UNESCO World Heritage

Sites in Greece

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was born on 16 November 1945. UNESCO has 195 Members and 8 Associate Members and is governed by the General Conference and the Executive Board. The Secretariat, headed by the Director-General, implements the decisions of these two bodies. The Organization has more than 50 field offices around the world and its headquarters are located in Paris. UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures, and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect, and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and activities. 

World Heritage Site

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO designates World Heritage Sites for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark that is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones, with 193 states parties have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognized international agreements and the world's most popular cultural program.

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information.

Maintaining one’s culture, values and traditions is beyond price.

Getano Lui, Jr.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Greece

Greece joined UNESCO as a member on 04 November 1946. There are currently 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Greece and 16 of these are inscribed based on "cultural" criteria, while the remaining two (Mount Athos, Meteora) are inscribed for meeting both "cultural" and "natural" criteria. Five of the sites are located on islands, one is distributed between the islands and the mainland, with the remaining 12 exclusively on the mainland. The first site to be inscribed was the Temple of Apollo at Bassae in 1986, the most recent is the Philippi, inscribed in 2016. There are an additional 14 sites on the tentative list.

Name Location Date
Acropolis, Athens Athens, Attica 5th century BC
The archeological site of Aigai (Vergina) Imathia, Central Macedonia 1st millennium BC
The archeological site of Delphi Phocis, Central Greece 8th century BC
The archeological site of Mystras Laconia, Peloponnese 13th century AD
The archeological site of Olympia Elis, West Greece 10th century BC
The archeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns Argolis, Peloponnese 15th century BC
The archeological site of Delos Cyclades, South Aegean 7th century BC
Historic Centre with the Monastery of St John Patmos, South Aegean 10th century
Medieval City of Rhodes Rhodes, South Aegean  
Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas, and Nea Moni of Chios Hosios Loukas: Distomo, Boeotia
Daphni Monastery: Chaidari, Attica
Nea Moni: Chios, North Aegean
11th and 12th centuries
Old Town of Corfu Corfu, Ionian Islands 8th century BC
Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia 315 B.C.
Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos Samos, North Aegean 3rd millennium B.C.
Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus Epidaurus, Peloponnese 4th century
Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae Bassae, Messenia, Peloponnese 5th century B.C.
The Meteora near Kalabaka, Thessaly  
Mount Athos Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain  
Philippi Philippi, Kavala, Eastern Macedonia 4th century B.C. - 14th century A.D.