UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Niger
Niger has 3 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List (1 cultural and 2 natural), the first inscribed in 1991 (Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve). 1 site is on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The map below plots every one of them alongside the rest of the List, and each site is written up in full further down the page.
- World Heritage Sites
- 3
- Cultural
- 1
- Natural and Mixed
- 2
- First Inscribed
- 1991
Map of World Heritage Sites in Niger
CulturalNaturalMixedIn DangerLarge dots are in Niger. Click a dot to read about the site.
Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
Niger · 18.0000° N, 9.0000° E · 77,360 km²
The Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve (French: Réserves naturelles de l'Aïr et du Ténéré) is a national nature reserve in Niger. It includes several overlapping reserve designations, and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers both the eastern half of the Aïr Mountains and the western sections of the Ténéré desert.
It has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area. The mountains are an important spot for afrotropical and palaearctic migratory birds.
The Aïr and Ténéré Natural Reserves UNESCO World Heritage Site was established in 1991, and designated as a site in danger in 1992. It was designated under criteria vii, ix, x, and is designated #573. The entire reserve covers 77,360 square kilometres (29,870 sq mi), which made it the second largest nature reserve in Africa, and the fourth largest in the world.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve Is Listed
- (vii)
- Superlative natural phenomena or exceptional natural beauty.
- (ix)
- An outstanding example of ongoing ecological and biological processes.
- (x)
- The most important natural habitats for conserving biodiversity.
More about Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve
UNESCO's Description
This is the largest protected area in Africa, covering some 7.7 million ha, though the area considered a protected sanctuary constitutes only one-sixth of the total area. It includes the volcanic rock mass of the Aïr, a small Sahelian pocket, isolated as regards its climate and flora and fauna, and situated in the Saharan desert of Ténéré. The reserves boast an outstanding variety of landscapes, plant species and wild animals.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
Geography
Aïr is, geographically speaking, an island of Sahelian-type fauna and flora, isolated in a Saharan desert environment. It therefore constitutes a set of exceptional relict ecosystems combined with mountain and plain landscapes of exceptional interest and aesthetic value, justifying its inclusion on the UNESCO world heritage list.
The living dunes of the Ténéré quickly modify the landscape by displacement and deposition of sand. The region contains mountains of blue marble presenting a unique aesthetic interest in this environment.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Key Facts
| Established | 1988 |
|---|---|
| Area | 77,360 km² |
Facts from Wikidata Q794643 (CC0).
Historic Center of Agadez
Niger · 16.9744° N, 7.9896° E · 1 km² · 2 km from Agadez
The Historic Centre of Agadez is the historic district of the city of Agadez in Niger. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Historic Centre of Agadez (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Why Historic Center of Agadez Is Listed
- (ii)
- An important interchange of human values.
- (iii)
- A unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.
More about Historic Center of Agadez
UNESCO's Description
Known as the gateway to the desert, Agadez, on the southern edge of the Sahara desert, developed in the 15 th and 16 th centuries when the Sultanate of Aïr was established and Touareg tribes were sedentarized in the city, respecting the boundaries of old encampments, which gave rise to a street pattern still in place today. The historic centre of the city, an important crossroads of the caravan trade, is divided into 11 quarters with irregular shapes. They contain numerous earthen dwellings and a well-preserved group of palatial and religious buildings including a 27m high minaret made entirely of mud brick, the highest such structure in the world. The site is marked by ancestral cultural, commercial and handicraft traditions still practiced today and presents exceptional and sophisticated examples of earthen architecture.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0).
History
Known as the gateway to the desert, Agadez, on the southern edge of the Sahara desert, developed in the 15th and 16th centuries when the Sultanate of Aïr was established and Touareg tribes were sedentarized in the city, respecting the boundaries of old encampments, which gave rise to a street pattern still in place today. The historic centre of the city, an important crossroads of the caravan trade, is divided into 11 quarters with irregular shapes. They contain numerous earthen dwellings and a well-preserved group of palatial and religious buildings including a 27m high minaret made entirely of mud brick, the highest such structure in the world.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Historic Centre of Agadez (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Shared With Neighbouring Countries
These sites cross the border. Each is written up on the page of the country UNESCO lists first.
World Heritage in Niger: Quick Answers
- How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in Niger?
- Niger has 3 World Heritage Sites: 1 cultural and 2 natural. 1 of them is shared with a neighbouring country.
- What was the first World Heritage Site in Niger?
- Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, inscribed in 1991. The most recent is Historic Center of Agadez, inscribed in 2013.
- What are the natural World Heritage Sites in Niger?
- Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve, W-Arly-Pendjari Complex.
- Are any World Heritage Sites in Niger in danger?
- Yes: Aïr and Ténéré National Nature Reserve is on UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.