UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Grave Danger

At 50,000 square kilometers, the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is one of the largest protected areas in Africa. It’s home to — among many other species — elephants, black rhinoceros, cheetah, and giraffe. Its integrity is enhanced by the presence of legal protections and management oversight. However, poaching is an ongoing concern, and UNESCO believes the reserve needs to improve ecological monitoring.

The ancient city of Hatra in Iraq, defended by high, thick walls and buttressed by towers, fended off invasions from Rome in the second century. Hellenistic and Roman temples combined with Eastern cultural influences are examples of its architectural splendor. In modern times, the city has been wracked by armed conflict. It was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2015.

The Old City of Sana’a in Yemen, located in a valley, is known for the number of its distinct burnt-red brick towers, adorned with geometric shapes and white gypsum. Verdant gardens, known as bustans, can be found in the old city, which has been inhabited for 2,500 years. The houses of the old city are under threat from urban development and the disappearance of the gardens.

The Old Walled City of Shibam, the third site from Yemen on the list, looms out of a valley and suggests more of a modern urban center than a 16th-century city. It is surrounded by a wall and is considered to be an early example of vertical urban planning. Shibam was a stopover for caravans bearing incense and spices. The biggest threat to Shibam is flooding, which devastated the city in 2008.

Ancient Greeks crossed the Mediterranean to found Cyrene, an important city in Hellenic times, before an earthquake devastated it. The site is one of five in Libya on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of political instability and armed conflict. Libya has been unstable since a revolt in 2011 that ousted strongman Muammar Gaddafi.