UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palestine
Palestine has 6 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (6 cultural), the first inscribed in 2012 (Church of the Nativity). 4 sites are on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The map below plots every one of them alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 6
- Cultural
- 6
- Natural and Mixed
- 0
- First Inscribed
- 2012
Map of World Heritage Sites in Palestine
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Palestine. Click a dot to read about the site.
Church of the Nativity
Palestine · 31.7043° N, 35.2076° E · 8 km from Jerusalem
The Church of the Nativity, or Basilica of the Nativity, is a basilica located in Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine. The grotto holds a prominent religious significance to Christians of various denominations as the birthplace of Jesus. The grotto is the oldest site continuously used as a place of worship in Christianity, and the basilica is the oldest major church in the Holy Land.
The church was originally commissioned by Constantine the Great a short time after his mother Helena's visit to Jerusalem and Bethlehem in 325–326, on the site that was traditionally considered to be the birthplace of Jesus. That original basilica was likely built between 330 and 333, being already mentioned in 333, and was dedicated on 31 May 339. It was probably destroyed by fire during the Samaritan revolts of the sixth century, possibly in 529, and a new basilica was built a number of years later by Byzantine Emperor Justinian (r. 527–565), who added a porch or narthex, and replaced the octagonal sanctuary with a cruciform transept complete with three apses, but largely preserved the original character of the building, with an atrium and a basilica consisting of a nave with four side aisles.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Church of the Nativity (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Church of the Nativity Is Listed
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
More about Church of the Nativity
UNESCO's Description
The inscribed property is situated 10 km south of Jerusalem on the site identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus since the 2nd century. A church was first completed there in ad 339 and the edifice that replaced it after a fire in the 6th century retains elaborate floor mosaics from the original building. The site also includes Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian convents and churches, as well as bell towers, terraced gardens and a pilgrimage route.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
The holy site known as the Nativity Grotto is thought to be the manger where Jesus was born. In 135, Emperor Hadrian had the site above the grotto converted into a worship place for Adonis, the mortal lover of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of beauty and desire. Jerome claimed in 420 that the grotto had been consecrated to the worship of Adonis, and that a sacred grove was planted there in order to completely wipe out the sect.
In Bethlehem the cave is pointed out where He was born, and the manger in the cave where He was wrapped in swaddling clothes. And the rumor is in those places, and among foreigners of the Faith, that indeed Jesus was born in this cave who is worshiped and reverenced by the Christians.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Church of the Nativity (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Key Facts
| Established | 327 CE |
|---|---|
| Area | 0 km² |
| Architectural style | Early Christian architecture, Romanesque architecture |
Facts from Wikidata Q194504 (CC0).
Tell es-Sultan
Palestine · 31.8717° N, 35.4446° E · 23 km from Ramallah
Tell es-Sultan (Arabic: تل السلطان, lit. Sultan's Hill), also known as Tel Jericho or Ancient Jericho, is an archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 2023) in Palestine, in the city of Jericho, consisting of the remains of the oldest fortified city in the world. The site is managed as a National Archaeological Park by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities/Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage (MoTA–DACH), which oversees on-site conservation in continued partnership with the Sapienza University of Rome archaeological expedition.
It is located adjacent to the Ein es-Sultan refugee camp, 2 km (1.2 mi) north of the centre of the Palestinian city of Jericho. The tell was inhabited from the 10th millennium BCE, which makes Jericho among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The site is notable for its role in the history of Levantine archaeology.
The area was first identified as the site of ancient Jericho in modern times by Charles Warren in 1868, on the basis of its proximity to the large spring of Ein es-Sultan, that had been proposed as the spring of Elisha by Edward Robinson three decades earlier.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Tell es-Sultan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Tell es-Sultan Is Listed
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
More about Tell es-Sultan
UNESCO's Description
Ancient Jerico/Tell es-Sultan is located northwest of present-day Jericho in the Jordan Valley in Palestine, the property is an oval-shaped Tell, or mound, that contains the prehistorical deposits of human activity, and includes the adjacent perennial spring of ‘Ain es-Sultan. By the 9th to 8th millennium BC, Neolithic Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan was already a sizeable permanent settlement, as expressed by surviving monumental architectural attributes such as a wall with a ditch and a tower. It reflects the developments of the period, which include the shifting of humanity to a sedentary communal lifestyle and the related transition to new subsistence economies, as well as changes in social organisation and the development of religious practices, testified by skulls and statues found. The Early Bronze Age archaeological material on the site provides insights into urban planning, while vestiges from the Middle Bronze Age reveal the presence of a large Canaanite city-state, equipped with an urban centre and technologically innovative rampart fortifications, occupied by a socially complex population.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History and archaeology
The droughts and cold of the Younger Dryas came to an end around 9600 BCE, ushering in the Holocene epoch and the Epipaleolithic period of human history. The resulting warmer climate made it possible for Natufian groups to extend the duration of their stay, eventually leading to year-round habitation and permanent settlement. The first permanent settlement at Tell es-Sultan—marked by the construction of Natufian structures—developed between 10,000 and 9000 BCE, which appears to predate the invention of agriculture. Tell es-Sultan was a popular camping ground for Natufian hunter-gatherer groups due to the nearby Ein as-Sultan spring; these hunter-gatherers left a scattering of crescent-shaped microlith tools behind.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Tell es-Sultan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Key Facts
| Established | 96th century BCE |
|---|---|
| Area | 0.1 km² |
Facts from Wikidata Q2402267 (CC0).
Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir
Palestine · 31.7197° N, 35.1306° E · 3 km² · 10 km from Jerusalem
This site is located a few kilometres south-west of Jerusalem, in the Central Highlands between Nablus and Hebron. The Battir hill landscape comprises a series of farmed valleys, known as widian , with characteristic stone terraces, some of which are irrigated for market garden production, while others are dry and planted with grapevines and olive trees. The development of terrace farming in such a mountainous region is supported by a network of irrigation channels fed by underground sources. A traditional system of distribution is then used to share the water collected through this network between families from the nearby village of Battir.
Description from the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Why Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir Is Listed
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
- (v)
- An outstanding example of traditional human settlement or land use.
Old City of Hebron
Palestine · 31.5253° N, 35.1083° E · 2 km from Al Khalil
The Old City of Hebron (Arabic: البلدة القديمة الخليل Hebrew: עיר העתיקה של חברון) is the historic city centre of Hebron. The Hebron of antiquity is thought by archaeologists to have originally started elsewhere, at Tel Rumeida, which is approximately 200 meters (660 ft) west of today's Old City, and thought to have originally been a Canaanite city. Today's Old City was settled in Greek or Roman times (circa 3rd to 1st centuries BCE). It became the center of the overall Hebron site during the Abbasid Caliphate (which began circa 750 CE).
It was recognized as the third World Heritage Site in the State of Palestine in 2017.
The Old City is built around the Cave of the Patriarchs, the traditional burial site of the biblical Patriarchs and Matriarchs, and venerated by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The Old City is a sensitive location in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict in Hebron.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Old City of Hebron (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Old City of Hebron Is Listed
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
- (iv)
- An outstanding example of a type of building or landscape.
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
More about Old City of Hebron
UNESCO's Description
The use of a local limestone shaped the construction of the old town of Hebron/Al-Khalil during the Mamluk period between 1250 and 1517. The centre of interest of the town was the site of Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The tomb of the Patriarchs whose buildings are in a compound built in the 1st century AD to protect the tombs of the patriarch Abraham/Ibrahim and his family. This place became a site of pilgrimage for the three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The town was sited at the crossroads of trade routes for caravans travelling between southern Palestine, Sinai, Eastern Jordan and the north of the Arabian Peninsula. Although the subsequent Ottoman Period (1517-1917) heralded an extension of the town to the surrounding areas and brought numerous architectural additions, particularly the raising of the roof level of houses to provide more upper stories, the overall Mamluk morphology of the town is seen to have persisted with its hierarchy of areas, quarters based on ethnic, religious or professional groupings, and houses with groups of rooms organized according to a tree-shaped system.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
The present Old City was first settled in either the Greek or at the latest by Roman times. It was settled in the valley downhill from Tel Rumeida, considered to be the center of biblical Hebron. It was not until the start of the Abbasid Caliphate that the current city became the center of Hebron, building up around the focal point of the Cave of the Patriarchs.
The urban structure of the Old City of Hebron dates to the Mamluk period and has remained mostly unchanged. A majority of the buildings are Ottoman-era from the eighteenth century, along with some half dozen Mamluk structures. It is composed of a number of cell-like quarters with narrowly packed fortified houses functioning as a boundary to each area, with gates at the end of the main streets.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Old City of Hebron (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Tell Umm el-'Amr
Palestine · 31.4472° N, 34.3664° E · 12 km from Gaza
Tell Umm el-'Amr, also known as Tell Umm Amer, is an archaeological site in the Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza Strip, Palestine. The site contains the Saint Hilarion Monastery, which was established in the 4th century. Tell Umm el-'Amr (including the monastery) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2024 and was simultaneously added to the 'In Danger' list.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Tell Umm el-'Amr (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Tell Umm el-'Amr Is Listed
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
- (vi)
- A direct association with events, ideas or beliefs of universal significance.
More about Tell Umm el-'Amr
UNESCO's Description
Situated on the coastal dunes in Nuseirat Municipality, the ruins of Saint Hilarion Monastery/ Tell Umm Amer represent one of the earliest monastic sites in the Middle East, dating back to the 4th century. Founded by Saint Hilarion, the monastery began with solitary hermits and evolved into a coenobitic community. It was the first monastic community in the Holy Land, laying the groundwork for the spread of monastic practices in the region. The monastery occupied a strategic position at the crossroads of major trade and communication routes between Asia and Africa. This prime location facilitated its role as a hub of religious, cultural, and economic interchange, exemplifying the flourishing of monastic desert centres during the Byzantine period.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
Uncovered by local archaeologists in 1999, the Tell Umm el-'Amr site was active from the 4th to the 8th century and contains Christian artifacts. The ancient village of Tabatha was once located there. The site consists of the monastery of Saint Hilarion; as well as religious buildings (e.g. church, cloister) and all the outbuildings necessary for the life of the monks (e.g. miscellaneous room, dormitory). Additionally, the archaeologists found a hotel complex and baths probably used by visiting pilgrims at the site.
In 2013, fundraising was launched in order to be able to carry out excavations on the site and put in place protection measures.
The British Council's Cultural Protection Fund funded a conservation programme at Tell Umm el-'Amr.
Location
Tell Umm el-ʿAmr is located in the dune landscapes south of the mouth of the Wadi Ghazzeh in the area of the Al Nusairat refugee camp, about 5.3 miles (8.5 km) south of Gaza City. The distance to the Mediterranean coast is 1,000–2,000 feet (300–610 m). In the east and southeast of the Tell Umm el-'Amr site, there are palm groves that form a border with the neighboring town of Deir al-Balah. The archaeological site covers an area of approximately 46,000 square feet (4,300 m2).
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Tell Umm el-'Amr (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Sebastia
Palestine · 32.2667° N, 35.1833° E · 1 km² · 8 km from Nablus
Sebastia (Arabic: سبسطية, Sabastiyah; Greek: Σεβαστή, Σεβάστεια, romanized: Sevasti, Sevasteia; Hebrew: סבסטיה, Sebastiya; Latin: Sebaste) is a Palestinian village of about 3,205 inhabitants, located in the Nablus Governorate of the State of Palestine, some 12 kilometers northwest of the city of Nablus.
Sebastia is believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the West Bank. In the 9th century BCE, it was known as Samaria, and served as the capital city of the northern Kingdom of Israel until it was destroyed by the Neo-Assyrian Empire around 720 BCE. It became an administrative center under Assyrian, Babylonian and Persian rule.
During the early Roman period, the city was expanded and fortified by Herod the Great, who renamed it Sebastia in honor of emperor Augustus. Since the middle of the 4th century, the town has been identified by Christians and Muslims as the burial site of John the Baptist, whose purported grave is today part of Nabi Yahya Mosque. Conquered by Muslims in the 7th century, the present-day village of Sebastia is home to a number of important archaeological sites.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Sebastia, Nablus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Sebastia Is Listed
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
More about Sebastia
History and archaeology
Between 880-723/22 BCE, Samaria was the capital of the northern Israelite kingdom of Israel, also known as Samaria after its long-time capital. Under the four centuries long Mesopotamian rule (723/22-322 BCE), it reached a golden age, which was again the case under King Herod (r. 37-4 BCE).
On the tell (archaeological mound), archaeologists uncovered various larger structures and smaller finds such as pottery sherds, from the first settlement, dating to the Early Bronze Age, from the Israelite Iron Age city, and the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. At the modern village site of Sebastiyeh near the tell, pottery findings were dated to the Late Roman and Byzantine periods, but also to the Early Muslim, medieval (Crusader, Ayyubid, etc.), Ottoman and modern periods.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Sebastia, Nablus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
World Heritage in Palestine: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Palestine?
- Palestine has 6 World Heritage Sites: 6 cultural.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Palestine?
- Church of the Nativity, inscribed in 2012. The most recent is Sebastia, inscribed in 2026.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Palestine in danger?
- Yes: Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir, Old City of Hebron, Tell Umm el-'Amr, Sebastia are on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.