World Heritage Identification Number: 1745
World Heritage since: 2025
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇨🇲 Cameroon
Continent: Africa
UNESCO World Region: Africa
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Exploring the Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains
The Diy-Gid-Biy (DGB) Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains is a unique and captivating UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Far North Region of Cameroon. This site encompasses 16 archaeological sites spread across seven villages, offering a glimpse into the rich history and cultural practices of the Mafa people who have inhabited the area since the 15th century.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
Located in the Far North Region of Cameroon, the property includes sixteen archaeological sites across seven villages. Known as Diy-Gid-Biy (meaning “Ruin of the Chief’s Residence” in the Mafa language), these dry-stone architectural structures were likely built between the 12th and 17th centuries. While their original builders remain unknown, the area has been inhabited by the Mafa people since the 15th century. The surrounding landscape features agricultural terraces, homes, tombs, places of worship, and artisan activities, reflecting a long-standing cultural and spiritual connection between the people and their environment.
Encyclopedia Record: Diy-Gid-Biy
The Diy-Gid-Biy (DGB) sites are archaeological sites located around the Mandara Mountains of northern Cameroon and Nigeria, overlooking the several kilometers long Shikewe watershed. These sites get their name Diy-Gid-Biy from the Mafa language, which can be translated as "place of chiefly residence." There are 16 of these DGB sites which date back to around the 15th century AD. While knowledge of these sites has existed for some time, only in 2001 archaeologists began to investigate the sites and their cultural heritage in relation to the region.Additional Site Details
Area: 2,500 hectares
Coordinates: 10.9033333333 , 13.7955555556
