Photo: Kylie Nicholson/Shutterstock

UNESCO Just Named Its 2018 World Heritage Sites

News Culture Art + Architecture Archaeology
by Eben Diskin Jul 3, 2018

It’s not as flashy as the Oscars, but it’s far more culturally important. UNESCO convened in Bahrain earlier this week to debate which 2018 nominees would officially be given World Heritage status. This is the 42nd year UNESCO has met to review new nominees, which must demonstrate “outstanding universal value” to win inclusion. It sounds a little vague, but it’s been working since 1978 when the first list was published. World Heritage status is highly coveted by destinations around the world as it leads to increased tourism and revenue. Winners often represent a wide range of sites, from natural to architectural.

There are currently 1,092 sites with World Heritage status. Here are the 20 most recent additions.

Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries, Korea

Sansa, Korea World Heritage Site 2018

Photo: SiHo/Shutterstock

Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains, South Africa

Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains

Photo: Alexandre G. ROSA/Shutterstock

Ancient City of Qalhat, Oman

Qalhat Ruins for UNESCO World Heritage status

Photo: Kylie Nicholson/Shutterstock

Fanjingshan, China

Fanjingshan, China

Photo: Tian Ye/Shutterstock

Chiribiquete National Park, Colombia

Aasivissuit—Nipisat, Inuit Hunting Ground between ice and sea

Aasivissuit—Nipisat World Heritage Site 2018

Photo: Olga Gavrilova/Shutterstock

Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia

Ahsa Oasis World Heritage Site 2018

Photo: Olivier Guiberteau/Shutterstock

Archaeological border landscape of Hedeby and the Danevirke, Germany

Archaeological border landscape of Hedeby and the Danevirke

Photo: Roman Shatkhin/Shutterstock

Caliphate city of Medina Azahara, Spain

Caliphate city of Medina Azahara

Photo: Alvaro Trabazo Rivas/Shutterstock

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

Göbekli Tepe, Turkey

Photo: cornfield/Shutterstock

Hidden Christian sites in the Nagasaki Region, Japan

Hidden Christian sites in the Nagasaki Region

Photo: Hey-Yo/Shutterstock

Ivrea, Italy

Ivrea, Italy World Heritage Site 2018

Photo: outcast85/Shutterstock

Naumburg Cathedral, Germany

Naumburg Cathedral

Photo: Alizada Studios/Shutterstock

Sassanid archaeological landscape of Fars Region, Iran

Sassanid archaeological landscape of Fars Region

Photo: Radiokafka/Shutterstock

Thimlich Ohinga archaeological site, Kenya

Thimlich Ohinga archaeological site, Kenya

Photo: Jen Watson/Shutterstock

Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, India

Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai

Photo: saiko3p/Shutterstock

Chaine des Puys-Limagne fault tectonic arena, France

Chaine des Puys-Limagne fault tectonic arena

Photo: Gaelfphoto/Shutterstock

Pimachiowin Aki, Canada

Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site 2018

Photo: Randi Scott/Shutterstock

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley: origin habitat of Mesoamerica, Mexico

Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley World Heritage Site 2018

Photo: Inspired By Maps/Shutterstock

Bikin River Valley, Russia

Bikini River Valley

Photo: Raul H/Shutterstock

H/T: AFAR

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