World Heritage Sites in Burkina Faso


The Ruins of Loropeni

(10.250 N 3.583 W)

Ten fortresses with imposing stone walls in the Lobi area is part of a larger group of 100 stone enclosures that remain from the trans-Saharan gold trade. The ruins are at least 1,000 years old. The settlement was occupied by the Lohron or Koulango peoples, who controlled the extraction and transformation of gold in the region when it reached its apogee from the 14th to the 17th century.


W-Arly-Pendjari Complex

The "W" National Park of Niger site, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1996 was expanded to includes parts in Benin and Burkino Faso in 2017.


Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites of Burkina Faso

(12.588 N 3.329 W)

This site contains five elements located in different provinces of the country: Douroula, Tiwega, Yamane, Kindibo, and Bekuy. It includes about fifteen standing, natural-draught furnaces, several other furnace structures, mines and traces of dwellings. Douroula, which dates back to the 8th century BC, is the oldest evidence of the development of iron production found in Burkina Faso.


Royal Court of Tiebele

(11.0892 N 0.9619 E)

Earthen architectural complex established in the 16th century of the Kasena people.



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Lynn Salmon <>{

Last updated: July 27, 2024