List of World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1975 Ethiopia ratified the convention as one of the first countries on July 6, 1977, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
Sites in Ethiopia were first inscribed on the list at the 2nd Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Washington, D.C. in 1978. At that session, two sites were added: the Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela and Simien National Park. As of July 2014, Ethiopia has nine total sites inscribed on the list. Of these, one site, Simien National Park, is of natural type, and the others are cultural sites.
World Heritage Sites
The table lists information about each World Heritage Site:| Name | Image | Location | Area ha | UNESCO data | Description |
| Aksum | The ruins of the city of Aksum, dating from the 1st to the 13th century, mark the heart of ancient Ethiopia and what was the "most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia". It includes monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs, and ruins of former castles. | ||||
| Fasil Ghebbi | 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. | ||||
| Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town | 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. Harar is said to be the fourth-holiest city of Islam. | ||||
| Konso Cultural Landscape | . | The site features of stonewalled terraces and fortified settlements in the Konso highlands of Ethiopia. | |||
| Lower Valley of the Awash | Palaentological findings from at least four million years ago, such as Lucy, give evidence of human evolution. | ||||
| Lower Valley of the Omo | The prehistoric site near Lake Turkana is the location of many fossil findings, such as Homo gracilis. | ||||
| Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela | The site contains twelve medieval rock hewn churches from the 13th century. | ||||
| Simien National Park | The eroded Ethiopian plateau comprises jagged mountain peaks, deep valleys, and sharp precipices dropping about. 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. | ||||
| Tiya | The archaeological site contains 36 monuments, which includes 32 carved stelae covered with symbols hard to decrypt. |
Tentative list
In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. As of 2014, Ethiopia recorded five sites on its tentative list. The sites, along with the year they were included on the tentative list are:- Bale Mountains National Park
- Dirre Sheik Hussein Religious, Cultural and Historical Site
- Holqa Sof Omar: Natural and Cultural Heritage
- Gedeo Mixed Cultural and Natural Landscape
- Melka Kunture and Bachilt Archaeological Site