The UNESCO Sites in Syria have recognized 6 cultural and natural landmarks as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Syria, along with 12 locations on the Syria UNESCO tentative list. These tourist sites in Syria are celebrated for their unique and valuable cultural, natural, artistic, and historical significance and are preserved for future generations.
In addition to these 6 sites in the Syria UNESCO list, there are many other places considered for UNESCO recognition that you can visit in Syria. These sites, listed on the tentative list, showcase the country’s rich cultural heritage and are awaiting approval to join the prestigious and famous World Heritage Sites list.
Actually, Syria has 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Notably, all of these sites are listed under the *Cultural category*.
Founded in the 3rd millennium B.C., Syria’s capital and largest city is widely known as among the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world besides its importance as a cultural and commercial center in the Arab world. In the Middle Ages, it was the center of a flourishing craft industry. Moreover, the city has some 125 monuments from different periods of its history – one of the most spectacular is the 8th-century Great Mosque of the Umayyads, built on the site of an Assyrian sanctuary. The present city walls, the Citadel, some mosques, and tombs survive from the Middle Ages. Therefore, ancient Damascus's cultural significance led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Syria was inscribed in 1983. Located at the crossroads of several trade routes since the 2nd millennium B.C. Since Aleppo was ruled successively by the Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes, and Ottomans; evidently, many periods of history have left their influence on the architectural fabric of the city. The monumental Citadel of Aleppo, rising above the suqs, mosques, and madrasas of the old walled city, is a testament to Arab military might from the 12th to the 14th centuries. Ancient Aleppo's significance lies in its largely intact buildings and structures, such as medieval buildings, souqs, alleys, and caravanserais, in addition to mansions, since its establishment in the 12th century.
UNESCO inscribed Bosra as a World Heritage Site in 1980. The city flourished during the Roman period as a vital trade and pilgrimage route. Actually, the archbishop also used it as his seat during the Byzantine era. This ancient city served as a significant stopover on the caravan route to Mecca. Within its great walls, you can explore a magnificent 2nd-century Roman theatre, early Christian ruins, and several mosques. Moreover, Arab caravans came to Bosra to stock up at its major frontier market. Of course, today Bosra stands as a major archaeological site, showcasing ruins from Roman, Byzantine, and Muslim times. The city features Nabataean and Roman monuments, Christian churches, mosques, and madrasas, indeed making it a rich tapestry of historical and cultural heritage.
managed by the Syrian Ministry of Culture. It was founded in the 2nd millennium BC and has survived various civilizations, including the Aramaic, Arabic, and Greco-Romans. Therefore Palmyra contains the monumental ruins of a great city that once was one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world.
This UNESCO site has several ruins, including basilicas, bathhouses, pilgrim dwellings, and Roman tombs which aim to preserve the remains of a rural society from late antiquity and early Christianity.
A cultural UNESCO site that consists of secular structures and military fortifications. Nowadays, it's considered as the most significant example of Crusader fortresses that survived until today.
In addition to the previous cultural sites, as we mentioned before, Syria has a tentative list (an inventory of those properties that each State Party intends to consider for nomination) of other sites worthy of visiting, including the following places:
1. Noréas de Hama. 2. Ugarit (Tell Shamra) 3. Ebla (Tell Mardikh) 4. Mari (Tell Hariri) 5. Dura Europos. 6. Apamée (Afamia) 7. Un Château du désert : Qasr al-Hayr ach-Charqi. 8. Maaloula. 9. Tartus : la cité-citadelle des Croisés 10. Raqqa-Ràfiqa : la cité abbasside 11. L’île d’Arwad 12. Mari & Europos-Dura sites of Euphrates Valley
So in conclusion, Syria was and still is one of the richest countries in history which was passed by a bunch of civilizations that left their marks across the land.
