Mount Olympus Nominated for UNESCO World Heritage List

Mount Olympus, rising to 2,918 meters from near sea level, has been nominated for UNESCO's World Heritage List as a mixed cultural and natural site. The World Heritage Committee will discuss the nomination during its meeting in Busan, South Korea, from Sunday through July 29.

The mountain holds central importance in ancient Greek mythology as the home of Zeus and the 12 Olympian gods. Excavations on one lower peak uncovered an open-air sanctuary with finds dating to the Hellenistic period from 323 B.C. to 30 B.C. A chapel on the peak of Prophet Elias at 2,803 meters is considered the highest altitude chapel in the Christian Orthodox world.

The mountain's Enipeas Gorge contains the remains of a monastery founded in 1542. A roughly 20-minute walk from the gorge leads to the Holy Cave of St. Dionysios, a chapel built into a cave with a spring believed to carry holy water. The slopes host endemic flora and fauna species.

Greece began the nomination process in 2014 by placing the mountain on its Tentative List. The process includes a preliminary assessment, a full nomination file, and a 14-month evaluation by advisory bodies including the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

A draft agenda for the Busan meeting indicates the committee will refer the nomination back to Greece and request further details. The mayor of Dion-Olympus said the mountain is central to local identity and that inclusion on the list would extend beyond local and national boundaries.

The president of the Alpine Club of Litochoro said listing would likely attract more visitors. Local authorities are considering entrance fees and visitor registration because many ignore existing regulations such as no-swimming and no-camping signs.

The mountain has recorded recent fatalities. A 64-year-old Greek hiker died on July 11 after collapsing on a trail. In May, rescue crews recovered the body of a 25-year-old Spanish man who went missing while attempting to reach the summit in snow.