Wadi Al-Hitan, Whale Valley, in the Western Desert of Egypt, contains invaluable fossil remains of the earliest, and now extinct, suborder of whales, Archaeoceti. These fossils represent one of the major stories of evolution: the emergence of the whale as an ocean-going mammal from a previous life as a land-based animal. This is the most important site in the world for the demonstration of this stage of evolution. It portrays vividly the form and life of these whales during their transition. The number, concentration and quality of such fossils here is unique, as is their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected landscape. The fossils of Al-Hitan show the youngest archaeocetes, in the last stages of losing their hind limbs. Other fossil material in the site makes it possible to reconstruct the surrounding environmental and ecological conditions of the time.
Criteria for inclusion as a World Heritage Site
| # | ||
|---|---|---|
| viii | To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth's history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features. | All |
Nearby
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| Library of the Greek Campus, American University of Cairo | 129km | site_brutalism | |||
| In Cairo, Artists Use Pixels, Cyborgs, and More to Examine Technology and Belief | 2020 | 128.8km | post | ||
| Historic Cairo | 1979 | 131.1km | site_whs | ||
| Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur | 1979 | 116.1km | site_whs |
About the source: UNESCO
Within UNESCO's broad remit, this specialised agency of the UN works towards international cooperation agreements to secure the world's cultural and natural heritage, designating venues of exceptional value as World Heritage Sites.