Joy in Greece as Mount Olympus joins Unesco list of world heritage sites

A statue of Alexander the Great holding Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, with Mount Olympus in the background Photograph: Petros Giannakouris/AP View image in fullscreen A statue of Alexander the Great holding Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, with Mount Olympus in the background Photograph: Petros Giannakouris/AP Joy in Greece as Mount Olympus joins Unesco list of world heritage sites Mythical home of the ancient Greek gods designated alongside the D-day landing beaches in Normandy After a 12-year wait, Mount Olympus, the mythical home of the ancient Greek gods, has been inducted into a hall of more modern fame as Unesco announced it would be added to its world heritage list. Greece’s highest mountain made the list alongside the second world war D-day landing beaches in northern France and the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara. South Sudan’s Boma-Badingilo landscape, host to one of the world’s largest land mammal migrations, also won a designation - a first for the east African country. The nominations were among dozens reviewed at a Uneso committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, on Sunday. In the case of Olympus, inscribed as a mixed world heritage site in recognition of its cultural and natural significance, the news was met with near euphoria in Greece . Immortalised as the seat of Zeus, king of the 12 Olympian deities, the mountain rising 2,918 meters from a base near sea level had been on a tentative list of sites since 2014. View image in fullscreen A conservator prepares a ancient sculpture of the head of Zeus for exhibition in Melbourne, Australia Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian The head of Greece’s Unesco delegation in Busan, Georgios Koumoutsakos, hailed the decision as one that would ensure the site’s preservation. “It reaffirms our unwavering commitment to safeguarding Mount Olympus for the benefit of present and future generations,” he said. “As Greek mythology wisely reminds us, it is always best to remain on good terms with the gods.” The region’s mayor, Evangelos Geroliolios, said before the announcement that the site’s induction would “place greater responsibility on our part to protect the [local] environment,” not least its extraordinary biodiversity. The committee’s annual meeting, which ends on Wednesday, is expected to examine about 30 nominations. Those successful will join 1,428 sites across 170 countries admitted to the world heritage list for their “outstanding value to humanity”. Inscribed monuments become legally protected – a vital boost for their preservation - under an international treaty overseen by Unesco, which also gives advice and financial support. Other world heritage sites include the Acropolis in Athens, the Great Wall of China, the pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the Taj Mahal in India. As with Mount Olympus, efforts to get the D-day beaches in Normandy inscribed had gone back years. View image in fullscreen Tourists visit Les Braves monument on Omaha beach in Normandy. Phot