From forts to fairy tombs: 26 new UNESCO World Heritage sites you need to know

From forts to fairy tombs: 26 new UNESCO World Heritage sites you need to know (Image: Canva)

From ancient mountain monasteries and megalithic stone alignments to rainforest fortresses and sunken colonial cities, the world’s cultural atlas just became more captivating. In 2024, 26 remarkable sites across the globe earned the coveted UNESCO World Heritage status—each whispering tales of endurance, imagination, and legacy carved across time.

These newly inscribed marvels span continents and centuries: Korea’s sacred peaks, Sardinia’s mysterious “fairy houses,” Russia’s mammoth-filled caves, Malaysia’s man-made rainforest, and the mighty Maratha forts of India. Collectively, they trace humanity’s deepest imprints—where culture, nature, and memory collide.

Carved in stone, hidden in wilderness, or echoed through rituals still alive today—these sites are far more than landmarks. They are living legacies of human creativity and cultural identity. Here’s the full list of the 26 newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Sites, along with two key modifications to existing heritage boundaries:

Cambodian Memorial Sites (Cambodia) (Image: UNESCO)

1. Cambodian Memorial Sites (Cambodia)
These three powerful sites trace the horrors of the Khmer Rouge era (1971–1979): the M-13 prison, Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (formerly S-21), and the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center. Today, they stand as memorials of Cambodia’s journey from repression to reflection and peace, preserving evidence and archives vital to human rights memory.

2. Cultural Heritage Sites of Ancient Khuttal (Tajikistan)
Spanning from the 7th to 16th centuries, the ten sites and one monument in Khuttal reveal the kingdom’s strategic role on the Silk Road. With temples, palaces, and caravanserais, they showcase Khuttal’s wealth in salt, metals, horses, and culture.

3. Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape (Cameroon)
In Cameroon’s Mandara Mountains, 16 archaeological sites across seven villages reveal centuries-old dry-stone ruins. The Mafa people, present since the 15th century, continue to preserve this sacred landscape of terraces, tombs, and spiritual places.

4. Faya Palaeolandscape (United Arab Emirates)
Preserving over 200,000 years of human history, this desert site showcases how early humans adapted to drastic climatic changes. Layers of archaeology reveal a legacy of survival, migration, and innovation in one of Earth’s harshest terrains.

5. Forest Research Institute Malaysia Forest Park (Malaysia)
A model of ecological restoration, this park north of Kuala Lumpur transformed tin-mined wastelands into thriving rainforest. It reflects a century of reforestation, sustainable land use, and green innovation.

6. Funerary Tradition in Prehistoric Sardinia – Domus de Janas (Italy)
Known as "fairy houses," these rock-cut tombs date back to 5000 BCE. Spread across Sardinia, these burial sites depict prehistoric beliefs and social shifts, with intricate carvings and complex chamber designs.

Maratha Military Landscapes (India) (Image: UNESCO)

7. Maratha Military Landscapes (India)
Twelve formidable forts across Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu reflect the Marathas’ military genius from the 17th to 19th centuries. Perched on hills and coasts, these fortresses secured trade, resisted invasions, and shaped a powerful empire.

8. Megaliths of Carnac and Morbihan (France)
Stretching across Brittany, this vast ensemble of Neolithic stone alignments mirrors the region’s natural landscape. Their meticulous layout and engravings suggest ritual importance and a deep understanding of place and cosmos.

9. Minoan Palatial Centres (Greece)
On Crete, six sites reveal the grandeur of the Minoan civilization (1900–1100 BCE). Palaces like Knossos and Malia highlight early writing, sea trade, and vibrant cultural exchange across the Mediterranean.

10. Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape (Malawi)
Towering over southern Malawi, Mount Mulanje is both a sacred space and a biodiversity hotspot. For local communities, its valleys and waters are home to ancestral spirits and enduring cultural traditions.

11. Murujuga Cultural Landscape (Australia)
Spanning rock islands and coastlines, Murujuga holds more than 50,000 years of Indigenous cultural continuity. With one of the world’s densest petroglyph concentrations, it tells stories of deep connection to land and lore.

Petroglyphs along Bangucheon Stream (Republic of Korea) (Image: UNESCO)

12. Petroglyphs along Bangucheon Stream (Republic of Korea)
Carved into coastal cliffs, the Daegok-ri and Cheonjeon-ri petroglyphs span from 5000 BCE to the 9th century CE. These engravings capture ancient spiritual, social, and artistic expressions.

13. Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave (Russian Federation)
Hidden in the Urals, this vast cave houses Late Palaeolithic art—mammoths, rhinos, and enigmatic trapezoids. The paintings and archaeological layers illuminate Ice Age life and belief.

14. Sardis and Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe (Türkiye)
Once capital of the wealthy Lydian kingdom, Sardis is famed for early coinage and grand tombs. Its legacy spans Persian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine eras.

15. Archaeological Ensemble of Port Royal (Jamaica)
Once the "wickedest city on Earth," this 17th-century English port sank in an earthquake in 1692. Its ruins, above and below sea, reveal Caribbean colonial life and maritime trade.

16. Colonial Transisthmian Route of Panama (Panama)
Linking Atlantic and Pacific, this route was key to Spanish imperial trade. Forts, towns, and pathways reflect the intense movement of people and goods before the Panama Canal.

Palace of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Germany) (Image: UNESCO)

17. Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria (Germany)
Fantasy meets history in these four castles, built by Ludwig II in the 19th century. Inspired by Wagner, Versailles, and fairytales, they blend artistry, technology, and alpine landscapes.

18. Prehistoric Sites of Khorramabad Valley (Iran)
With occupation dating back 63,000 years, these five caves and a shelter offer rare insight into early humans in the Zagros Mountains. Tools and ornaments reveal cognitive evolution and migration.

19. Wixárika Route to Wirikuta (Mexico)
Stretching 500 km, this sacred pilgrimage trail connects 20 sites across five states. It preserves the spiritual traditions of the Wixárika people, linking mountains, deserts, and rituals.

20. Xixia Imperial Tombs (China)
In Ningxia, nine imperial mausoleums and hundreds of tombs tell the story of the Tangut-founded Xixia Dynasty (1038–1227). Blending Buddhism and Silk Road culture, the necropolis reveals a lost civilization.

21. Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex (Viet Nam)
This mountainous landscape was the cradle of Truc Lam Buddhism during the Tran Dynasty. Temples, shrines, and pagodas still draw pilgrims seeking spiritual continuity.

22.Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park (Brazil)
Home to underground rivers and ancient cave art, this park showcases dramatic karst geology. Its unique ecosystems blend three biomes and support over 2,000 species.

23. Bijagós Archipelago Ecosystems – Omatí Minhô (Guinea-Bissau)
A pristine marine delta, this site shelters endangered sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, and 870,000 migratory birds. Its mangroves and mudflats are vital to Atlantic biodiversity.

24. Gola-Tiwai Complex (Sierra Leone)
Encompassing rainforest and island sanctuary, this area harbours pygmy hippos, rare birds, and ancient forest spirits. It's a hotspot of West African biodiversity and culture.

Møns Klint (Denmark) (Image: UNESCO)

25. Møns Klint (Denmark)
These white chalk cliffs rise above the Baltic, revealing 70 million years of glacial drama. Rare orchids, butterflies, and fossils thrive amid the shifting landscape.

26. Mount Kumgang – Diamond Mountain from the Sea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
A sacred and storied mountain, Kumgang is famed for its gleaming granite peaks and mist-filled valleys. A centre of Korean Buddhism since the 5th century, it marries nature and spirituality in timeless harmony.

Significant Modifications to Natural Properties

In 2024, two transboundary natural parks expanded their boundaries to enhance protection of unique ecosystems and celebrate shared environmental heritage.

(Image: UNESCO)

1. Phong Nha-Ke Bang and Hin Nam No National Parks (Viet Nam, Laos) extend the legacy of Phong Nha-Ke Bang, first inscribed in 2003. The site features stunning karst landscapes, vast caves, and rich biodiversity—home to rare species like the Red-Shanked Douc Langur and giant huntsman spider—creating a cross-border sanctuary where nature and culture thrive.

(Image: UNESCO)

2. iSimangaliso Wetland Park – Maputo National Park (South Africa, Mozambique) expand the 1999 inscribed iSimangaliso Wetland Park, forming a vast biodiversity corridor along the Indian Ocean. This natural corridor shelters nearly 5,000 species across coral reefs, mangroves, and savannahs, highlighting international cooperation to preserve a global biodiversity hotspot for future generations.