7 historical sites in West Africa every Nigerian should visit (1)

A World Heritage Site is a place - building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, or mountain, that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of special cultural or physical significance.

As of July 2015, there are 1,031 such sites around the world with Italy being home to the most number of sites - 51.

Back home in Africa, there are a total of 135 sites located in 37 countries, with Ethiopia and Morocco having the highest number of sites - 9 each.

World Heritage Sites are significant in that they offer us a glimpse into history and also serve as tourist attractions.

If you're a lover of culture and history looking for tourist attractions with historical and cultural significance, here are 7 UNESCO World Heritage sites you can check out right here in Africa.

1. Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves, Niger Republic: This is Africa's largest protected area, located in the Saharan desert of Ténéré. It consists of the volcanic rock mass of Aïr and a small isolated Sahelian pocket with unique flora and fauna. It was considered for delisting in 1999 owing to increased military conflicts and the hostage-taking of six reserve staff, but it still stands as a World Heritage Site.

2. Ancient Ksour of Ouadane, Chinguetti, Tichitt and Oualata, Mauritania: This site was founded in the 11th and 12th centuries to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara, and the trading and religious centres became focal points of Islamic culture. It offers a glimpse into the life of the people of western Sahara and their nomadic culture.

3. Asante Traditional Buildings, Ghana: This site hosts the final intact remains of the Ashanti Empire which reigned supreme in the 18th century.

4. Banc d'Arguin National Park, Mauritania: This park park consists of sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands, and shallow bodies of water; all bordering the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

5. Bassari, Fula and Bedik Cultural Landscapes, Senegal: This is a well-preserved multicultural landscape which emerged from the interaction of human activities and the natural environment.

6. Cidade Velha, Historic Centre of Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde: This was the first European colonial outpost in the tropics, with remains dating back to the 16th century.

7. Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons), Mali: Expect to see houses, granaries, altars, sanctuaries, and Togu-Na meeting-places, also expect to find age-old social traditional items such as masks used for feasts, rituals and ancestral worship.