World Heritage Sites/Printable version

World Heritage Sites

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Introduction

The World Heritage Logo

World Heritage Sites are sites with legal protection which is administered by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). They can be of either cultural or natural importance. As of June 2020, there are a total of 1,121 World Heritage Sites (869 cultural, 213 natural, and 39 mixed properties) across 167 countries.

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  Map of UNESCO world heritage sites.

Afghanistan

There are two World Heritage sites in Afghanistan: the Buddhas of Bamiyan and Minaret of Jam. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Both of the sites are considered to be endangered.

Buddhas of Bamiyan

Western Buddha

Eastern Buddha

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two huge statues of Gautama Buddha in the Bamyan Province of Afghanistan. The Western Buddha was the larger Buddha with a height of 55 meters and was built around 618 AD. The smaller Eastern Buddha had a height of 38 meters and was built around 570 AD. They were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 using dynamite.

Minaret of Jam

The Minaret of Jam in 2009.

The Minaret of Jam is located in Shahrak District, Ghor Province in western Afghanistan. It is 65 meters tall. It was built around 1190 AD. It is made of intricately decorated baked bricked.

Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites

Nelson's Dockyard

Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites is a UNESCO World Heritage Site mainly consisting of Nelson's Dockyard located on the island of Antigua in Antigua and Barbuda. Nelson's Dockyard is a well-preserved dockyard built by the British in the 1700s.