On July 11, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee approved the Diy-Gid-Biy cultural landscape as a World Heritage site. The decision came during the committee’s 47th session in Paris. This marked Cameroon’s first cultural site to earn this global honor.
Diy-Gid-Biy sits in the Mandara Mountains in Cameroon’s Far North region. The site spans about 2,500 hectares and includes sixteen archaeological sites across seven villages. Its dry stone ruins date from the 12th to 17th centuries. While the builders’ precise identity remains unknown, their skill shines through durable architecture that blends naturally with the landscape.
Yet, Diy-Gid-Biy is more than ancient ruins. The Mafa people have lived here since the 15th century. They maintain the land with complex agricultural terraces, ancestral tombs, traditional homes, and active worship sites.
Cameroon has recognized Diy-Gid-Biy as national heritage since 2006 and placed it on UNESCO’s tentative list in 2017. Now, UNESCO’s official recognition makes it a landmark of global importance. Cameroon’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Ismaël Bidoung Mkpatt, said the inscription “highlights the rich cultural diversity of Cameroon” and opens “an opening to the world.”
Diy-Gid-Biy becomes Cameroon’s third UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage in under two years. It follows the intangible heritages of the Nguon rites of the Bamiléké and the Ngondo rites of the Sawa peoples. This wave of recognition spotlights lesser-known heritages and stresses the urgent need for sustainable protection against environmental, economic, and security threats.
This article was initially published in French by Frédéric Nonos
Edited in English by Ange Jasonb Quenum