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As of September 2017, Somalia has no official World Heritage Sites since the Somali government is not party to the 1972 World Heritage Convention. However, there are -- at the very least -- around a dozen archaeological sites in the country that are believed to be potential future candidates for World Heritage status.[4]
Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x).[5] Some sites, designated "mixed sites", represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Africa, there are 91 cultural, 50 natural, and 6 mixed sites.[1]
Several efforts have been devoted to increasing the number of sites and preserving the heritage of existing sites on the continent; for example, on 5 May 2006, the African World Heritage Fund was launched by UNESCO to target the region of Sub-Saharan Africa. It planned to protect the sites by hiring personnel for state parties to maintain national inventories of existing sites, as well as to "prepare nomination dossiers for inscription onto the World Heritage List". Grants were also destined to help the "[conservation] and management of heritage properties in general" and to rehabilitate properties in danger.[6]
The drive was initially funded by South Africa with US$3.5 million,[6] and, as of March 2011, has amassed $4.7 million from various countries, with an additional $4.1 million in pending pledges.[7] UNESCO has also attempted to increase awareness of African human origin sites in Ethiopia, with a goal of conserving and protecting the areas from further deterioration.[8]
The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered, citing "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List".[9] Along with other World Heritage Sites, sites in danger are subject to re-evaluation by the committee every year at their "ordinary sessions".[10][11] Africa has 21 sites on the danger list, accounting for 14% of all African sites and 40% of the 52 endangered sites worldwide. Libya has 5 sites on the danger list, the second-highest of any country in the world.[b][12]
Sites in Africa have been marked as such for a variety of reasons, such as deforestation and hunting,[13][14] civil war,[15] threats to and hostage taking of reserve staff,[16] oil and gas projects and mining,[17] declines in biodiversity,[18] and structural damage to buildings.[19] Ten sites were formerly declared as being in danger, but have since lost the status; examples include the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (1984–1989),[20] the Rwenzori Mountains National Park (1999–2004),[21] and Tipasa (2002–2006).[22]Garamba National Park and Timbuktu have also lost their statuses in 1992 and 2005, respectively, but later regained it in 1996 and 2012.[23][24] Despite its large number of endangered sites and the circumstances surrounding them, African World Heritage Sites have never been stripped of their title, something that has only occurred three times.
World Heritage Sites
Legend
The list below ignores UNESCO's geopolitical definition of Africa and includes what it describes as sites in the "Arab States".[25]Egypt is included as part of North Africa. The list also comprises a number of sites for which the state party is outside the continent, but the site itself is located in Africa; four such sites are located on the Canary Islands (belonging to Spain), one on Madeira (belonging to Portugal), one on Réunion (belonging to France), and one on the Tristan da Cunha archipelago (belonging to the United Kingdom).
The table is sortable by column by clicking on the at the top of the appropriate column; alphanumerically for the Site, Area, and Year columns; by state party followed by the region for the Location column; and by criteria type followed by the country for the Criteria column.
Site – named after the World Heritage Committee's official designation[1]
Location – sorted by country, followed by the region at the regional or provincial level. In the case of multinational or multi-regional sites, the names are sorted alphabetically.
Criteria – as defined by the World Heritage Committee[5]
Area – in hectares and acres, excluding any buffer zones. A value of "—" implies that no data has been published by UNESCO
Year – during which the site was inscribed to the World Heritage List
Description – brief information about the site, including reasons for qualifying as an endangered site, if applicable
After the British abolished slavery in Mauritius, the Aapravasi Ghat was chosen by the British government to receive Indian indentured laborers into the country to work on farms and sugar estates. Between 1834 and 1920, almost half a million contracted workers passed through Port Louis from India, either to work in Mauritius or to transfer to other British colonies.[26]
The ruins of the former Christian holy city contain a church, a baptistery, basilicas, public buildings, streets, monasteries, houses, and workshops, and were built over the tomb of Menas of Alexandria.[27] The World Heritage Committee designated Abu Mena as an endangered site in 2001, due to cave-ins in the area caused by the clay at the surface, which becomes semi-liquid when met with "excess water".[28]
Africa's largest protected area, located in the Saharan desert of Ténéré, consists of the volcanic rock mass of Aïr and a small isolated Sahelian pocket with unique flora and fauna.[29] The natural reserve was placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 1992, due to the increase in military conflicts and the hostage-taking of six reserve staff in February. Removal from this list was considered in 1999, but as of 2011, its position remains unchanged.[30][31]
The ruins of the city of Aksum, dating from the 1st to the 13th century, marks the heart of ancient Ethiopian civilisation. It includes monolithicobelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs, and ruins of former castles.[32]
The fortified first capital of the Hammadid emirs was originally built in 1007 and demolished in 1152. It features an 8-bay, 13-aisle mosque, which is one of the largest in Algeria.[33]
The Aldabra Atoll consists of four large coral islands and a lagoon, surrounded by a coral reef. The islands are home to the world's largest population of giant tortoises.[34]
The Amphitheatre of El Jem, built during the 3rd century, is North Africa's largest amphitheatre, and the largest one built outside of Italy, with a capacity of 35,000 spectators, and "illustrates the grandeur and extent of Imperial Rome".[35]
A series of five archaeological locations spread across the country, recognized for their historical significance in the development and practice of iron smelting technology in Africa. Each site contains remains of furnaces and other features associated with the iron production process, showcasing the technological innovation and skill of the people in this region. [36]
"Founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, these trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. [...] Typically, houses with patios crowd along narrow streets around a mosque with a square minaret. They illustrate a traditional way of life centred on the nomadic culture of the people of the western Sahara."[37]
The former capital of Egypt and city of the Egyptian god Amun contains relics from the height of Ancient Egypt. The temples, palaces, and the necropolises of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens bear "a striking testimony to Egyptian civilization".[38]
Founded in the 9th century BCE, Carthage was developed into a trading empire spanning the Mediterranean and was, according to UNESCO, "home to a brilliant civilization". The city was destroyed in 146 BCE in the Punic Wars at the hands of the Romans, but was later rebuilt by these.[39]
The formerly Greek colony was Romanized and transformed into a capital, until it was destroyed by the 365 Crete earthquake. The thousand-year-old ruins have remained renowned since the 18th century.[40] All five sites in Libya, including Cyrene, were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016, due to ongoing conflict in the country.[41]
The Roman city of Leptis Magna was enlarged by Emperor Septimius Severus, who was born there. Public monuments, a harbour, a marketplace, storehouses, shops, and homes were among the reasons for its induction into the list.[42] All five sites in Libya, including Leptis Magna, were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016, due to ongoing conflict in the country.[43]
"A Phoenician trading-post that served as an outlet for the products of the African hinterland, Sabratha was part of the short-lived Numidian Kingdom of Massinissa before being Romanized and rebuilt in the 2nd and 3rd centuries."[44] All five sites in Libya, including Sabratha, were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016, due to ongoing conflict in the country.[45]
The important Roman outpost of Volubilis was founded in the 3rd century BCE to become the capital of Mauretania. It contained many buildings, the remains of which have survived extensively to this day.[46]
The site was the centre of the Kingdom of Kush, a major force active from the 8th century BCE to the 4th century CE. It is home to pyramids, temples, and domestic buildings, among other vestiges.[47]
The site, north-east of Kumasi, hosts the final intact remains of the Ashanti Empire, which peaked in the 18th century. The dwellings, which are made of earth, wood, and straw, are susceptible to the damages caused by the "onslaught of time and weather".[48]
Located at over 2000 metres above sea level, the capital of Eritrea developed from the 1890s onwards as a military outpost for the Italian colonial power. After 1935, Asmara underwent a large scale programme of construction applying the Italian rationalist idiom of the time to governmental edifices, residential and commercial buildings, churches, mosques, synagogues, cinemas, hotels, etc.[49]
The mountains contain the world's oldest geological structures and are known to have preserved volcanic and sedimentary rocks estimated to be between 3.6 and 3.25 billion years old.[50]
The park consists of sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands, and shallow bodies of water, all bordering the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Birds are often found to migrate in the area, accompanied by various species of sea turtles and dolphins, whose presence fishermen often use to attract fish.[51]
This area stands out for its cultural diversity and the preservation of traditional lifestyles, deeply intertwined with the natural environment. The communities maintain unique cultural identities, practices, and structures, reflecting their adaptation to the landscape. Their traditional practices, including agriculture, architecture, and religious ceremonies.[52]
Located on the border of plains and mountain forests, the park in south-western Uganda is home to over 160 species of trees, over a hundred species of ferns, and various species of birds and butterflies. Many endangered species are within its boundaries as well, including the mountain gorilla.[53]
The site consists of eight protected areas that are among the richest in plant life worldwide, containing nearly 20% of Africa's total flora. Its scientific value is demonstrated by the presence of fire and radiation adaptivity in plants and seed dispersal by insects.[54]
The 127-site area contains the richest concentration of rock art in Central Africa, ranging from Stone Age paintings to contemporary work from farmers. The symbols depicted in the rock art are strongly centred around women and retain a cultural significance for the Chewa.[55]
The town, in the south of the island of Santiago, was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics, with remains dating back to the 16th century. Two churches, a royal fortress, and Pillary Square help comprise the tropical town's original street layout.[56]
The sandy plateau and cliffs of Bandiagara outline the site, featuring houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries, and Togu-Na meeting-places. Age-old social traditions such as masks, feasts, rituals, and ancestral worship also add to its cultural significance.[57]
Among the largest protected sites of West Africa, the park features the Comoé River and the unique flora which accompanies it.[58] The site was placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2003, due to unrest in Côte d'Ivoire, and various other factors such as poaching, wildfires, lack of proper management of the site, and overgrazing.[59] It was later removed from the list in 2017 following successful efforts to fight poaching, leading to increases in populations of fauna such as elephants and chimpanzees.[60]
Among Africa's largest and best-protected rain forests, the Cameroonian reserve is almost completely surrounded by the Dja River and contains 107 mammal species, of which five are threatened.[61]
The ruins of a Roman town in a mountainous location, including a forum, temples, basilicas, triumphal arches, and houses, each adapted to a location 900 m (3,000 ft) above sea level.[62]
The fortress was the residence of the Ethiopian emperors during the 16th and 17th century. The city remains, which feature buildings with Hindu and Arab influences, were later remodelled with Baroque-style architecture by Jesuit missionaries.[71]
Fort Jesus is a Portuguese fort built from 1593 to 1596 on Mombasa Island to guard the old port of Mombasa, Kenya. The site's layout follows the Renaissance ideal that the human body is perfectly proportionate.[72]
The park has vast savannas, grasslands, and woodlands, featuring elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, and the white rhinoceros.[77] Garamba was deemed to be endangered following the diminution of the white rhinoceros population in the area,[78] but it was removed from the list in 1991.[79] However, it later regained the status in 1996, when three rangers were killed and the population of white rhinoceros fell once again.[80][81]
The site represents one of the least-disrupted islands and marine ecosystems in the South Temperate Zone. The cliffs are free of introduced mammals and feature one of the world's largest colonies of seabirds.[83]
The city is on a plateau and surrounded by gorges and savanna. It contains 82 mosques, 102 shrines, and unique interior design in the townhouses. It is said to be the fourth-holiest city of Islam.[85]
One of the world's oldest Islamic cities and in the middle of urban Cairo, the site dates from the 10th century and reached its golden age in the 14th century. It contains mosques, madrasahs, hammams, and fountains.[86]
A colonial town built during the 19th and 20th centuries, Grand-Bassam was the first Ivorian capital following French rule in the region. Its quarters, which specialised in commerce, administration and general housing, helped the city become the economic and judicial hub of the country, in addition to being its most important port.[89]
Ichkeul Lake and the surrounding wetlands is a destination for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds, including ducks, geese, storks, and pink flamingos. It was once part of a chain that extended across North Africa.[90] Previously, the World Heritage Committee had designated Ichkeul National Park as an endangered site in 1996, due to construction of dams that increased the salinity of the lake and reduced its ability to support bird populations.[91] In 2006 it was removed from the endangered list as the lake was no longer used for agriculture, reducing salinity and allowing birds to return.[92]
The park features a variety of landforms, including coral reefs, long sandy beaches, coastal dunes, lake systems, and papyrus wetland, caused by fluvial, marine, and aeolian processes.[93]
The French colonial settlement from the 17th century is on an island in the mouth of the Sénégal River. It played an important role in the culture and economy of West Africa.[96]
The park spans a significant area characterized by a mosaic of ecosystems, including rainforests, rivers, and waterfalls, most notably Kongou and Djidji waterfalls. This protected area is home to a veriety of wildlife, including endangered species such as forest elephants, lowland gorillas, and chimpanzees. The park's rivers are vital habitats for freshwater species and play a crucial role in the conservation of aquatic biodiversity in the region.[97]
The park is dominated by two extinct volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega. It also has abundant fauna, including the graueria gorillas.[98] The park was deemed to be endangered in 1997 when deforestation and hunting became a major problem. Militia groups and illegal settlers were also settling in the park, while fire and poaching helped justify the World Heritage Committee's decision.[99]
A unique Islamic city on the Mediterranean coast, the former site overlooks the Carthaginian trading posts of the 4th century BCE. It contains remains of a citadel, old mosques, and Ottoman-style palaces.[101]
"The ǂKhomani Cultural Landscape is located at the border with Botswana and Namibia in the northern part of the country, coinciding with the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park (KGNP). The large expanse of sand contains evidence of human occupation from the Stone Age to the present and is associated with the culture of the formerly nomadic ǂKhomani San people and the strategies that allowed them to adapt to harsh desert conditions."[104]
The volcanic massif Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest point at 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) and is surrounded by a park with savanna and forest featuring numerous mammals.[105]
Two millennia of rock carvings, many of high artistic value, have been found at 150 shelters in the site. They tell the tale of socio-economic development from hunter-gatherer to agro-pastoralism.[106]
The Lakes of Ounianga are a series of 18 lakes located in the Sahara desert, in North-Eastern Chad. They exhibit a variety of sizes, depths, chemical compositions, and colourations, and some of them are home to aquatic fauna.[112]
Turkana, as Africa's largest saline lake, is an important area for the study of fauna and flora. It is a breeding ground for the Nile crocodile, hippopotamus, and several venomous snakes.[113] The site was placed the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2018, primarily due to the potential impact of Ethiopia's Gilgel Gibe III Dam.[114]
The town is the oldest Swahili settlement and is built in coral stone and mangrove timber. It features inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborate wooden doors.[115]
The rugged mountain that juts into the ocean was used as a shelter by runaway slaves through the 18th and early 19th centuries. They formed small settlements in the caves and on its summit.[117]
The park features vast savannas with a wealth of flora and fauna, such as black rhinoceros, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, red-fronted gazelles, and buffalo.[123] The site was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1997 due to grazing and poaching that is thought to have claimed 80% of the wildlife in the park. Also cited was the shooting of four park staff and "a general state of deteriorating security".[14]
The open savanna landscape lies at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers. It was the heart of the Mapungubwe Kingdom until the 14th century, when the area was abandoned, leaving untouched remains of palaces and settlements.[124]
The town of Mbanza Kongo, located on a plateau at an altitude of 570 metres, was the political and spiritual capital of the Kingdom of Kongo, one of the largest constituted states in Southern Africa from the 14th to 19th centuries.[126]
The fortified seaport built during the late 18th century has a mix of North African and European architecture and was a major trading hub between the Sahara and Europe.[127]
The former capital was founded in the 9th century and features the world's oldest university. The urban fabric and main monuments date from the 13th and 14th centuries.[128]
The town was founded in the 1070s and remained a political, economic, and cultural centre for a long time. Monuments from that period include the Koutoubia Mosque, the kasbah, and the battlements. The city also holds newer features, including palaces.[129]
Morocco's most complete medina served as the main point of contact between Morocco and Andalusia during the 8th century. The town was rebuilt by Andalusian refugees following the reconquista.[131]
The medina holds 700 monuments, including palaces, mosques, mausoleums, madrasahs, and fountains, testifying to Tunis's golden age from the 12th to the 16th century.[132]
The reserve features Mount Nimba, its slopes covered in dense forest and grassy mountain pastures.[136] In 1992, the park was inscribed on the World Heritage Committee's danger list, citing a proposed iron and ore mining concession inside the park's boundaries and the apparition of refugees. The state party later stated that there was an error with the proposed mining site's boundaries and that it was not in the reserve.[137] However, as of 2019, the site remains on the list due to mining activity near the site.[138]
Characterized by dynamic and extensive dune fields, which are among the oldest and largest in the world. The Namib Sand Sea is notable for its unique ecosystem, which has adapted to extreme arid conditions, including a variety of endemic species that rely on fog as a primary source of moisture. [139]
The site features a concentration of wild animals in a crater beside the active volcano Oldonyo Lengai.[140] Ngorongoro was previously on the danger list from 1984 to 1989 due to decreased conservation and poor management.[141][142]
The forests and savannas bordering the Gambia River have a diverse fauna, including Derby eland, chimpanzees, lions, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.[143] The park was listed as being endangered in 2007 for low mammal populations, the construction of a dam, and management problems.[144]
Covering a fifth of the Ituri Rainforest in the Congo River basin, the reserve contains many threatened species of primates and birds. It is inhabited by the nomadic pygmyMbuti and Efé tribes.[146] In 1997, looting, the killing of elephants, and the departure of reserve staff led the World Heritage Committee to place the reserve on its List of World Heritage in Danger, only a year following its inscription as a natural heritage site.[147]
One of the world's largest inland deltas and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Formed where the Okavango River empties onto a basin in the Kalahari Desert, creating a unique wetland system that supports a rich diversity of fauna and flora. This dynamic ecosystem is characterized by seasonal flooding, which transforms the landscape into a mosaic of water channels, lagoons, and islands. The delta is home to an exceptional variety of wildlife, including elephants, lions, rhinos, and hundreds of bird species, making it a crucial habitat for conservation and a hotspot for biodiversity.[148]
Inhabited since 250 BCE, the city was an important link in the trans-Saharan gold trade. It contains 2,000 traditional houses.[149] Djenné was placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016, due to deterioration, urbanization, and erosion of the site.[150]
Located in an oasis, Ghadames is one of the oldest pre-Saharan cities and represents a traditional architecture with vertical division of functions.[151] All five sites in Libya, including Ghadames, were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016, due to ongoing conflict in the country.[152]
The fortification, akin to Renaissance military design from the early 16th century, was taken over by Morocco in 1769. Surviving buildings include the cistern and a Gothic church.[155]
Rebuilt under the direction of the French from 1912 to the 1930s, the city blends historic and modern features, such as botanical gardens, the Hassan Mosque, and the remnants of Moorish and Andalusian settlements from the 17th century.[157]
The site consists of six national parks and protects the island's unique biodiversity, which has evolved in isolation for 60 million years.[158] The park was deemed to be in danger in 2010, when logging and hunting activities continued to escalate, despite a ban by Madagascar on exporting illegal timber.[159]
The mountainous desert sustains the semi-nomadic livelihood of the Nama, which includes seasonal migrations that have gone unchanged for two millennia.[160]
Between the 17th and 20th century, the island was used as a prison, including for political prisoners, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups, and a military base.[162]
Thousands of cave paintings are visible in different styles, dating from 12,000 BCE to 100 CE.[163] All five sites in Libya, including Tadrart Acacus, were placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger in 2016, due to ongoing conflict in the country.[164]
The city held the seat of twelve kings who ruled the Kingdom of Dahomey between 1625 and 1900. All but one king built their palace within the area.[167] The site was originally classified as endangered from its inception in 1985 due to extensive damage caused by a tornado,[168] but was later removed from the list in 2007.[169]
The site features the remains of two ports used extensively for trade across the Indian Ocean from the 13th through 16th centuries.[170] It was placed onto the List of World Heritage in Danger by the World Heritage Committee in 2004, citing "the continuing deterioration and the serious threats affecting the property of the Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara".[171] Conditions subsequently improved and the site was removed from the World Heritage in Danger list in 2014.[172]
More than a thousand years old, Loropéni is the best-preserved of ten fortresses in Lobi, which were part of about a hundred stone enclosures built during the trans-Saharan gold trade.[173]
Covering most of the Rwenzori Mountains, including Mount Margherita, Africa's third-highest peak, the park features glaciers, waterfalls, and lakes in an alpine landscape. It also features various endangered species and unusual flora.[174] The park was previously listed as endangered from 1999 through 2004 due to general lack of security and conservation.[175][176]
The site comprises eleven forests spread 200 km (120 mi) along the coast of Kenya. They hold the remains of villages built during the 16th century by the Mijikenda and are now considered sacred sites.[177]
The orthodox monastery from the 6th century is positioned near Mount Horeb where, according to the Old Testament, Moses received the Tablets of the Law. The region is sacred for Christians, Muslims, and Jews.[178]
Africa's largest tropical rain forest reserve is situated at the heart of the Congo River basin and only accessible by water. It is the habitat of endangered species such as the bonobo, the Congo peafowl, the forest elephant, and the slender-snouted crocodile.[179] The site was deemed to be in danger in 1999, due to increased poaching activities and encroachments.[180] However, this categorization was eventually removed in 2021 due to increased conservation efforts.[181]
Situated in the central Red Sea, Sanganeb, Dungonab Bay, and Mukkawar Island feature a diverse system of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, beaches, and islets. They host populations of seabirds, marine mammals, fish, sharks, turtles, manta rays, and dugongs.[183]
The city contains two centres: the unplanned Upper Town; and the planned Lower Town, laid out according to philosophical principles. Many of the buildings date from the 16th to the 18th centuries.[184]
This area encompasses national parks and reserves including Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Congo, Lobéké National Park in Cameroon, and Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic. The Sangha Trinational is celebrated for its exceptional biodiversity, the area also supports the traditional and sustainable livelihoods of indigenous peoples, including the Ba'Aka pygmies, who have lived in harmony with this forest for thousands of years. [185]
The park's vegetation varies from dense thickets to open wooded grasslands and features large numbers of elephants, black rhinoceros, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, and crocodiles.[186] It was placed onto the List of World Heritage in Danger by the World Heritage Committee in 2014 due to widespread poaching, especially of elephants and rhinoceros.[187]
The eroded Ethiopian plateau comprises jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys, and sharp precipices dropping about 1,500 m (4,900 ft).[189] The decrease of the walia ibex, bushbuck, and bushpig populations, as well as an increase of the human population in the park, prompted the World Heritage Committee to place it on their List of World Heritage in Danger in 1996.[190] However, the park was removed from the danger list in 2017 after improvements in management and reduction of overgrazing.[191]
The groups of stone circles are among over 1,000 different monuments along the Gambia River. Used as burial grounds, they were erected between the 3rd century BCE and the 16th century CE.[192]
The site is in a landscape with 15,000 cave engravings that record climatic changes, animal migrations, and the evolution of human life, dating from 6,000 BCE to the first centuries CE.[197]
The national park features the Teidestratovolcano, which at 3,718 m (12,198 ft) is Spain's tallest mountain and the world's third-tallest volcano.[198]
The city was a centre for the propagation of Islam in the 15th and 16th centuries and features three mosques and many madrasahs.[200] The site was deemed endangered in 1990 due to encroaching sand,[201] but was removed from the list in 2005 after successful conservation efforts.[202] The site was once again deemed endangered after the Battle of Gao in June 2012, which followed several weeks of constant threats to the area.[203] Days later, some sites within Timbuktu were destroyed by Ansar Dine, an Islamist group, citing religious reasons.[204]
First a Carthaginian trading centre, Tipasa was converted into a military base by the Romans. Heavy Christian influences can be seen from the 3rd and 4th centuries, though Tipasa went into steady decline in the Byzantine period.[206] Tipasa was classified as endangered in 2002 due to natural and human-caused deterioration of the archaeological remains,[207] but was removed from the list in 2006 due to improved protection of the site.[208]
Built in 1495, the pyramid was built as a tomb for Emperor Askia Mohamed. It represents the power of an empire that controlled the trans-Saharan gold trade.[210] The site was deemed endangered after the Battle of Gao in June 2012, which followed several weeks of constant threats to the area.[211]
The tombs, built after 1884, are a major example of prime architecture using organic materials, principally wood, thatch, reed, and wattle and daub.[212] The tombs were almost completely destroyed by a fire in March 2010, prompting the World Heritage Committee to reluctantly mark the site as being in danger.[213] The Ugandan government has since called for the reconstruction of the tombs, and UNESCO has agreed to mobilise funds for the project.[214]
The canyon of the Manambolo River comprises karstic and limestone landscapes cut into peaks and a forest of limestone needles. It also holds undisturbed forests, lakes, and mangrove swamps, which are the habitat for lemurs and birds.[215]
The site features more than 4,500 rock art paintings in the Kalahari Desert. Archaeological records provide evidence of human and environmental activities ranging over 100,000 years.[216]
The park comprises swamps, savannas, and snowfields.[219] Virunga was inscribed on the World Heritage Committee's List of World Heritage in Danger in 1994, due to the genocide in Rwanda and the subsequent increase of the refugee population in the park, deforestation, poaching, departure of park staff, and depletion of forests.[220]
The crater, with a diameter of 190 km (120 mi), is the largest, oldest, and most deeply eroded astrobleme found on Earth, dating back more than two billion years.[221]
Located in western Egypt, the site contains fossil remains of the now extinct Archaeoceti, mapping the evolution of the whales from a land-based to an aquatic mammal.[223]
Performance of Africa in UNESCO
The countries are divided according to their regions: blue for Northern Africa, orange for Eastern Africa, purple for Central Africa, green for Western Africa, and red for Southern Africa. (Note: this chart does not include the sites located in Africa that belong to European countries.)
^For purposes of this article, "Africa" includes the entire African continent, along with certain Atlantic and Indian Ocean islands in the geographic vicinity of Africa that remain under the sovereignty of European states. This differs from UNESCO's regional classification which places several North African countries in the "Arab States" region, while World Heritage Sites on the islands are included in the "Europe and North America" region with their respective metropolitan states. Also see the table legend.
^Syria has 6 sites on the World Heritage in Danger list.
^Asmara: A Modernist African City was originally inscribed as Asmara: A Modernist City in Africa. The World Heritage Committee adopted the changed name in 2018.
^Extended in 2005 to include Makapan Valley and Taung Skull Fossil Site. The name of the site was later changed accordingly from Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai, and Environs at the time of inscription to the present name in 2013.
^Extended in 2004 to include Inaccessible Island. The name of the site was changed accordingly from Gough Island Wildlife Reserve at the time of inscription to the present name in 2004.
^Historic Cairo was originally inscribed as Islamic Cairo. The World Heritage Committee adopted the changed name in 2007.
^iSimangaliso Wetland Park was originally inscribed as Greater St Lucia Wetland Park. The World Heritage Committee adopted the changed name in 2008.
^Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites was originally inscribed as James Island and Related Sites. The World Heritage Committee adopted the changed name in 2011.
^Extended in 2001 to include South Island National Park. The name of the site was changed accordingly from Sibiloi/Central Island National Parks at the time of inscription to the present name in 2001.
^Extended in 2013 to include Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and Ngare Ndare Forest Reserve but retained the same name.
^Extended in 1982 to include the portion of the Reserve in Ivory Coast (in addition to the existing portion in Guinea).
^Ngorongoro Conservation Area was originally inscribed as a Natural site. The World Heritage Committee also insribed it as a Cultural site in 2010 due to Olduvai Gorge.
^Extended in 1986 to include the Necropolis. The name of the site was changed accordingly from Punic Town of Kerkuane at the time of inscription to the present name in 1986.
^Extended in 2017 to include Arli National Park and Pendjari National Park. The name of the site was changed accordingly from W National Park of Niger at the time of inscription to the present name in 2017.