In a unanimous decision, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has recognized Mount Olympus as a site of outstanding universal value, inscribing it on the World Heritage List as both a natural and cultural property.
The landmark decision, considered a major achievement for Greece, was adopted during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee, currently taking place in Busan, South Korea.
The inscription follows sustained efforts by the Greek delegation after the Committee’s advisory experts had initially identified technical shortcomings in the nomination dossier.
The Greek delegation—comprising experts from the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA), and Greece’s Permanent Delegation to UNESCO—was led by Giorgos Koumoutsakos, Greece’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO. During the past week, the delegation held intensive consultations with representatives of participating countries, ultimately securing unanimous support for the nomination.
The campaign had been underway for several weeks, with Koumoutsakos conducting a series of diplomatic contacts with numerous national delegations to build consensus for what has been described as a decision of great significance for Greece.
In its description of Mount Olympus, UNESCO notes:
“Mount Olympus is situated in northern Greece and is the highest mountain in the country. Its microclimate, resulting from its proximity to the sea and abrupt elevation, produces a remarkable diversity in terrain, climate, and vegetation. In this landscape, the ancient Greeks situated the abode of their Twelve Olympian Gods, with Zeus as their sovereign, as well as the Muses and Graces. Through the writings of Hesiod and Homer, Mount Olympus became a central point of reference for Greek mythology throughout the Greek and Roman worlds, rendering Mount Olympus an enduring emblem of Greek civilisation. The property features striking landforms, including glacial cirques, limestone cliffs, karstic sinkholes, and olistolith fields, while sharp ridges like the Mytikas-Stefani complex and deep gorges such as the Enipeas illustrate ongoing neotectonic activity. Mount Olympus has served as a glacial refugium for forest species and is also a Mediterranean plant biodiversity and endemism hotspot.”
Photo: Press Office of the Ministry of Culture / EUROKINISSI
🔴 BREAKING!
New inscription on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: The wider area of Mount Olympus, #Greece 🇬🇷.
➡️ https://t.co/iO4B0Cjg9u #48WHC pic.twitter.com/X82hQYF7or
— UNESCO (@UNESCO) July 26, 2026
