The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries which are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural heritage consists of natural features (physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation, or natural beauty. The Syrian Arab Republic, then under Ba'athist rule, accepted the convention on 13 August 1975, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2016, six sites in Syria are included.

The first site in Syria, Ancient City of Damascus, was inscribed on the list at the 3rd Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris, France in 1979. Ancient City of Bosra and Site of Palmyra were inscribed the following year as the second and the third site, while Ancient City of Aleppo was added in 1986. Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din were added collectively to the list in 2006, followed by Ancient Villages of Northern Syria in 2011. All six of Syria's properties have been placed on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger since 2013, as their integrity has been to varied degrees compromised following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War; Aleppo in particular has suffered extensive damage, while a number of prominent structures in Palmyra have been destroyed. Syria served on the World Heritage Committee once, from 1989 to 1995.

World Heritage Sites UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.

+ Site Image Location (governorate) Year listed Description Ancient City of Aleppo Aleppo 1986 21; iii, iv (cultural) Situated at the crossroads of several trade routes, Aleppo has been successively ruled, among others, by the Hittites, Assyrians, Akkadians, Greeks, Romans, Umayyads, Ayyubids, Mamluks and Ottomans, each leaving significant influence in its architectural fabric, resulting in a diverse cityscape. Major structures include the Citadel, the Great Umayyad Mosque and the Madrasa Halawiye. Ancient City of Bosra Daraa 1980 22bis; i, iii, vi (cultural) Formerly a Nabataean settlement, Bosra was conquered by the Romans in the 2nd century CE and made capital of Arabia. It came under Islamic rule in the 7th century. Remains of the ancient city include a theatre, a basilica, a cathedral, a mosque and a madrasa, among others. Old city of Damascus Damascus 1979 20bis; i, ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) Established the 3rd millennium BCE, Damascus is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. As the capital of the Umayyads, it has been of significant influence to the Arab world. The Great Mosque is among the largest in the world and the oldest sites of continuous prayer since the beginnings of Islam. Ancient Villages of Northern Syria several sites 2011 1348; iii, iv, v (cultural) The site comprises some 40 villages, dating from the 1st to 7th centuries and abandoned in the 8th to 10th centuries. They provide an insight into rural life in Late Antiquity and during the Byzantine period. Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah El-Din Homs, Latakia 2006 1229; ii, iv (cultural) The Crac des Chevaliers and the Qal'at Salah El-Din are regarded as two of the most prominent examples of castles during the Crusader period, demonstrating an evolution of fortifications and exchange of influences in defensive technology. Site of Palmyra Homs 1980 23bis; i, ii, iv (cultural) Palmyra came under Roman rule in the 1st century CE, and grew to become one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world. Its extensive ruins include remains of the Great Colonnade, the Temple of Bel, the Camp of Diocletian and the Roman Theatre.

Tentative list In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. , Syria lists twelve properties on its tentative list. + Site Image Location (governorate) Year listed UNESCO criteria Description Norias of HamaHama Governorate 1999 i, iv (cultural) The norias lift water from the Orontes River and empty it at the top, pouring their contents into a basin or aqueduct. In Hama, these norias have a diameter of 10-12 metres, but some reach up to 22 metres. Conventionally, they were thought to be medieval Arab in origin. However, they are now thought to predate that date, as an Apamean mosaic from 469 AD depicts one similar to those of Hama. The norias of Hama use hydraulic force instead of animals, and they use leather or terracotta buckets rather than wooden boxes. Ugarit (Tell Shamra)Latakia Governorate 1999 iii, vi (cultural) Ebla (Tell Mardikh)Idlib Governorate 1999 iii, vi (cultural) Mari (Tell Hariri)Deir ez-Zor Governorate 1999 iii, vi (cultural) Dura-EuroposDeir ez-Zor Governorate 1999 ii, iv (cultural) Apamea (Afamia)Deir ez-Zor Governorate 1999 iv (cultural) Desert Castle: Qasr al-Hayr al-SharqiHama Governorate 1999 iv (cultural) Ma'loulaHama Governorate 1999 iv (cultural) Tartus: The City-fortress of the CrusadersHama Governorate 1999 iv (cultural) Raqqa-Rafiqah: The Abbasid CityHama Governorate 1999 iv (cultural) Island of ArwadTartus Governorate 1999 iv (cultural) Mari & Dura-Europos: Sites of Euphrates ValleyHama Governorate 2011 iv (cultural) Mari and Dura-Europos were two ancient cities that provided much archaeological evidence to understand the civilizations (Sumerian, Greek, and Roman) that controlled them, including arts and religious cults. Both being on the Euphrates river, they connected the Mediterranean with Mesopotamia, and the rest of Asia. Mari was a city that was founded in 2900 BCE, at the beginning of urbanisation, while Europos-Dura was founded as a military stronghold by the Seleucid Empire.

See also List of Intangible Cultural Heritage elements in Syria

References