# UNESCO 2026 World Heritage additions > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/unesco-2026-world-heritage-additions > Updated: 2026-08-17T15:00:00.000Z. Sources: 16. Developments: 3. In late July 2026, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee met in Busan, South Korea, to announce new inscriptions for the year. An initial briefing on 25 July highlighted more than ten cultural and natural sites across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, naming specific landmarks such as Thailand’s Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Mongolia’s Xiongnu funerary complexes, Kazakhstan’s Mangystau underground-mosque ensemble, China’s Jingdezhen porcelain industry, and India’s Sarnath. Natural recognitions included the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in the United States, the Wadi Wurayah reserve in the United Arab Emirates, and Denmark’s Limfjord bone-fish fossil site. A comprehensive release on 27 July confirmed that 25 properties were officially added, bringing the total list to 1,248 sites in 170 countries. This slate included 19 cultural, five natural and one mixed site. Notable additions featured the D-Day landing beaches in France, Iran’s Alamut Castle, and Finland’s Aalto Works. New member states—Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, and South Sudan—gained their first listings. Three sites—the Boma-Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan), Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon), and Sebastia (Palestine)—were fast-tracked under emergency procedures and placed on the World Heritage in Danger list due to conflict threats. Extensions to existing sites in South Korea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were also approved. Further details identified significant additions such as Mount Olympus in Greece and two 19th-century Amazonian theaters in Brazil: the Amazonas Theatre in Manaus and the Theatro da Paz in Belém. ## Claims - UNESCO World Heritage Committee added 25 new properties for the 2026 inscription cycle. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The D‑Day landing beaches in Normandy, France, were added as a new World Heritage site. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The 25 new sites consist of 19 cultural, five natural and one mixed cultural‑natural property. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Alamut Castle and related fortifications in Iran were added as a new World Heritage site. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe and South Sudan received their first World Heritage site listings. (corroborated by 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. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The total number of World Heritage sites is now 1,248 across 170 countries. (single source) - Extensions were approved for the Getbol tidal mudflats in South Korea and the Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-17: UNESCO adds new sites to World Heritage List UNESCO has added 25 new sites to its World Heritage List, including the Normandy Landing Beaches in France, Mount Olympus in Greece, and historic Amazonian theaters in Brazil. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unesco-adds-new-sites-to-world-heritage-list ### 2026-07-27: UNESCO adds 25 new World Heritage sites for 2026 UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Busan added 25 sites for 2026, including D‑Day beaches, Sarnath, Alamut Castle and first‑time listings for Comoros, São Tomé‑Príncipe and South Sudan; three sites were fast‑ 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unesco-adds-25-new-world-heritage-sites-for-2026 ### 2026-07-25: UNESCO adds new World Heritage sites across Asia, Africa, Europe and Americas UNESCO added over a dozen cultural and natural sites worldwide, including heritage properties in Thailand, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China, India, Comoros, Tunisia, the US, UAE and Denmark. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unesco-adds-new-world-heritage-sites-across-asia-africa-europe-and-americas --- Cite as: UNESCO 2026 World Heritage additions. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/unesco-2026-world-heritage-additions