Heritage are that which are passed down through the years from generation to generation.
Any sites or objects could be inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List that should have “outstanding universal value” under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
Being listed as a World Heritage Site can positively affect the site, its environment, and interactions between them.
A listed site gains international recognition and legal protection, and can obtain funds from among others the World Heritage Fund to facilitate its conservation under certain conditions.
Nepal has a total of 4 World Heritage Sites; the Kathmandu Valley (Swayambunath, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple. the Durbar Square of Kathmandu, the Durbar Square of Bhaktapur, the Durbar Square of Patan (Lalitpur) Changu Narayan Temple) and Lumbini as Cultural World Heritage Sites and the Chitwan and Sagarmatha National Park as Natural World Heritage Sites.
Till today under the UNESCO Heritages list, there are 1,223 Properties on the list spanning nearly 170 nations; 49 Transboundary; 168 States Parties with properties out of 196.
Each year, the UNESCO reviews nominations for and selects new sites of “outstanding universal value” to its World Heritage List.
This week also, the organization announced 24 new UNESCO World Heritage sites for 2024, ranging from historic buildings and archeological areas to natural and cultural wonders.
According to the UNESCO, archaeological sites in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa that “provide the most varied and best-preserved record known of the development of modern human behavior, reaching back as far as 162,000 years has been listed under the World Heritage sites.
Likewise, Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, whose stunning landscape of dunes and lagoons are a “rare beauty” of significant biodiversity value; and the historic architectural complex of the Royal Court of Tiébélé, located in Burkina Faso are also listed under the World Heritage Sites.
World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located.
The UNESCO World Heritage helps protect diverse sites of profound importance for future generations.
Italy is the country with the most sites, followed by China with 59, and Germany with 54.
Among the UNESCO Heritage Sites, UNESCO says Forbidden City is the most visited UNESCO World Heritage Site in the world, followed by Kulangsu, The Great Smoky Mountains and Great Wall of China are the places where huge numbers of visitors go.
According to the statement, the UNESCO has added following World Heritage Sites in 2024:
Beijing Central Axis, China
Brâncuși Monumental Ensemble of Târgu Jiu, Romania
Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake, Russia
Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Romania
Hegmataneh, Iran
Nelson Mandela Legacy sites, South Africa
Melka Kunture and Balchit, Ethiopia
Moidams, India
Phu Phrabat Bat Historical Park, Thailand
Royal Court of Tiébélé, Burkina Faso
Sado Island Gold Mines, Japan
Saint Hilarion Monastery / Tell Umm Amer, Palestine
Schwerin Residence Ensemble, Germany
Archaeological Heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex, Malaysia
Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area, Saudi Arabia
Pleistocene Occupation Sites, South Africa
Historic Town and Archeological Site of Gedi, Kenya
Umm Al-Jimāl, Jordan
Via Appia, Italy
Badain Jaran Desert, China
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
The Flow Country, UK
Vjetrenica Cave, Ravno, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Te Henua Enata, The Marquesas Islands, France
