TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The UNESCO World Heritage Committee has added 25 new properties to its World Heritage list during its annual meeting in Busan, South Korea. The 2026 selections comprise 19 cultural landmarks, five natural properties, and one mixed site recognized for both environmental and historical value.
According to reports by Time Out, the latest inscriptions honor ancient civilizations, religious landmarks, biodiversity hotspots, and modern historical grounds. In addition to the new listings, two existing sites, namely Berlin's modernist housing estates and South Korea's Getbol tidal mudflats, were expanded.
Among the additions are the D-Day Landing Beaches in Normandy, France. The designation covers Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword beaches, alongside Pointe du Hoc, the remains of the German Atlantic Wall, and the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer. Wanderlust Magazine noted that the recognition of these historic amphibious landing sites is "set to garner the most headlines" for their historic role in returning peace to Europe.
Other cultural additions span several continents. Iran’s Alamt Castle, a mountain fortification network that inspired the legendary "Assassins" of popular culture, joined the list alongside India’s ancient site of Sarnath, where the Buddha delivered his first sermon in the sixth century BCE.
Smaller nations also achieved historical milestones. The island nation of Comoros, recognized for its historic medinas blending African and Islamic traditions, and São Tomé and Príncipe, cited for its colonial plantation architecture, made their first-time listings.
Greece's Mount Olympus stands out as the year's only mixed site. Time Out described the landmark as both a cultural headquarters for Greek mythology and a natural "biodiversity hotspot for Mediterranean plant life and a glacial refuge for ancient forest species."
However, several designations underscore current global tensions. Three new sites, namely the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape in South Sudan, the Mount Amel Castles in Lebanon, and the ancient village of Sebastia in Palestine, were fast-tracked through emergency procedures and simultaneously added to the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Time Out reported that these sites were expedited due to "serious, immediate threats from conflict." South Sudan's site, which supports the world's largest land mammal migration, also faces severe threats from civil unrest and wildlife poaching, while the sites in Lebanon and Palestine remain endangered by regional fighting.
Through these listings, UNESCO continues its effort to safeguard irreplaceable natural and cultural treasures while raising awareness for heritage under threat.
Complete List of New UNESCO World Heritage Sites for 2026
Cultural Properties
1. Aalto Works – Finland
2. Alamt Castle and Related Fortifications – Iran
3. Amazonia Theaters – Brazil
4. Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath – India
5. Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara – Japan
6. Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944 – France
7. Gdynia Modernist City Centre – Poland
8. Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites – China
9. Mount Amel Castles – Lebanon (also listed as Endangered)
10. Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau – Kazakhstan
11. Royal Capetian Fortresses of Languedoc – France
12. Sebastia – State of Palestine (also listed as Endangered)
13. Tashkent Modernist Architecture – Uzbekistan
14. The Cemetery Complexes of the Xiongnu Nobility – Mongolia
15. The Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros – Comoros
16. The Roças of São Tomé and Príncipe – São Tomé and Príncipe
17. The System of Italian-style Condominio Theatres – Italy
18. Village of Sidi Bou Saïd – Tunisia
19. Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat – Thailand
Natural Properties
20. Aqaba Marine Reserve – Jordan
21. Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape – South Sudan (also listed as Endangered)
22. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge – United States
23. The Bony Fish Fossils of the Western Limfjord – Denmark
24. Wadi Wurayah – United Arab Emirates
Mixed Properties (Cultural and Natural)
25. The Wider Area of Mount Olympus – Greece
Read: UNESCO Adds Lebanese, West Bank Sites to Endangered List
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