Tag Archives: Mount Olympus

Mount Olympus declared a UNESCO World Heritage site

At the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held at Busan in the Republic of Korea from 19th to 29th July 2026, the unanimous decision was taken to include Mount Olympus on the UNESCO List of World Heritage. A joint press release was issued on 26th July by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Environment and Energy, which were together responsible for the successful application. An edited version of the press release follows; the subheadings are ours.

The wider area of Mount Olympus is inscribed as a Mixed Site on the UNESCO List of World Heritage

The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Environment and Energy have hailed the unanimous decision taken by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, to inscribe “The wider area of Mount Olympus” on the UNESCO World Heritage List. … The mythical mountain’s inclusion on the List is one of the most important international distinctions in the field of cultural and natural heritage protection, recognising as it does the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of Mount Olympus, placing it among the world’s most iconic monuments, which require special protection and care for the benefit of humanity.

View of the mountain range against a blue sky, with a pine forest and a green meadow in the foreground,
With an altitude of 2,918 m, Olympus is Greece’s highest mountain and a reservoir of biodiversity, harbouring 1,983 species – more than 25% of Greece’s flora. Photo: UNESCO.

Statement by the Culture Minister
Commenting on the achievement, the Minister of Culture Lina Medoni stated: “The inscription of Mount Olympus on the UNESCO World Heritage list confirms Greece’s unfailing commitment to the protection, promotion and sustainable management of its cultural and natural heritage, in accordance with the World Heritage Convention. At the same time it strengthens the international profile of a place which is a timeless symbol of Greek culture, nature and universal heritage, highlighting the joint responsibility of the international community to preserve it for the benefit of present and future generations.

“The inscription uniquely embodies the indissoluble unity of our cultural and natural heritage. Olympus is a mountain which through the Homeric epics and ancient Greek literature brought Greek mythology and Greek culture to the whole world. It remains the eternal symbol of the residence of the Olympian Gods, and of a multi-dimensional and “dramatic” landscape, inspiring awe and respect and continuing to feed human thought, art, the sciences and global cultural creation.

“This eternal inspiration began with Homer, whose descriptions of Olympus include “manifold” for its numerous peaks, “long” for its impressive domination of the horizon, “snow-laden”, and “many-ridged” for its many ravines. The image of Olympus as captured by Homer’s poetic genius, nearly three millennia ago, remains unchanged to the present day, producing the same feeling of awe in the modern visitor.

“Warm congratulations to the Permanent Delegate of Greece to UNESCO Giorgos Koumoutsakos, for his steady and vital support throughout the duration of the process, to the officials of the Ministry of Environment and Energy and of the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), as well as the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Ephorate of Antiquities of Pieria. Their scientific training, devotion and excellent cooperation led to the success of the common goal of inscription, a momentous success which makes us all proud.”

A speaker at a raised dais is projected on a large screen behind him along with pictures of Mount Olympus.
The Permanent Delegate, in a grey suit and blue tie, listens intently along with his colleagues, a sign saying GREECE on the desk in front of them.
The Greek team, headed by the Permanent Delegate of Greece to UNESCO Giorgos Koumoutsakos (centre), await the Committee’s decision at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee at Busan in the Republic of Korea, July 2026. Photos: UNESCO.

Comments by the Minister of Environment
The Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavros said: “The natural environment of Greece is a living and integral part of our identity, our history and our culture. Its protection and promotion lie at the heart of our government’s policy. Olympus, which was designated the first National Park of Greece in 1938, is a refuge for rare birds of prey, while it hosts 28% of the country’s plant groups – over 1900 species, 27 of which grow only on Olympus and nowhere else in the world – and an important population of fauna…

“The full dossier for the candidacy of Olympus for inscription in the UNESCO List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage was drawn up through the systematic collaboration of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Culture and NECCA, successfully completing an effort which had begun in 2014. We are now proceeding from international recognition to specific works. In the immediate future, we are carrying out works on Olympus totalling more than €10 million, with the aim of protecting the natural environment, improving accessibility and sustainably developing the wider area.

“Warmest thanks and congratulations to the director of NECCA, Dr Dionysia Hatzilakou who oversaw the whole process, and to all those who contributed to this great national success. Special thanks are due to the Minister of Culture Lina Medoni, with whom we once again collaborated constructively to the benefit of our Homeland. And a special mention for the support of the Permanent Delegate of Greece to UNESCO Giorgos Koumoutsakos. We are continuing with planning and consistency, so as to protect and promote our country’s unique natural and cultural heritage for the present and future generations.”

The product of cross-sectoral cooperation
The successful completion of the candidacy of Mount Olympus as a Mixed Heritage Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List is the result of close cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The candidacy file was drawn up by the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (NECCA), which is supervised by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, and the Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the Ministry of Culture, deploying the expertise of the two bodies in the natural and cultural heritage fields. …

The inscription is of special importance as Olympus is included in the catalogue as a Mixed Site – one of the most demanding categories, acceptance in which requires simultaneous documentation of both their cultural and their natural values. Mixed sites are a comparatively small proportion of the inscriptions on the World Heritage List, and Mount Olympus is the only one which was presented for examination at the current session of the Committee. Including the earlier inscriptions of the Meteora and Mount Athos, Greece has three sites in the Mixed category of the List, while it now has 21 inscriptions altogether, which makes the latest achievement especially important for the country, strengthening its presence in the context of the Convention.

At the same time this inscription recognises the unique natural value of Mount Olympus as a place of exceptional importance for biodiversity. With an altitude of 2,918 m, because of its proximity to the Aegean Sea it possesses high altitudinal variation and sharp relief, topographic isolation and a historic role as a glacial refuge, harbouring 1,983 species, i.e. more than 25% of Greece’s flora. This floral richness and the exceptionally dense concentration of stenoendemic species (those which occur only on Olympus and nowhere else in the world) give it worldwide value as an “ark” of biodiversity. At the same time it is host to a rich population of fauna, which include many species of birds, mammals such as the brown bear, and the biggest Greek population of wild goats, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

A village with red roofs on a sloping hillside, the snow-covered peaks of the mountain silhouetted against blue sky behind.
The village of Litochoro, at the foot of Mount Olympus. The ancient city of Dion, nearby, was an important religious site associated with the mountain and dedicated primarily to Zeus and the Olympian Gods. Rulers of ancient Macedonia including Phillip II and Alexander the Great are known to have offered sacrifices at Dion before major military campaigns. Photo: UNESCO, Vasileios Triantafyllou, © Protected Area Management Units.

Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, a long-standing symbol of Greek culture and global cultural heritage. As the mythical abode of the Twelve Olympian Gods it occupied a central position in the world view of the Ancient Greeks. Its influence, through the Homerian Epics, the Theogony of Hesiod and later literature, transcends the bounds of the ancient world.

Today it continues to inspire literature, the arts, philosophy, science and modern global cultural creation. The archaeological site of Dion at the foot of the mountain constitutes the most important material expression of the worship of the Olympian Gods, organically completing its outstanding cultural and natural landscape.

Original press release:
https://ypen.gov.gr/h-evryteri-periochi-tou-olybou-engrafetai-ston-katalogo-pagkosmias-klironomias-tis-unesco-os-mikto-agatho
The UNESCO citation for the inclusion of Mount Olympus on the World Heritage List can be found here:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1719