UNESCO adds Sebastia archaeological site in West Bank to World Heritage List

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has inscribed the archaeological site of Sebastia in the West Bank on the World Heritage List.

The decision was adopted during the Committee’s 48th session, held in Busan, South Korea.

More than three millennia of continuous habitation Ruins of the Roman Amphitheatre in Sebastia. Photo credit: Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) According to the nomination dossier , Sebastia has been continuously inhabited for more than 3,000 years and illustrates the evolution of successive civilisations in the eastern Mediterranean.

UNESCO notes that the site has served at different times as the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel, a Hellenistic fortress, a Roman colony, a Byzantine bishopric, and an Islamic religious centre.

The organisation described the site as “a continuous urban narrative spanning over three millennia.”

The World Heritage Committee also highlighted Sebastia’s rich architectural heritage, ranging from Iron Age remains to Roman, Byzantine, and medieval monuments, including some of the best-preserved Hellenistic circular towers in Palestine.

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