Mount Olympus — 2,918 meters, the highest point in Greece, the mythical residence of twelve Olympic gods — may become a UNESCO World Heritage site. But the path to this status has proven to be much more complicated than the mountain's millennia-old reputation suggests.
Eleven Years of Waiting
Greece submitted the nomination for the first time back in 2014. At that time, UNESCO's advisory bodies — IUCN (natural heritage) and ICOMOS (cultural) — returned the documents, demanding additional materials. According to Euronews, the evaluators demanded confirmation of the international significance of Olympus's geological features, its biodiversity and ecological processes. In parallel, ICOMOS proposed including in the nomination the archaeological site of Dion — an ancient city at the foot of the mountain, where Macedonians made sacrifices to the gods before military campaigns.
The updated application will be reviewed at a session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan from July 20 to 29. However, Associated Press draws attention to a significant detail: the draft agenda for the session already provides for the return of Greece's nomination for the submission of additional information — that is, even before official committee voting, the committee is inclined toward another round of clarifications.
What Is Really at Stake
For the local community, the issue is not merely a matter of prestige. Mayor of Dio-Olympos Evangelos Herolfios explains the practical dimension of the status:
"Olympus is our life. UNESCO inclusion places greater obligations on us to protect this environment."
Evangelos Herolfios, Mayor of Dio-Olympos
The status of a World Heritage site means not only a tourist influx, but also international monitoring of the monument's condition, restrictions on construction and industrial activity in the buffer zone. For a region whose economy depends on mountain tourism, this is a double-edged sword.
Why "Mixed" Status Is More Complicated Than It Seems
Olympus's nomination is submitted as a mixed site — an object of both natural and cultural value. There are only 39 such sites on the UNESCO list out of more than 1,200 — less than 3%. The evaluation procedure is more complex: two advisory bodies prepare separate reports, and each can block advancement. This is exactly what happened in 2014.
- IUCN evaluates geology, biodiversity, ecosystem processes
- ICOMOS evaluates cultural and historical significance
- Both reports must confirm "outstanding universal value" — UNESCO's central criterion
- The final decision is made by representatives of 21 countries through voting
Olympus has been a National Park since 1938 — the first in Greece. But national park status and UNESCO status are different legal instruments with different levels of international obligation.
If the Committee in Busan returns the application for revision again, and Greece includes Dion in the nomination — the next realistic chance for inclusion will not open before 2027: that is how long the new cycle of evaluation by advisory bodies takes. The question is whether Greece is ready this time to meet all technical requirements, or whether the status of "home of the gods" will remain merely a metaphor for a few more years.
