Name changes
Name changes of WHS during the "UNESCO related" life of the site (ie in the run up to inscription and thereafter).
Connected Sites
| Site | Rationale | Link |
| Abbey of St Gall | From Convent to Abbey (2013) | |
| Ancient Kingdom of Saba | Upon nomination, was on T List as “The Archaeological Site of Marib” + upon inscription where it was named "Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba in Marib Governorate" | |
| Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites | Addition of "of Burkina Faso" to the name upon inscription | |
| Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque | From "Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque, Renaissance Hydraulic Complex in America" to "Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System" at inscription | |
| Archaeological Site of Aigai | From "Archaeological Site of Vergina" to "Archaeological Site of Aigai (modern name Vergina)" (2007) | |
| As-Salt | From "The Old City of As-Salt" over "As-Salt Eclectic Architecture (1865-1925), Origins and Evolution of an Architectural Language in the Levant" to the current name. (AB Ev) | |
| Asmara | 2018 | |
| Auschwitz Birkenau | From "Auschwitz Concentration Camp" to "Auschwitz Birkenau. German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)" (2007) | |
| Avignon | From "Historic Centre of Avignon" to "Historic Centre of Avignon: Papal Palace, Episcopal Ensemble and Avignon Bridge" (2006) | |
| Ayutthaya | From "Historic City of Ayutthaya and associated historic towns" to "Historic City of Ayutthaya". Done in 2006, to correct an error at inscription. | |
| Banska Stiavnica | Technical Monuments in its Vicinity added 2006 | |
| Belfries | From "The Belfries of Flanders and Wallonia" to "Belfries of Belgium and France" (2005) | |
| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe | Upon inscription: "In response to ICOMOS’ request, the State Party has agreed to change the name of the nominated property to become: “Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe”." | |
| Biblical Tells | From "The Biblical Tels and Ancient Water Systems - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba" to " "The Biblical Tels - Megiddo, Hazor, Beer Sheba". Following Israel's decision during evaluation not to pursue the OUV aspects related to the Water Systems | |
| Blue and John Crow Mountains | from Blue and Jhon Crow Mountains NP to Blue and John Crow Mountains to reflect removal of large parts of the NP to the buffer zone | |
| Brú na Bóinne | "Brú na Bóinne -" added (2013) | |
| Budapest | the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue added (2003) | |
| Burgundy | To 'The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy' (adding the 'The') | |
| Calakmul | From "Ancient Maya City of Calakmul, Campeche" to "Ancient Maya City and Protected Tropical Forests of Calakmul, Campeche" (2014) | |
| Centennial Hall | "Centennial Hall in Wroclaw" was originally nominated as "Centennial Hall in Wroclaw (Poland)" but in its evaluation ICOMOS recommended a name change! | |
| Central Amazon Conservation Complex | From Jaú National Park (2003) | |
| Chaco Culture | From "Chaco Culture National Historical Park" to "Chaco Culture" (2006) | |
| Champagne | Name in French changed to 'Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne'. | |
| Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex | From "Chankillo Solar Observatory and ceremonial center" to “Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex” upon inscription (on the advice of ICOMOS). | |
| Chitwan National Park | from Royal Park of Chitwan (2011) | |
| Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture | Upon inscription: from Monuments of Ancient Pskov to Churches of the Pskov School of Architecture | |
| Coro and its Port | On inscription, from "Coro and its dunes" to "Coro and its Port" | |
| Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake | Upon inscription (2024), from "Testament of Kenozero Lake" to "Cultural Landscape of Kenozero Lake" | |
| Deer Stone Monuments | It was on the T List as "Deer Stone Monuments, the Heart of Bronze Age Culture" - changed at final nomination at suggestion of ICOMOS | |
| Dutch Water Defence Lines | From "Defence Line of Amsterdam" to "Dutch Water Defence Lines" (2021) | |
| Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs | cemetery changed to necropolis (2003) | |
| Eisinga Planetarium | Upon inscription, at the suggestion of ICOMOS: from "Koninklijk Eise Eisinga Planetarium (Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium)" to "Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker" | |
| Epidaurus | Sanctuary of Asklepios added to the name 2007 | |
| Ferrara | First, from "Ferrara: a city of Renaissance and of walls permanent system" to "Ferrara, city of the Renaissance". (1995 AB Ev) Then, with the extension in 1999, from "City of Ferrara" to "Ferrara, City of the Renaissance and its Po Delta". | |
| Fossil Hominid Sites | From "The Fossil Hominid Sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Environs" - to "Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa" (2013) | |
| Fraser Island | From "Fraser Island" to "K’gari (Fraser Island)" | |
| Fujisan | At time of inscription, "..Amplifying the name of the property to allow it to reflect its sacred and artistic associations." | |
| Gammelstad | 2014: to change "Village of Gammelstad" into "Town of Gammelstad" | |
| Golden Mountains of Altai | The Nomination file title is "Sources of the Great Ob". IUCN however evaluated it under its inscribed name | |
| Gondwana Rainforests | From "Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves (Australia)" to "Gondwana Rainforests of Australia" (2007) | |
| Gorham's Cave Complex | Proposed as "Gibraltar Neanderthal Caves and Environments", but changed at the WHC to "Gorham's Cave Complex" after complaints by Spain. | |
| Great Spa Towns of Europe | Upon inscription from "Great Spas of Europe" to "The Great Spa Towns of Europe" | |
| Grimeton Radio Station | 2014: to change from Varberg Radio Station to Grimeton Radio Station, Varberg | |
| Guimarães | Upon extension: from "Historic Centre of Guimarães" to "Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone" | |
| Gulf of Porto | Two times: in 1996 to add "...and the Piana Calanches", and in 2006 from "Cape Girolata, Cape Porto, Scandola Nature Reserve and the Piana Calanches in Corsica" to "Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve" | |
| Hal Saflieni Hypogeum | 2014: to replace the H with the Maltese Ħ | |
| Hattusha | From "Hattusha" to "Hattusha: the Hittite Capital" (2006) | |
| Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump | From "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Complex" to "Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump" (2000) | |
| Hegra | From "Al-Hijr Archaeological Site (Madâin Sâlih)" to "Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ)" (2021) | |
| Himā Cultural area | Upon inscription, on suggestion by ICOMOS: from "Cultural Rock Arts in Himã Najrãn " to "Ḥimā Cultural area" | |
| Historic Cairo | Changed in 2007 from "Islamic Cairo" to "Historic Cairo" | |
| Holasovice | From "Holašovice Historical Village Reservation" to "Holašovice Historic Village" | |
| Hollókö | Old village and surroundings added (2003) | |
| Hortobágy | Puszta added (2003) | |
| Jewish-Medieval heritage of Erfurt | It lost the epic subtitle "Testimonies of every day life, religion and town history between change and continuity" during the transition from TWHS to nominated site. | |
| Kraków | 2013: From "Cracow’s Historic Centre" to "Historic Centre of Kraków". | |
| Kunta Kinteh Island | From "James Island" (2011) | |
| Kyiv Cathedral and Lavra | 2019 - changed from Kiev in Russian to Kyiv in Ukrainian | |
| La Fortaleza and San Juan | From "La Fortaleza and San Juan Historic Site in Puerto Rico" to "La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico" (2006) | |
| Land of Frankincense | Frankincense Trail changed to the Land of Frankincense (2005) | |
| Laponian Area | At inscription, its name was changed from "The Lapponian Area" to "The Laponian Area" | |
| Los Glaciares | From "Los Glaciares" to "Los Glaciares National Park" (2012) | |
| Macao | Upon inscription (2005), on the advice of ICOMOS: from "Historic Monuments of Macao" to "Historic Centre of Macao". | |
| Makli, Thatta | Makli added to the name in 2009 | |
| Matera | From "I Sassi di Matera" to "The Sassi and the park of the Rupestrian Churches of Matera" (2007) | |
| Mazagan | Was proposed in 2002 as "Portuguese City of El Jadida (Mazagan)", then deferred at the Bureau session and suggested to change its name to "Portuguese City of Mazagan" (El Jadida) (under which it was finally inscribed in 2004) | |
| Medici Villas and Gardens | Name was changed at the time of inscription from the original "Medici Villas and Gardens" in order to avoid confusion with Medici villas/gardens elsewhere in Italy | |
| Megalithic Temples of Malta | From "Temples of Ggantija" to "The Megalithic Temples of Malta" (1992) | |
| Meidan Emam, Esfahan | Inscribed in October 1979 as "Meidan e-Shah". All references to the Shah were removed in Iran soon after the Shah departed in Jan 1979. | |
| Melka Kunture and Balchit | Upon inscription on the request of ICOMOS from "Melka Kunture and Balchit Archeological and Paleontological Site" to "Melka Kunture and Balchit: Archaeological and Palaeontological Sites in the Highland Area of Ethiopia" | |
| Mesa Verde | National Park added 2006 | |
| Migratory Bird Sanctuaries China | From "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China (Phase I)" to "Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China" at extension | |
| Miguasha National Park | national added (2004) | |
| Mtskheta | city museum reserve changed to historical monuments (2005) | |
| Mystras | archaeological site added to the name 2007 | |
| Nalanda | 2018 | |
| Nasca Lines | 2016 - from 'Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana' to 'Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa' | |
| Nice | From "Nice, capital of Riviera tourism" to "Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera" upon inscription (as suggested by ICOMOS) | |
| Odesa | Upon inscription and as suggested by ICOMOS: from "The historic center of the port city of Odesa" to "The Historic Centre of Odesa" | |
| Ohrid Region | From "Ohrid Region with its Cultural and Historical Aspect and its Natural Environment" to "Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region" | |
| Old Havana | From "Old Havana and its Fortifications" to "Old Havana and its Fortification System" (2013) | |
| Oporto | From 'The Historic Centre of Oporto' to 'Historic Centre of Oporto, Luiz I Bridge and Monastery of Serra do Pilar' | |
| Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles | Upon inscription from "‘Padova Urbs picta’, Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel and Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles" to "Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles" | |
| Pannonhalma | monastery changed to abbey (2003) | |
| Par force hunting landscape | 2018, to the French name only | |
| Phu Phrabat | Upon inscription, from "Phu Phrabat Historical Park" to "Phu Phrabat, a testimony to the Sīma stone tradition of the Dvaravati period " | |
| Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River | Philippines' Puerto Princesa River NP. It was initially nominated as St. Paul Subterranean River NP. But there was an official name change in reference to the site's location near the settlement of Puerto Princesa. | |
| Qal'at al-Bahrain | From "Qal'at al-Bahrain Archaeological Site" to "Qal'at al-Bahrain - Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun" (2006) | |
| Québec | Two times: in 2000 from "Quebec (Historic area)" to "Historic District of Québec", and in 2006 from "Historic District of Québec" to "Historic District of Old Québec" | |
| Rammelsberg and Goslar | With the extension in 2010, the name changed from "Mines of Rammelsberg and Historic Town of Goslar" to the current name: "Mines of Rammelsberg, Historic Town of Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management System". | |
| Rangiri Dambulla Cave Temple | 2019 - From "Golden Temple of Dambulla" | |
| Redwood | From "Redwood National Park" to "Redwood National and State Parks" (2006) | |
| Rock Art of Alta | rock drawings changed to rock art 2006 | |
| Route of Santiago de Compostela | From "Routes of Santiago de Compostela" to "Routes of Santiago de Compostela: Camino Francés and Routes of Northern Spain" | |
| Røros | Mining town added 2006 | |
| SGang Gwaay | A series of changes which has resulted in the "extinction" of the original name - "Sgang Gwaay" started off as "Anthony Island" and offically passed through "Sgang Gwaay (Anthony Island)" before reaching its current title! | |
| Sagarmatha National Park | The "quiet" dropping of the "colonial" part of the name - "Sagamatha" was called "Sagamatha - Mt Everest" in the nomination documents. It isn't clear exactly when/why this difference occurred but the shorter title was already used in the 1979 WHC minutes recording the inscription. | |
| Saint-Savin sur Gartempe | From "Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe" to "Abbey Church of Saint-Savin sur Gartempe" (2006) | |
| Samarkand | From "Samarkand - Crossroads of Cultures" to "Samarkand - Crossroad of Cultures" (2012): grammatical change | |
| Sceilg Mhichíl | From Skellig Michael (2012) | |
| Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple | Seokguram Grotto and Bulguksa Temple "Sokkuram Grotto" to "Sokkuram Grotto and Pulguksa Temple" (Republic of Korea) 1999 Decision 23COM VIII.3 - Change of Name of an Inscribed Property "ICOMOS recommendations for future action The Pulguksa Temple, built in AD 752, lies within the protection zone of the Sokkuram Grotte and is closely linked with it culturally. lt is a living monument with great historical, architectural, and artistic value. on the recommendation of ICOMOS the State Party agreed to extend the nomination to in elude this integral component." Advisory Body Evaluation (1995) | |
| Si Thep | Upon inscription, at the suggestion of ICOMOS: from "The Ancient Town of Si The p" to ""The Ancient Town of Si Thep and its Associated Dvaravati Monuments. | |
| Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution | At inscription: from "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Kyushu-Yamaguchi and Related Areas" in nomination to "Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining" | |
| St. Petersburg | Changed from "Leningrad" (1991 in the real world, unclear when at Unesco list) | |
| Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch | Swiss Alps added to the name in 2008 | |
| Talayotic Menorca | Upon inscription, at the suggestion of ICOMOS: from "Talayotic Menorca - A cyclopean island odyssey" to "Prehistoric Sites of Talayotic Menorca". A year later to be called just "Talayotic Menorca". | |
| Tanbaly | From "Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of Tamgaly" to "Petroglyphs of the Archaeological Landscape of Tanbaly" (2021) | |
| Taos Pueblo | From Pueblo de Taos (2012) | |
| Tarraco | From "Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco" to "Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco" (2021) | |
| Te Wahipounamu | A complicated "morphing" of the name as part of boundary and other changes - so the 2 separate inscriptions from 1986 "The Westland and Mount Cook NP" and the "Fjordland NP" were subsumed within a new larger site which was called "SW NZ World Heritage area (Te Wahipounamu)" in the 1990 IUCN documentation but was officially inscribed as "Te Wahipounamu - SW NZ". This "final" name change to give precedence to the Maori aspects of the name occurred following comments made in the earlier Bureau meeting. | |
| The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa | Upon inscription, from "The Emergence of Modern Humans: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa" to "The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa" | |
| Tokaji Wine Region | historic added (2003) | |
| Trier | From "Roman Monuments, Cathedral and Liebfrauen-Church in Trier" to "Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of our Lady in Trier" (2000) | |
| Uluru | The additon of Cultural cirteria being used as a trigger for "name change" - "Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP" was originally "Uluru (Ayers Rock- Mt Olga) NP" in 1989 and the change took place on the occasion of the addition of Cultural Criteria in 1994. | |
| Val di Noto | From "The rebuilding of the Val di Noto in the Late Baroque Period (South-East Sicily)" to "The Late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto (South-eastern Sicily)" upon inscription (AB Ev) | |
| Victoria Falls | A reseqencing of a bilingual name - "Mosi-oa-tunya/Victoria Falls" was "Victoria Falls/Mosi-oa-Tunya" in the documentation and WHC minutes of 1989. | |
| Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai | Upon inscription, from “The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai, India” to “The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai”. (plural) | |
| Vigan | From 'Historic Town' to 'Historic City of Vigan'. | |
| Vézère Valley | From "Decorated Grottoes of the Vézère Valley" to "Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley" (2006) | |
| W-Arly-Pendjari Complex | From "W National Park of Niger" to the current name (2017) | |
| Westminster | From "Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and Saint Margaret's Church" to "Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey including Saint Margaret's Church" (2013) | |
| Willemstad | 2011: Curacao instead of Netherlands Antilles | |
| Wooden Churches of Southern Malopolska | From Southern Little Poland to Southern Malopolska (2013) | |
| Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia | Upon inscription, at the suggestion of ICOMOS: from "Medieval Mosques of Anatolia with Wooden Posts and Upper Structure" to "Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia" | |
| Yellowstone | National Park added 2006 | |
| iSimangaliso Wetland Park | Complete name changes - "iSimangaliso Wetland Park" was inscribed as "Greater St Lucia Wetland Park" and was officially changed in 2008 |
Suggestions?
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Name changes?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
- Link at least 3 different sites
- Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
- Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
- Be explained, with reference to a source