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Þingvellir National Park a World Heritage site.
Þingvellir National Park was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Suzhou (China) from June 28 to July 7 2004.
A total of 34 new properties were inscribed by the 21-member World Heritage Committee during its session (29 cultural sites and 5 natural sites). This brings to 788 the number of listed sites (611 cultural sites, 154 natural sites and 23 mixed sites).
The justification for Þingvellir National Park inscription were:
Criterion (iii): The Althing and its hinterland, the Þingvellir National Park, represent, through the remains of the assembly ground, the booths for those who attended, and through landscape evidence of settlement extending back possibly to the time the assembly was established, a unique reflection of mediaeval Norse/Germanic culture and one that persisted in essence from its foundation in 980 AD until the 18th century.
Criterion (vi): Pride in the strong association of the Althing to mediaeval Germanic/Norse governance, known through the 12th century Icelandic sagas, and reinforced during the fight for independence in the 19th century, have, together with the powerful natural setting of the assembly grounds, given the site iconic status as a shrine for the national.
