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UNESCO adds 25 new World Heritage sites for 2026
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee met in Busan, South Korea from 19 to 29 July and approved 25 new properties for the 2026 inscription cycle. The additions bring the World Heritage List to 1,248 sites in 170 countries. The slate comprises 19 cultural sites, five natural sites and one mixed cultural‑natural site. Highlights include the D‑Day landing beaches on the Normandy coast of France, Iran’s Alamut Castle, India’s ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath, and Finland’s Aalto Works. First‑time listings were granted to the Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe and South Sudan, expanding representation of under‑registered nations. Three sites—the Boma‑Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan), Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon) and Sebastia (Palestine)—were fast‑tracked under emergency procedures and simultaneously placed on the World Heritage in Danger list because of conflict‑related threats. The Committee also approved extensions of two existing sites: the Getbol tidal mudflats in South Korea and the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNESCO Director‑General Khaled El‑Enany emphasized the decisions aim to protect cultural and natural heritage while fostering sustainable development for the communities that depend on them.
Entities
Alamut Castle (Iran) · D‑Day Landing Beaches (Normandy, France) · Khaled El‑Enany · Sarnath (India) · UNESCO
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The total number of World Heritage sites is now 1,248 across 170 countries. www.cntraveller.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The D‑Day landing beaches in Normandy, France, were added as a new World Heritage site. en.tempo.co · www.globaldiasporanews.com · www.cntraveller.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Boma‑Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan), Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon) and Sebastia (Palestine) were fast‑tracked and added to the World Heritage in Danger list. en.tempo.co · www.globaldiasporanews.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Extensions were approved for the Getbol tidal mudflats in South Korea and the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. www.globaldiasporanews.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Alamut Castle and related fortifications in Iran were added as a new World Heritage site. en.tempo.co · www.cntraveller.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe and South Sudan received their first World Heritage site listings. en.tempo.co · www.globaldiasporanews.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] UNESCO World Heritage Committee added 25 new properties for the 2026 inscription cycle. en.tempo.co · www.globaldiasporanews.com · www.cntraveller.com
- [● 2 SOURCES] The 25 new sites consist of 19 cultural, five natural and one mixed cultural‑natural property. en.tempo.co · www.globaldiasporanews.com