Heritage with Related Tags
Cultural Sites of Al Ain (Hafit, Hili, Bidaa Bint Saud and Oases Areas)
The Al Ain cultural sites (Hafit, Hili, Bidda bint Saud and the oasis area) are a group of properties that testify to the human settlement of the desert area since the Neolithic period, leaving behind many remains of prehistoric cultures. Notable remains of the property include circular stone tombs (circa 2500 BC), wells and various adobe buildings: residential buildings, towers, palaces and administrative buildings. In addition, Hili also has the oldest Aflaj irrigation system, which dates back to the Iron Age. These properties provide important testimony to the cultural transformation of the region from a hunter-gatherer society to a settled society.
Oluk Bani Maaride
Located in the western part of the Rub' al Khali Desert, the world's largest shifting desert, the site features a spectacular desert landscape. The diverse topography creates a living space for a rich variety of wildlife. Iconic desert animals such as the Arabian Oryx and the Arabian Gazelle were once extinct in the wild, but decades later they were reintroduced into this natural habitat, bringing global attention to the site. The shifting sand dunes also provide a comfortable environment with plenty of oxygen for sand-dwelling invertebrates and reptiles.
Wadi Rum Protected Area
The site covers 74,000 hectares and is listed as a mixed natural and cultural heritage site in southern Jordan, close to the border with Saudi Arabia. The site features a diverse desert landscape, including a series of narrow canyons, natural arches, towering cliffs, slopes, large landslides and caves. The rock paintings, inscriptions and archaeological remains at the site testify to 12,000 years of human habitation and interaction with the natural environment. The combination of 25,000 rock carvings and 20,000 inscriptions traces the evolution of human thought and the early development of the alphabet. The site shows the evolution of animal husbandry, agriculture and urban activities in the region.
Cultural Landscape of Maymand
Maimand is a self-sufficient semi-arid region at the end of a valley in the southern end of the mountains of central Iran. The villagers are semi-nomadic agro-pastoralists. They raise livestock on mountain pastures and live in temporary settlements in the spring and autumn. In the winter they live in cave dwellings hewn out of soft rock (kamar) below the valley, an unusual form of housing in a dry desert environment. This cultural landscape is an example of a system that seems to have been more common in the past and involved the movement of people rather than animals.
Arabian Oryx Sanctuary
The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary is located within the Central Oman Desert and Coastal Hills biogeographic region. Seasonal fog and dew support a unique desert ecosystem, with a diverse flora that includes several endemic plants. Rare animals here include the first free-ranging herd of Arabian Oryx since the species became extinct in the wild in 1972, which was reintroduced in 1982. It is also the only wild breeding site for the endangered Houbara Bustard (a wading bird) in Arabia, as well as Nubian Ibex, Arabian wolves, honey badgers, caracals and the largest wild population of Arabian gazelles.
Cold winter desert in Turan
The transboundary heritage site consists of 10 parts spread across the temperate arid zone of Central Asia between the Caspian Sea and the Turan Mountains. The climatic conditions here are extremely harsh, with severe winters and extremely hot summers. The region is home to an exceptionally rich variety of flora and fauna that have adapted to the harsh climate. The site also showcases a diverse range of desert ecosystems, spanning more than 1,500 kilometres from east to west, with each component differing in terms of biodiversity, desert type and continuously changing ecological processes.
Banc d'Arguin National Park
Located on the Atlantic coast, the park consists of sand dunes, coastal marshes, small islands and shallow coastal waters. The harsh desert environment contrasts with the biodiversity of the marine areas, creating a land and seascape of outstanding natural significance. A wide variety of migratory birds spend the winter here. Several species of sea turtles and dolphins can also be seen here, and fishermen use them to attract schools of fish.