UNESCO's 2025 heritage picks: 26 sites added, Africa leads, histories honoured (full list inside)

Time of India

24-07-2025

UNESCO's 47th World Heritage Committee session wrapped up in Paris this month with 26 new inscriptions to its iconic World Heritage List. From prehistoric petroglyphs in Korea to cultural landscapes in Australia, the new additions reflect a growing focus on community-led conservation, memory sites, and African heritage.
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With these additions, the total number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites globally now stands at 1,248, spread across 170 countries.
Africa in the spotlight
Four African sites made it to the list this year, and at the same time, three African sites—located in Madagascar, Egypt, and Libya—were removed from the World Heritage in Danger List, citing successful conservation efforts.
UNESCO has pumped over $34 million since 2020 into strengthening African nominations, funding everything from expert training to on-ground community projects.
'Making Africa a priority is not symbolic. It's a concrete, day-to-day and long-term commitment, driven by the idea that the continent must be recognized for its historical, cultural and natural importance.' said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
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Marathas and memory sites: India and Cambodia join in
India's entry this year celebrates its military heritage: the Maratha Military Landscapes, which include forts like Rajgad and Shivneri, showcasing the strategic acumen of the Maratha Empire.
Cambodia's Memorial Sites, marking the dark legacy of the Khmer Rouge regime, were added to recognize places of reflection and learning. The move echoes a rising trend of UNESCO acknowledging modern historical tragedies along with ancient wonders.
Prehistory gets its due
One-third of the new sites are linked to prehistoric human activity — emphasizing UNESCO's push to safeguard what it calls our 'shared prehistory.' These sites span cave paintings, megalithic tombs, and ancient routes still followed by Indigenous communities.
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Here's the full list of New World Heritage Sites in 2025:
1. Cambodia –
Memorial Sites from centres of repression to places of peace and reflection
2. Tajikistan –
Cultural Heritage Sites of Ancient Khuttal
3. Cameroon –
Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains
4. UAE –
Faya Palaeolandscape
5. Malaysia –
Forest Research Institute Malaysia Forest Park, Selangor
6. Italy –
Funerary Tradition in the Prehistory of Sardinia
7. India –
Maratha Military Landscapes
8. Greece –
Minoan Palatial Centres
9. Malawi –
Mount Mulanje Cultural Landscape
10. Australia –
Murujuga Cultural Landscape
11. South Korea –
Petroglyphs along the Bangucheon Stream
12. Iran –
Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley
13. Russia –
Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave
14. Türkiye –
Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe
15. Jamaica –
Archaeological Ensemble of 17th Century Port Royal
16. Panama –
The Colonial Transisthmian Route
17. Mexico –
Wixárika Route through Sacred Sites to Wirikuta
18. China –
Xixia Imperial Tombs
19. Guinea-Bissau –
Coastal and Marine Ecosystems of the Bijagós Archipelago
20. Denmark –
Møns Klint
21. Brazil –
Peruaçu River Canyon
22. South Korea –
Mount Kumgang
23. Sierra Leone –
Gola-Tiwai Complex
24. Vietnam –
Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments
25. France –
Megaliths of Carnac and shores of the Morbihan
26. Germany –
Palaces of King Ludwig II of Bavaria
Additionally, the Committee approved the extension of an existing South African site into Mozambique, creating a transboundary natural park spanning nearly 4,000 sq km.