List of World Heritage Sites in Southern Asia

This article is missing information about World Heritage Sites inscribed in 2021. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the talk page. (March 2022)

The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has designated 65 World Heritage Sites in six countries (also called "state parties") of Southern Asia: Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Bhutan and Maldives, which are also located within the region, do not have any World Heritage Sites.^[1][2]

In this region, India is home to the most inscribed sites (sixth globally) with 42 sites.^[3] Besides India, the first sites from the Country Nepal were the Sagarmatha National Park and Kathmandu Valley.^[4] Nepal has a total of four sites. Sri Lanka has eight sites and Bangladesh has three sites. Pakistan has six sites. Two sites are located in Afghanistan, both of which are enlisted as endangered. Each year, UNESCO's World Heritage Committee may inscribe new sites on the list or delist sites that no longer meet the criteria. Selection is based on ten criteria: six for cultural heritage (i–vi) and four for natural heritage (vii–x).^[5] Some sites, designated "mixed sites", represent both cultural and natural heritage. In Southern Asia, there are 48 cultural, 12 natural, and 1 mixed site.^[6]

The World Heritage Committee may also specify that a site is endangered, citing "conditions which threaten the very characteristics for which a property was inscribed on the World Heritage List." Two sites in this region are currently listed as endangered.^[7]