UNESCO World Heritage Sites

What is a World Heritage site and where are they located in Africa? From Botswana and Tanzania, to Malawi and Ethiopia, Africa is home to a impressive collection of these priceless sites. Visit Ethiopia's on our Timkat and Tribes small group adventure in January 2011. Space is filling fast - call today to reserve your spot.

According to UNESCO, to be included on the World Heritage List, sites must be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one out of ten selection criteria, including such as representing a masterpiece of human genius, to bear a unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition and to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty - read the complete criteria list here .

The World Heritage List includes 911 properties forming part of the cultural and natural heritage which the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. These include 704 cultural , 180 natural and 27 mixed properties in 151 States Parties. As of June 2010, 187 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention.

Sites in Africa include Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and more. Africa Adventure Consultants offers unique cultural and wildlife trips to each of these countries. One of the most comprehensive trips we offer in terms of visiting World Heritage Sites is in Ethiopia. Ethiopia alone has eight sites, our Timkat and Tribes small group adventure visits several of these.

Simien National Park

Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela

Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region

Aksum

Lower Valley of the Awash

Lower Valley of the Omo

Tiya

Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town

Stay tuned for more information on other World Heritage Sites in Africa.

Photos by Andy Richter.