UNESCO adds 12 Pakistani heritage sites to World Heritage tentative list

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added 12 more historical and cultural sites from Pakistan to its Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, covering Gandhara and Buddhist heritage, Mughal-era architecture, historic forts and other cultural sites.

The latest additions bring the number of Pakistani sites on the Tentative List to 37. Being included does not give a site World Heritage status but is considered an initial step towards a possible future nomination to the final list.

Pakistan currently has six sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Kalash Valley in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was added to the Tentative List in March 2026, according to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.

Three sites from Punjab, Pharwala Fort, Rohtas Fort and the Tomb of Sultan Muqarrab Khan were added on May 11, 2026.

Other newly listed sites include Mai Qamro Mosque, Bazira-Barikot, the Gor Khatri Archaeological Complex, Sethi House and the Bhamala Buddhist Complex.

Sindh’s additions include Kot Diji, Naukot and Umerkot forts. UNESCO describes Kot Diji Fort as an example of military architecture from the Talpur period, while pre-Harappan remains have also been found in the surrounding area.

Pakistan’s six sites currently on the World Heritage List are Mohenjo Daro, Taxila, the Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and neighbouring city remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol, Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens, the Historical Monuments at Makli and Rohtas Fort.

Punjab already has several other sites on the Tentative List, including the Badshahi Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, the Tombs of Jahangir and Asif Khan and Akbari Sarai, Hiran Minar and Tank in Sheikhupura, Harappa, the Tomb of Shah Rukn-e-Alam and the Salt Range and Khewra Salt Mines.

Former Archaeology Department director Malik Maqsood said the growing number of Pakistani sites on the Tentative List could bring greater international attention to the country’s historical and cultural heritage and support efforts to preserve the sites and eventually have them added to the World Heritage List.