List of World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia

Aksum

Fasil Ghebbi

Harar

Konso

Awash

Omo

Lalibela

Simien

Tiya

Bale Mountains

Gedeo

class=notpageimage|

Locations of World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World 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 features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage.^[2] Ethiopia accepted the convention on 6 July 1977.^[3] There are 11 World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia, with a further seven on the tentative list.^[3]

The first two sites in Ethiopia added to the list were the Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela, and the Simien National Park, both at the Second Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Washington, D.C., in 1978.^[4] The most recent sites listed were the Gedeo Cultural Landscape and Bale Mountains National Park, in 2023.^[3] Simien and Bale Mountains are natural sites while the other nine sites are listed for their cultural significance.^[3] In 1996 Simien was listed as endangered because of the impact of a new road across the property, excessive cattle grazing, agricultural encroachment, and a drop in the number of populations of large mammals. Following improvements in management and recovering animal communities, the site was removed from the endangered list in 2017.^[5] Ethiopia has served as a member of the World Heritage Committee twice: 2009–2013 and 2019–2023.^[3]