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List of World Heritage Sites in Israel

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TheUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)World Heritage Sitesare places of importance toculturalornatural heritageas described in the UNESCOWorld Heritage Convention,established in 1972.[1]Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural heritage is defined as physical and biological formations, geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened flora and fauna), and sites which are important from the point of view of scientific research, conservation or natural aesthetic.[2]

TheState of Israelratified the convention on 6 October 1999, making its cultural and natural sites eligible for inclusion on the list. The country has nine sites, all of which are cultural. The earliest inclusions were Masda and the Old City of Acre in 2001; the latest inclusion was the network of caves atBeit Guvrin-Maresha National Parkin 2014. In addition, theIsraeli cabinethas put 18 sites on its tentative list, meaning they intend to nominate them as World Heritage Sites sometime in the future. 14 of them were put in the year 2000. Unlike the official list, the tentative list contains several sites of natural and mixed heritage.[3]

Due to itsconflict with the State of Palestine,Israel has a strained relationship with UNESCO, described by Palestinian journalist Ramzy Baroud as "an existential battle".[4]UNESCO recognizes Palestine's ownership ofEast Jerusalemin 2011, despite assigning no countries to theOld City of Jerusalemand its Walls site.[5][6]On that same year,Palestine ratified the convention,a decision opposed by Israel who left UNESCO in 2019 claiming that the organization fails to recognize its cultural connection with Jerusalem, though it still remains in the convention. The inclusion ofTell es-Sultanin ancientJerichoas a Palestinian site was criticized byIsrael's Foreign Ministryas indicating "Palestinians' cynical use of UNESCO andpoliticizationof [it] "and wishes to revert the" distorted decisions ".[7]Israeli heritage organization Emek Shaveh noting that the part of Jericho claimed by Israel is not the one listed.[8]

World Heritage Sites

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UNESCO lists sites underten criteria;each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.[9]

The table is sortable by column by clicking on theat the top of the appropriate column; alphanumerically for the site, area, and year columns; by state party for the location column; and by criteria type for the criteria column. Transborder sites sort at the bottom.
Site;named after theWorld Heritage Committee's official designation[10]
Location;at city, regional, or provincial level and geocoordinates
Criteria;as defined by the World Heritage Committee[11]
Area;inhectaresandacres.If available, the size of the buffer zone has been noted as well. A value of zero implies that no data has been published byUNESCO
Year;during which the site was inscribed to theWorld Heritage List
Description;brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable

World Heritage Sites located in Israel

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Site Image Location Criteria Area
ha (acre)
Year Description Refs
Bahá’i Holy PlacesinHaifaand theWestern Galilee Large white buildings in a landscape garden. Haifa DistrictandNorthern District
32°49′46″N34°58′18″E/ 32.82944°N 34.97167°E/32.82944; 34.97167(Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee)
Cultural:
(iii)(vi)
63 (160); buffer zone 255 (630) 2008 [12]
BiblicalTels:Megiddo,Hazor,Be’er Sheva Ruins of building consisting of low walls of unhewn stones. Northern District andNegev
32°35′50″N35°10′56″E/ 32.59722°N 35.18222°E/32.59722; 35.18222(Biblical Tels–Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba)
Cultural:
(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
96 (240); buffer zone 604 (1,490) 2005 [13]
Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev Ruins of buildings in a desert. Negev
30°32′28″N35°9′39″E/ 30.54111°N 35.16083°E/30.54111; 35.16083(Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev)
Cultural:
(iii)(v)
2005 [14]
Masada Ruins of a building made of unhewn stones. Southern District
31°18′49″N35°21′10″E/ 31.31361°N 35.35278°E/31.31361; 35.35278(Masada)
Cultural:
(iii)(iv)(vi)
276 (680); buffer zone 28,965 (71,570) 2001 [15]
Old City of Acre A fortress or a tower of a fortification. Western Galilee
32°55′42″N35°5′2″E/ 32.92833°N 35.08389°E/32.92833; 35.08389(Old City of Acre)
Cultural:
(ii)(iii)(v)
63 (160) 2001 [16]
White City of Tel Aviv—the Modern Movement White modern building. Tel Aviv
32°4′0″N34°47′0″E/ 32.06667°N 34.78333°E/32.06667; 34.78333(White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement)
Cultural:
(ii)(iv)
140 (350); buffer zone 197 (490) 2003 [17]
Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves Mount Carmel
32°40′12″N34°57′55″E/ 32.67000°N 34.96528°E/32.67000; 34.96528(Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves)
Cultural:
(iii)(v)
54 (130); buffer zone 370 (910) 2012 [18]
Caves of Maresha and Beit Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves Southern District
31°36′0″N34°53′44″E/ 31.60000°N 34.89556°E/31.60000; 34.89556(Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin)
Cultural:
(v)
259 (640) 2014 [19]
Necropolis of Beit She’arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal Haifa District
32°42′8″N35°7′37″E/ 32.70222°N 35.12694°E/32.70222; 35.12694(Necropolis of Bet She’arim)
Cultural:
(ii)(iii)
12 (30); buffer zone 64 (160) 2015 [20]

List of properties in the tentative list

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In addition to sites inscribed on theWorld Heritage List,member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list.[21]As of 2015,Israelrecorded 18 sites on its tentative list. The sites, along with the year they were included on the tentative list are:[22]

Site Image Location Criteria Year
Triple-arch Gate atDan& Sources ofthe Jordan Northern District Mixed:
(iv)(vi)(vii)(x)
2000
EarlySynagoguesin theGalilee Northern District Cultural:
(iii)(vi)
2000
The Galilee Journeys ofJesus& theApostles Northern District Cultural:
(iii)(vi)
2000
Sea of Galilee& its Ancient Sites Northern District Mixed 2000
Khirbat al-Minya Northern District Cultural:
(iv)
2000
Mount Arbel(Arbel,Nabi Shu'ayb,Horns of Hattin) Northern District Mixed 2000
Degania Alef&Nahalal Northern District Cultural:
(v)(vi)
2000
Beit She'an Northern District Cultural:
(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)
2000
Caesarea Maritima Haifa District Cultural:
(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)
2000
White Mosque of Ramla Central District Cultural:
(ii)(iv)
2000
Jerusalem(extension) Jerusalem District Cultural:
(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)
2000
Mount Karkom Southern District Cultural:
(iii)(v)
2000
Timna Valley Southern District Mixed 2000
The Crusader Fortresses Various districts Cultural:
(iv)(v)(vi)
2000
Makhteshim Country Southern District Mixed 2001
TheGreat Rift Valley– Migratory Routes –Hula Valley Northern District Natural 2004
Lifta (Mey Naftoah)– Traditional Mountain Village Jerusalem District Cultural:
(ii)(iii)(v)
2015
Ein Kerem,a Village & its Cultural Landscape Jerusalem District Cultural:
(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)
2015

See also

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References

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  1. ^"The World Heritage Convention".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Archivedfrom the original on 27 August 2016.Retrieved21 September2010.
  2. ^"Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Archivedfrom the original on 1 February 2021.Retrieved3 February2021.
  3. ^Centre, UNESCO World Heritage."Israel - UNESCO World Heritage Convention".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Retrieved2023-10-19.
  4. ^Baroud, Ramzy (25 September 2023)."Ghosts of the past: For Israel, war on UNESCO is an existential battle".Middle East Monitor.Retrieved19 October2023.
  5. ^"Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls",UNESCO World Heritage List website, accessed 13 November 2017.
  6. ^UNESCO press release,15 July 2011, accessed 13 November 2017.
  7. ^AP and ToI Staff."UNESCO votes to list ruins near ancient Jericho as a World Heritage Site in Palestine".www.timesofisrael.com.Retrieved2023-10-19.
  8. ^"Unesco's addition of West Bank archaeological site to World Heritage list fans Israel-Palestine tensions".The Art Newspaper - International art news and events.2023-09-19.Retrieved2023-10-19.
  9. ^"UNESCO World Heritage Centre The Criteria for Selection".UNESCO World Heritage Centre.Archivedfrom the original on 12 June 2016.Retrieved17 August2018.
  10. ^"World Heritage List".UNESCO.Retrieved28 May2010.
  11. ^"The Criteria for Selection".UNESCO.Retrieved10 September2011.
  12. ^"Bahá'i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee".UNESCO.Retrieved17 Aug2011.
  13. ^"Biblical Tels–Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba".UNESCO.Retrieved17 Aug2011.
  14. ^"Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev".UNESCO.Retrieved17 Aug2011.
  15. ^"Masada".UNESCO.Retrieved17 Aug2011.
  16. ^"Old City of Acre".UNESCO.Retrieved17 Aug2011.
  17. ^"White City of Tel-Aviv – the Modern Movement".UNESCO.Retrieved17 Aug2011.
  18. ^"Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me'arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves".UNESCO.Retrieved16 Jul2012.
  19. ^"Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin in the Judean Lowlands as a Microcosm of the Land of the Caves".UNESCO.Retrieved3 Aug2015.
  20. ^"Necropolis of Bet She'arim: A Landmark of Jewish Renewal".UNESCO.Retrieved3 Aug2015.
  21. ^"Tentative Lists".UNESCO.RetrievedJuly 12,2014.
  22. ^UNESCO Official page for Tentative list
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