trending now in Lifestyle Oh my gods! Mount Olympus added to UNESCO World Heritage Site list amid ‘The Odyssey’ hype Mount Olympus was known by the ancient…
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Source: New York Post
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# Oh my gods! Mount Olympus added to UNESCO World Heritage Site list amid ‘The Odyssey’ hype
Mount Olympus was known by the ancient Greeks as the home of the gods. AFP via Getty Images
Call it “[the Odyssey effect](https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/lifestyle/the-post-asked-new-yorkers-if-they-know-the-odyssey-plot/).”
As film fans battle it out to [watch an ancient Greek battle](https://nypost.com/2026/07/21/media/odyssey-fanatics-pay-epic-prices-for-rare-imax-70-mm-seats-in-nyc-resellers-asking-prices-reach-over-1k-per-seat/) on IMAX, Mount Olympus — the legendary home of the gods, according to Greek mythology — is getting international protection from UNESCO.
This week, the United Nations hub for historic preservation named Mount Olympus as one of its new protected World Heritage Sites, joining a list that includes the Taj Mahal in India, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Wall of China.
Mount Olympus is the only new UNESCO site honored for both its manmade and natural wonders. AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris
Located in northern Greece, Mount Olympus stands almost 3,000 feet tall at its highest point and is home to golden eagles, wolves and deer. In 1938, it was designated as Greece’s first-ever national park.
Want to nominate your own favorite place for UN preservation? Good luck.
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Getting on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list is harder than getting into Harvard.