The five metalworking complexes that make up the World Heritage Site are located around the towns of Douroula, Tiwêga, Yamané, Kindibo, and Békuy.

[3] The Tiwêga site, located 5 kilometers to the west of Kaya, contains three direct-induction furnaces built in the shape of truncated cones and are around 2.6 meters high.

The Békuy site is unusual for its large amount of accumulated slag, which forms mounds near the furnace ruins that reach up to 11 m (36 ft) high.

With the invasion and colonization of Burkina Faso in the 1890s by the French, and the subsequent formation of the Upper Volta colony, the use of these ancient furnaces waned.

Although peoples today don't process iron the same way, the social standing of blacksmiths remain as their responsibilities still include being in charge of important rituals and supplying their communities with tools for survival.

[2][6] Because of their importance to the history of iron smelting in Burkina Faso and its implications about the technologies and traditions of the ancient people's, these sites are protected at the national level.

[7] Following the 2019 report on the metallurgy sites by ICOMOS, the World Heritage Convention has come up with recommendations to the State Party in order to ensure this preservation as soon as possible because of the vulnerability of some of the furnaces that are standing today.

[7] However the World Heritage Convention cautions that more needs to be done to protect the site from potential damages due to nature.