Mount Olympus Officially Becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site: Legendary Mountain of the Gods Receives International Protection

Mount Olympus — a place that has been regarded for almost three thousand years as a symbol of ancient Greek civilization and the home of the twelve Olympian gods — has officially been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The decision was made on 26 July at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, following a campaign by Greece that lasted more than 12 years. Olympus was granted mixed heritage status, recognising both its outstanding natural and cultural value.

Greece’s highest mountain, reaching 2,918 metres, is known not only for its peaks but also for its vast historical legacy. According to ancient Greek mythology, Zeus’s throne stood here, from where the supreme god watched over humanity and shaped the fate of the world. Olympus is mentioned repeatedly in the ancient works of Homer and Hesiod, and its image has become one of the most recognisable symbols of global culture.

However, the significance of Olympus extends far beyond mythology. Archaeologists have discovered ancient sanctuaries dedicated to Zeus and other gods in the surrounding area, remains of ancient religious structures, as well as early Christian chapels that testify to the region’s continuous spiritual history. For this reason, UNESCO recognised Olympus as a unique example of the close interweaving of nature, religion and human history.

The mountain range’s natural heritage is no less valuable. Olympus became Greece’s first national park as early as 1938, and in 1981 it was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is home to thousands of plant species, dozens of which are endemic and found nowhere else in the world. Rare species of eagles, chamois, wolves and other animals inhabit its slopes, while sharp changes in elevation create several natural zones, ranging from dense forests to alpine meadows and rugged rocky peaks.

Experts believe the new status is particularly important now. In recent years, the flow of tourists to Olympus has increased significantly, with hundreds of thousands of travellers and mountaineers visiting the mountain every year. As its popularity grows, so does the pressure on the ecosystem: the risks of forest fires, soil erosion and damage to historical sites are increasing. Inclusion on the World Heritage List will help attract additional international resources for nature conservation, strengthen scientific monitoring and ensure stricter controls over tourism development.

For Greece, UNESCO’s decision was not only a cultural but also a symbolic victory. The country’s authorities stress that Olympus is not merely a national landmark, but part of humanity’s global heritage that has had an enormous influence on literature, art, philosophy and modern popular culture. The image of Olympus continues to live on in books, films, video games and academic research, remaining one of the most recognisable symbols of the ancient world.

Alongside Olympus, this year’s World Heritage List also includes the Normandy landing beaches, the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, and the Boma—Badingilo natural complex in South Sudan. Following the new additions, the total number of UNESCO World Heritage sites has reached 1,248 across 170 countries.