A centuries-old Christian settlement in Northern Ireland has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Gracehill Moravian Church settlement was founded in County Antrim in 1759. It has been granted World Heritage status after a transnational effort led by the US to add 18th century Moravian Church settlements to the list. Other sites in the campaign include Herrnhut, Germany, and Bethlehem in the US.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said that the settlements exemplify "the Moravian Church's spiritual, societal, and ethical ideals that aimed at the creation of a religious community and found expression in a distinctive style of town planning and architecture".

Gracehill is distinctive in that it is the best preserved Moravian settlement in the UK and the only example to have been built on the island of Ireland. 

UK Government Culture Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: "Gracehill has been rightly cherished by the local community since its foundation in 1759 as a town built around the central values of equality and tolerance and I am glad to see it gain the recognition that it deserves.

"I look forward to working together with the international community and my counterparts in Northern Ireland to celebrate the Gracehill site and ensure the Moravian traditions live on to be passed onto future generations."

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Fleur Anderson, said she was "delighted" about Gracehill's new status.

"This is an exciting moment for the community of Gracehill and a huge achievement for everyone involved in the bid. The significance of it is carried throughout Northern Ireland and the whole United Kingdom," she said.

"Northern Ireland has a rich heritage and is home to many culturally significant sites, and I have no doubt this accolade will encourage more visitors to come and see them for themselves."

The settlement features buildings in a Moravian style laid out around a central green square, and a congregational building known as a Gemeinhaus. There is also a church, choir houses and a cemetery. Nearly 300 years after its founding, Gracehill continues to have an active Moravian congregation.

Northern Ireland Communities Minister Gordon Lyons welcomed the decision.

"In recent years, my department has worked with the Gracehill community to maintain the village and develop their World Heritage bid. We have supported listed building repairs and provided advice and, since the US formally decided to proceed in 2021, we have contributed to the nomination costs," he said. 

"Gracehill is a special place with an active community and this recognition of a small village on the world stage is a great endorsement, helping to remind us all that Northern Ireland has a fascinating heritage that is well worth exploring." 

Dr David Johnston, Chair of Gracehill Trust, said the bid had enjoyed the "enthusiastic support" of the whole community.

"The prize of a cultural World Heritage listing is a huge good news story for Northern Ireland as a whole, something that everyone can share in and be proud of, with the potential to promote understanding and reconciliation and bring social, economic and cultural benefits right across the region now and for generations to come," he said.