50. That’s the number of sites declared World Heritage by UNESCO (as of 2023) located in the 5 countries where Mandala Tours operates: Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey and Israel. And since our delegations work in a personalized manner with our clients, we can take you to any of them if you wish. Below we list them, country by country.
Turkey: 19 sites
Turkey, due to its size, history, and commitment to heritage conservation, is the country in our catalog with the most protected sites. Nearly twenty, distributed as follows:
- Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
- Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği
- Historic Areas of Istanbul
- Hattusha
- Mount Nemrut
- Hierapolis-Pamukkale
- Xanthos-Letoon
- City of Safranbolu
- Archaeological Site of Troy
- Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex
- Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
- Bursa and Cumalıkızık
- Pergamon
- Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens
- Ephesus
- Archaeological Site of Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Göbekli Tepe
- Arslantepe Mound
Morocco: 9 sites
Crossroads of cultures between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, between Europe and Africa, between the mountains and the desert… And this is reflected in the nearly ten World Heritage sites that UNESCO has granted so far to the country. These are:
- Medina of Fez
- Medina of Marrakesh
- Ksar of Ait-Ben-Haddou
- Historic City of Meknes
- Archaeological Site of Volubilis
- Medina of Tétouan
- Medina of Essaouira (formerly Mogador)
- Portuguese City of Mazagan (El Jadida)
- Rabat, Modern Capital and Historic City
Israel: 9 sites
Despite being a recently founded country (1948) and having a fairly small area, the density of World Heritage sites in Israel is more than notable. And the fact of being the heart of the three main monotheistic religions has contributed to this:
- Masada
- Old City of Acre
- White City of Tel-Aviv
- Biblical Tels – Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba
- Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev
- Bahá’i Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee
- Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel
- Caves of Maresha and Bet-Guvrin
- Necropolis of Bet She’arim
Egypt: 7 sites
It may be surprising that Egypt only has 7 World Heritage sites at present. However, one reason is that some of these protected sites are so extensive that they could well be divided into two, three or more smaller sites. Moreover, the fame, beauty, and history of some of them put them in the ranking of the most spectacular in the world. They are the following:
- Abu Mena (on the Red List of Heritage at Risk)
- Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis
- Historic Cairo
- Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur
- Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae
- Saint Catherine Area
- Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)
Jordan: 6 sites
The fact of being a relatively small country means that its number of sites declared World Heritage by UNESCO is also smaller. But their interest and beauty have nothing to envy those we have listed above. They are the following:
- Petra
- Quseir Amra
- Um er-Rasas (Kastrom Mefa’a)
- Wadi Rum Protected Area
- Baptism Site ‘Bethany Beyond the Jordan’
- As-Salt
Of course, some of these World Heritage Sites are more prominent than others in our travel packages. But if you’re truly interested in visiting any of them, you just need to contact our delegated agency in that country, and we’ll start working from that very moment to ensure you enjoy an unforgettable experience of the highest quality.
