Tehran, 29 July 2026
At the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, held from 20 to 29 July 2026 in Busan, Republic of Korea, the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) region achieved a historic milestone. Three valuable properties from ECO member states were officially inscribed on the World Heritage List, raising the total number of World Heritage sites in the region to 85.
The newly inscribed properties are as follows:
- Alamūt Castle and Related Fortifications, Iran: A serial property in the Alborz Mountains, representing the political and intellectual center of the Nezāri Ismaʿilis from the 11th century.
- Rock Mosques and Associated Sacred Sites of Mangystau, Kazakhstan: Five rock-carved “underground mosques” on the Caspian coast, blending Sufi spirituality with ancient ancestral traditions.
- Tashkent Modernist Architecture: Modernity and Tradition in Central Asia, Uzbekistan: Ten modernist buildings from the 1960s–1990s, reflecting the fusion of modern design with local climate and culture.
The ECO Secretariat is well-positioned to leverage this momentum as a strategic opportunity for tourism and economic growth across the region as indicated in the Second Special ECO Chronicle dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the ECO Region published in October 2025.
