Sidi Bou Said Earns UNESCO World Heritage Status

Tunisia’s coastal city of Sidi Bou Said, famed for its blue and white houses, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the organisation said Saturday.

“New inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Village of Sidi Bou Saïd,” the UN organisation said in a social media post, following a meeting of its committee in South Korea.

A major tourist stop, Sidi Bou Said is known for its winding cobbled roads and blooming bougainvillea, but its beauty is at risk after extreme rainfall last winter.

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The Tunisian Ministry of Cultural Affairs hailed the announcement as a signal of “the universal exceptional value of Sidi Bou Said as a space of cultural, spiritual and artistic inspiration”.

File Photo: Buildings at the Village of Sidi Bou Saïd. Credit: UNSECO.

The village was built in the 18th century around the shrine of the Sufi master Sidi Bou Said.

It nonetheless faces major challenges, including pressure on land use and a need for restoration.

In January, Sidi Bou Said saw its heaviest rainfall in nearly 70 years, causing major damage as mud swept down alleyways, destroying facades and damaging homes.

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Jimisayo Opanuga

Jimisayo Opanuga is a web writer in the Digital Department at News Central TV, where she covers African and international stories. Her reporting focuses on social issues, health, justice, and the environment, alongside general-interest news. She is passionate about telling stories that inform the public and give voice to underreported communities.