UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palestine
As of 2019, Palestine has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. All three of these properties were listed under cultural criteria. In addition, each of these sites are also on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger. Palestine had its first site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012.
- Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (2012)
- Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (2014)
- Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (2017)
Table of Contents
Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem (2012)
Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem was the first of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palestine, placed on the list in 2012. Situated 10 km to the south of the city of Jerusalem, the Church of the Nativity is the oldest major church in the Holy Land, and the oldest Christian church that is still in daily use. This basilica was constructed in 339 AD on the site where, tradition says, Jesus Christ was born. This is one of the holiest and most religiously significant sites in all of Christendom.
The Grotto of the Nativity is the cave which the church was built upon. The 14-pointed silver star in the Grotto marks the traditional spot where the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus. The entire complex which encompasses the World Heritage Site also includes several other churches, convents and bell towers. The Pilgrimage Route, which runs from Jerusalem to the Church of the Nativity, also falls under this World Heritage property.
Palestine: Land of Olives and Vines – Cultural Landscape of Southern Jerusalem, Battir (2014)
Located 6.4 km northwest of Bethlehem, the village of Battir was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its unique and outstanding irrigation system of man-made stone terraces and water channels. This ancient system of water distribution is still used by the Palestinian farmers for agricultural purposes, mostly in the form of gardening for market production. Water is also collected and shared between the local families.
As the official name of the World Heritage listing implies, this area is also rich in olive and grapevine trees. The location of these terraces, as well as the abundance of natural springs in this area, are vital to the success of the irrigation system for the people of Battir.
Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town (2017)
The Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is the most recent addition to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Palestine, inscribed in 2017. This site is an exceptionally important place to followers of the three main monotheistic faiths of Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The Old Town was constructed with the use of local limestone between the 13th and 16th centuries.
The most famous and heavily-visited site within the Old Town of Hebron is the Cave of the Patriarchs or the Ibrahimi Mosque. This series of caves, which are underneath the mosque, are believed to house the tombs of the patriarch Abraham and his family. In addition to this, the site is considered to be the second holiest place in Judaism, after the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Click here to view the official UNESCO page for Palestine’s World Heritage Listings.
NOTE: All photography presented in this article was taken by, and is the property of, my lovely fiancée, Danielle Hendrickson.
