Ethiopia's twelve World Heritage properties, from the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to the Bale Mountains

Background

Ethiopia, the country in focus in this section today, carries twelve properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List, ten of them cultural and two natural.
The Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela and Simien National Park were the first, inscribed in 1978.
Fasil Ghebbi in the Gondar Region followed in 1979, and Aksum, the Lower Valley of the Awash, the Lower Valley of the Omo and Tiya were all inscribed in 1980.
Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town, was inscribed in 2006, and the Konso Cultural Landscape in 2011.
The Gedeo Cultural Landscape and Bale Mountains National Park were inscribed in 2023, and Melka Kunture and Balchit in 2024.
Simien National Park and Bale Mountains National Park are the two natural properties; the other ten are cultural.
Ethiopia ratified the World Heritage Convention on 6 July 1977.