World Heritage Site...
A World Heritage Site is a place (such as a building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain) that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.
Some of the most famous World Heritage Sites include:
• The Great Wall of China: A series of fortifications built along the northern borders of China to protect the Chinese Empire from invading nomadic tribes.
• The Taj Mahal: A mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
• The Colosseum: An elliptical amphitheatre in Rome, Italy, that was built in the 1st century AD and is considered one of the greatest engineering feats of ancient Rome.
• The Pyramids of Giza: A complex of ancient Egyptian pyramids located in Giza, Egypt, which include the Great Pyramid of Giza, the only remaining of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
• The Petra: A historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan that is famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system.
These are just a few examples of the many World Heritage sites that can be found around the world. Each of these sites offers a unique glimpse into the history, culture, and natural beauty of the area, and they are considered to be of international importance.
It's worth noting that UNESCO is constantly updating its list of World Heritage Sites, and many countries have multiple sites that have been recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.
Here are list of some important facts about World Heritage Sites :
1. As of 2023, the World Heritage List includes 1,154 Sites (897 cultural, 218 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries.
2. World Heritage Site programme was founded with the “Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and
Natural Heritage” which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. 
3. Italy has the highest number of World Heritage Site with 58.
4. In the Year 2000, total 61 Number of Properties Inscribed which is highest in any year till now.
5. The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman is the first site deleted from World Heritage Site list.
In India :
1. The first sites to be inscripted were Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Agra Fort, and Taj Mahal, of which all were inscribed in the 1983.
2. Till now total 43 sites are included under World Heritage Sites. Out of these, 35 are cultural, 7 are natural, and 1 is mixed (meeting both cultural and natural criteria).
3. The latest site to be inscribed is Moidams, Assam in 2024.
| Sr. No | Name | Region | Year of inscription |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ajanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| 2 | Ellora Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| 3 | Agra Fort | Uttar Pradesh, India | 1983 |
| 4 | Taj Mahal | Agra, Uttar Pradesh | 1983 |
| 5 | Sun Temple, Konârak | Puri District, Odisha | 1984 |
| 6 | Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram | Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu | 1984 |
| 7 | Kaziranga National Park | Assam | 1985 |
| 8 | Manas Wildlife Sanctuary | Assam | 1985 |
| 9 | Keoladeo National Park | Rajasthan | 1985 |
| 10 | Churches and Convents of Goa | Velha Goa (Old Goa), Goa | 1986 |
| 11 | Khajuraho Group of Monuments | Madhya Pradesh | 1986 |
| 12 | Group of Monuments at Hampi | Vijayanagara district, Karnataka | 1986 |
| 13 | Fatehpur Sikri | Uttar Pradesh | 1986 |
| 14 | Group of Monuments at Pattadakal | Bagalkot District, Karnataka | 1987 |
| 15 | Elephanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1987 |
| 16 | Great Living Chola Temples | Brihadeeswarar temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu | 1987 |
| Airavateshwarar Temple, Darasuram, Tamil Nadu | |||
| Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu | |||
| 17 | Sundarbans National Park | West Bengal | 1987 |
| 18 | Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks | Uttarakhand | 1988 |
| 19 | Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | 1989 |
| 20 | Humayun's Tomb, Delhi | Delhi | 1993 |
| 21 | Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi | Delhi | 1993 |
| 22 | Mountain Railways of India | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), Darjeeling, West Bengal, India | 1999 |
| Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India | |||
| Kalka-Shimla Railway, Himachal Pradesh (2008) | |||
| 23 | Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya | Bihar | 2002 |
| 24 | Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka | Madhya Pradesh | 2003 |
| 25 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) | Maharashtra | 2004 |
| 26 | Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park | Gujarat | 2004 |
| 27 | Red Fort Complex | Delhi | 2007 |
| 28 | The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur | Jaipur, Rajasthan | 2010 |
| 29 | Western Ghats | Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster (Kerala) | 2012 |
| Periyar Sub-Cluster (Kerala) | |||
| Anamalai Sub-Cluster (Kerala) | |||
| Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (Tamil Nadu) | |||
| Talakaveri Sub-Cluster (Karnataka) | |||
| Kudremukh Sub-Cluster (Karnataka) | |||
| Sahyadri Sub-Cluster (Maharashtra) | |||
| 30 | Hill Forts of Rajasthan | Chittorgarh | 2013 |
| Kumbhalgarh | |||
| Ranthambhore | |||
| Amber Sub-Cluster | |||
| Jaisalmer | |||
| Gagron | |||
| 31 | Rani ki vav (The Queen's Stepwell) | Patan, Gujarat | 2014 |
| 32 | Great Himalayan National Park | Himachal Pradesh | 2014 |
| 33 | Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar | Bihar | 2016 |
| 34 | Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim | 2016 |
| 35 | The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier | Chandigarh | 2016 |
| 36 | Historic City of Ahmadabad | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | 2017 |
| 37 | The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai | Maharashtra | 2018 |
| 38 | Jaipur | Jaipur, Rajasthan | 2019 |
| 39 | Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple | Telangana | 2021 |
| 40 | Dholavira: A Harappan City | Gujarat | 2021 |
| 41 | Santiniketan | West Bengal | 2023 |
| 42 | Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somananthpura | Karnataka | 2023 |
| 43 | Modiams | Assam | 2024 |
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