed the Harbour of Gaza and a thriving city under Roman rule. The exact location of Anthedon remains ambiguous, however a major theory is with a tell named Tida, which was also Anthedon's nickname. Excavations of the former city centre revealed a Roman temple, a series of villas, and various architectural works from the Iron Age II, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras. [25]
Baptism Site "Eshria'a" (Al-Maghtas)		Area C, Jericho Governorate, West Bank	6155; Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi)	28 October 2015	Located on the western bank of the Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas)".[26]
El-Bariyah: wilderness with monasteries		Area C, Jericho Governorate, West Bank	5708; Cultural: (i)(ii)(iii)	2 April 2012	Widely referred to as the Judaean Desert, this part of the flash floods. This makes El-Bariyah a diverse natural habitat, especially birds who migrate here. At Wadi Khureitun once stood houses, and several monasteries and maqams were discovered too. The site also includes Herodium, a Roman-era castle.[27]
Hisham's Palace/ Khirbet al-Mafjar		Jericho, Jericho Governorate, West Bank	6546; Cultural: (i)(ii)	20 October 2020	This site was allegedly built by Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik, hence its name, at Wadi Nueima between 724 and 743 amid the Umayyad Caliphate. A ski resort for the caliph, it was ruined by the 749 Galilee earthquake. During the caliphate and the Abbasid dynasty, the northern area was used for agriculture. The building features a star window that has become symbolic of Jericho. There was also an audience and banquet hall, a mosque, and a residential area.[28]
Mount Gerizim and the Samaritans		Nablus, Nablus Governorate, West Bank	5706; Cultural: (iii)(vi)	2 April 2012	Believers of fortified in a religious revolt. The Samaritans continue to engage in rituals like the Passover sacrifice and making pilgrimages to the summit annually.[29]
Old Town of Nablus and its environs		Nablus Governorate, West Bank	5714; Cultural: (ii)(iv)	2 April 2012	The earliest documents on the Nablus area is an ancient urban city called Shechem established in the 4th millennium BC, with its only remains being in Tell Balata. After being abandoned during the Iron Age, it was reoccupied in the Hellenistic period and fully transitioned in 72 into Neapolis by the Flavian dynasty. It became a major city in the 2nd century; landmarks include a hippodrome and the Roman Temple of Zeus. The city was then reoccupied by the Mamluk Sultanate. In the 18th century after earthquakes destroyed the city, it was rebuilt as Nablus, a wordplay on Neapolis. It is considered endangered due to effects of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.[30]
QUMRAN: Caves and Monastery of the Dead Sea Scrolls		Jericho Governorate, West Bank	5707; Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi)	2 April 2012	The The War of the Sons of Light Against the Sons of Darkness. Excavations of reveal buildings like communal facilities, a library, and a cemetery, however the area is being occupied by Israel.[31]
Sebastia		Nablus, Nablus Governorate, West Bank	5718; Cultural: (ii)(v)	2 April 2012	The city that previously stood in this site, tomb of John the Baptist. The present city was the eastern part of the Roman city.[32]
Tell Umm Amer		Deir al-Balah Governorate, Gaza Strip	5716; Cultural: (ii)(iii)(vi)	2 April 2012	The area of Tell Umm Amer, located in the Al Nusairat village nearby Wadi Gaza, was first known as Tabatha from the 400 to 670, with a surviving landmark being the Saint Hilarion Monastery, named after the saint born there and regarded as founder of Palestinian monasticism; it was destroyed in 614. Various facilities and artworks were observed within the ruins, alongside baths to accommodate people taking the Via Maris route.[33]
Umm Al-Rihan forest		Jenin Governorate, West Bank	5721; Natural: (x)	2 April 2012	Located nearby the Green Line, this 60,000-dunam site is the largest woodlands in the West Bank. Part of the Mediterranean Biogeographic Region, it is notable as a migration stopover for birds, including endangered ones like the lesser kestrel, crested honey buzzard, and Egyptian vulture. Fauna in the forest include endangered wolves and red foxes. Plant species include those responsible for barley and wheat. This diversity makes Umm Al-Rihan suitable for in situ conservation.[34]
Throne Villages		Nelean, Ras Karkar, Sebastia and Sanur; West Bank	5717; Cultural: (iii)(iv)	6 June 2013	This site comprises the villages within Palestine's central highlands. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was divided into 24 defensive walls built.[35]
Wadi Gaza Coastal Wetands		Gaza Strip	5722; Natural: (x)	2 April 2012	Wadi Gaza is most identified with its plethora of meanders; notably, the part at the Gaza Strip border has eight. The river gradually widens as it nears its mouth which spans 100 meters. It is the meeting point of six other wadis. With Gaza being between Africa and Eurasia, this site is a common passage point for migratory birds, with the endemic Palestine sunbird being the most spotted one. It faces many environmental problems, most notably refugee camps using it as a landfill, and is critical to preservation.[36]
Wadi Natuf and Shuqba cave		Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate, West Bank	5712; Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv)	6 June 2013	The Late Epipaleolithic archaeological culture discovered by the discovery of the Shuqba cave, which also revealed information on two major occupations: the Late Levallois-Mousterian and Late Natufian period. Their respective layers reveal tools like geometric microliths, as well as human burials. The people living there had a communal hunter-gatherer identity, a progression from the typical settler type, though they quickly transitioned to being agricultural.[37]

See also

• List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Palestine
• Tourism in the State of Palestine
• List of World Heritage Sites in the Arab states
  • List of World Heritage Sites in Israel

References