The List of World Heritage Sites

includes places in the world of outstanding universal value and importance to cultural or natural heritage, or both.

These sites are nominated by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and consider their candidacy file, to be included in the list of World Heritage sites based on several criteria.

Jordanian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List:

The first World Heritage sites in Jordan were inscribed at the meeting of the ninth session of the World Heritage Committee held in Paris in 1985. Until 2021, Jordan registered six sites in the main list of the World Heritage List, most of which were classified in the cultural category, while one site was classified in the mixed category, Fifteen sites were also registered in the provisional indicative list of Jordanian World Heritage Sites.

Petra:

Petra is one of the most important cultural sites in the world. It is an archaeological and historical city famous for its rock-carved architecture, ancient aqueduct system, It was also called the "Pink City" due to the colors of its crooked rocks, and because of Petra's uniqueness, a large part of UNESCO's efforts in the field of World Heritage are directed to the protection of this unique site.

Quseir 'Amra:

The palace was built during the reign of Caliph Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik in the eighth century AD, and it was used as a fortress and as a residence for the Umayyad Caliphs.

Among the most prominent features of this beautiful small palace are the reception hall and the bathroom, which are richly decorated with expressive drawings.

Um Er Rassas:

Umm al-Rasas is a historical city that dates back to the Umayyad era. It was built as a Roman military camp and developed until it became a city in the Byzantine era and continued until the early Islamic era. There are traces of sixteen churches on the site, some of which still retain good mosaic floors.

Wadi Rum:

A tourist valley located in southern Jordan, which is a desert area with a diverse landscape that consists of a group of narrow lanes, natural arches, steep cliffs, huge landslides and caves, the site also contains inscriptions and archaeological remains dating back to 12,000 years of human existence and its interaction with the natural environment For this reason, it is included in the World Heritage List as a mixed site of nature and culture. This site shows the development of pastoral, agricultural and urban activities in the region.

Baptism Site:

The Baptism (according to Christianity) is the place where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. On July 3, 2015, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee approved the inclusion of this cultural site on the World Heritage List under the name "Baptism Site" Bethany across Jordan.

Al Salt City:

In the nineteenth century, the city of Salt, which was ruled by the Ottoman Empire at that time, witnessed the development of an architectural movement or school. This school was the result of the pioneering work of stone artisans who migrated to Salt from nearby Nablus. The architectural works that emerged from this school formed the new identity of what became, in less than fifty years, the first capital of the newly born Jordanian state (1921).