North Africa
Iconic monuments of the glorious fallen kingdoms of the southern Mediterranean
Africa’s north-lying World Heritage sites outline the southern rim of the Mediterranean, beginning at the countries in the al Maghreb in the west, across the vast arid desert of the Sahara to the eastern fields of the great pyramids in Egypt and Sudan.
A collection of iconic monuments, these cultural heritage sites represent significant eras from the glorious and bygone era of the fallen kingdom of Carthage, the great Roman empire, and the lost Egyptian and Kushite kingdoms. This region is also the site of ksour or fortified medinas, Islamic cities characterized by clustered block houses, narrow shaded alleys and soukhs, important trade posts, and places of worship in oasis valleys.
