The UNESCO World Heritage Committee officially inscribed 25 new sites onto its World Heritage List during its 48th session in Busan, South Korea. The newly protected locations consist of 19 cultural sites, 5 natural sites, and 1 mixed site. This historic session marked the first-ever World Heritage properties for Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, and South Sudan.
- Aalto Works (Finland): This site honors the unique modern architecture designed by the famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.
- Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications (Iran): A historic, mountain-top fortress network that served as a major political and intellectual hub.
- Amazonia Theaters (Brazil): Grand, historic opera houses nestled in the heart of the Amazon rainforest region.
- Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath (India): A highly revered pilgrimage site where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma.
- Ancient Capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara (Japan): Archaeological areas holding the remains of Japan’s earliest imperial capitals.
- Beaches of the D-Day Landings, Normandy, 1944 (France): The historic military coastlines, including Omaha and Utah beaches, preserved as a landscape of global peace.
- Gdynia Modernist City Centre (Poland): A coastal area recognized for its unique 1920s and 1930s modern building styles.
- Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites (China): The historic cradle and ultimate capital of fine porcelain making.
- Mount Amel Castles (Lebanon): A beautiful collection of five historic mountain fortresses located in southern Lebanon.
- Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau (Kazakhstan): Spiritual, subterranean temples carved straight into deep desert stone faces.
- Royal Capetian Fortresses of Languedoc (France): A historic collection of medieval defensive castles sprawling over rocky hilltops.
- Sebastia (State of Palestine): An ancient archaeological jewel holding successive layers of Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic history.
- Tashkent Modernist Architecture: Modernity and Tradition in Central Asia (Uzbekistan): A site celebrating the unique modern urban planning and buildings of the city.
- The Cemetery Complexes of the Xiongnu Nobility (Mongolia): Ancient elite burial grounds belonging to the historic nomadic Xiongnu empire.
- The Medinas of the Historic Sultanates of the Comoros (Comoros): The labyrinth-like, Afro-Islamic old city centers marking the country’s first-ever UNESCO listing.
- The Roças of São Tomé and Príncipe: Colonial Agricultural System and Forced Migration (São Tomé and Príncipe): Historic plantation complexes that tell the deep story of colonial farming and human migration.
- The System of Italian-style Condominio Theatres of the 18th and 19th Centuries in Central Italy (Italy): A spectacular network of historic, community-owned performing arts theaters.
- Village of Sidi Bou Saïd (Tunisia): A stunning, cliffside coastal village famous for its distinct blue-and-white architecture.
- Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat (Thailand): A major ancient Buddhist temple complex holding significant historical relics.
Natural Sites:
- Aqaba Marine Reserve (Jordan): A vibrant marine sanctuary guarding pristine northern Red Sea coral reef networks.
- Boma–Badingilo Migratory Landscape (South Sudan): Home to the largest overland land-mammal wildlife migration on Earth.
- Bony Fish Fossils of the Western Limfjord (Denmark): Rare, exceptionally well-preserved prehistoric fish fossils trapped in ancient clay layers.
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (United States): A massive, peat-filled wetlands wilderness teeming with biodiversity and alligators.
- Wadi Wurayah (United Arab Emirates): A rare, freshwater mountain wetland ecosystem tucked into arid desert peaks.
Mixed Natural & Cultural Site :
- Mount Olympus (wider area) (Greece): Celebrated globally as the mythical home of the ancient Greek gods and for its unique alpine ecosystems.
