UNESCO places places that need to be culturally protected in all countries of the world and features that will be considered as cultural heritage. While 19 of our cultural heritages from Turkey are included in the "Unesco World Cultural Heritage" List, 19 of our cultural assets are included in the "Representation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity" list. What is Unesco World Cultural Heritage?, Places on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list from Turkey ve Places on the Representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity You will find their list in this article.
What is Unesco World Cultural Heritage?
Before going into the subject of the World Cultural Heritage list, let's briefly talk about UNESCO. UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OIt is an organization that has been in existence since 1945, consisting of the initials of the words rganization. It is used as the "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Institution" in Turkish.
With the “Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage” adopted by UNESCO in 1972; It was aimed to protect the cultural and natural areas that were destroyed due to factors such as the destruction experienced during the World Wars and rapid urbanization, and the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List began to be prepared.
There are 1121 heritage sites worldwide on the UNESCO World Heritage List;
- 869 of them are cultural heritage,
- 213 of them natural heritage,
- 39 of them are mixed (natural and cultural) heritage.
19 Places from Turkey on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List
There are 17 heritage sites, 2 of which are cultural and 19 of which are mixed, on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list from Turkey. Arslantepe Mound in Malatya was added to the list in 2021. In the list below, you will see the places in Turkey according to the date of entry to the list.
- Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital (Sivas) 1985
- Historical Areas of Istanbul (Istanbul) 1985
- Göreme National Park and Cappadocia (Nevşehir) 1985 (Mixed Heritage Site)
- Hattusha: Hittite Capital (Çorum) 1986
- Mount Nemrut (Adıyaman) 1987
- Hieropolis-Pamukkale (Denizli) 1988 (Mixed Heritage Site)
- Xanthos-Letoon (Antalya-Mugla) 1988
- City of Safranbolu (Karabuk) 1994
- Troy Archaeological Site (Canakkale) 1998
- Edirne Selimiye Mosque and Complex (Edirne) 2011
- Çatalhöyük Neolithic Site (Konya) 2012
- Bursa and Cumalıkızık: The Birth of the Ottoman Empire (Bursa) 2014
- Bergama Multilayered Cultural Landscape Area (İzmir) 2014
- Diyarbakır Castle and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (Diyarbakır) 2015
- Ephesus (Izmir) 2015
- Ani Archaeological Site (Kars) 2016
- Aphrodisias (Aydin) 2017
- Göbekli Tepe (Şanlıurfa) 2018
- Arslantepe Mound (Malatya) 2021
1. Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital, Sivas
There are evidences that there was a settlement in Sivas Divrigi and its surroundings until the Hittites period. The city, which has a deep-rooted civilization, was under the rule of Mengücekoğulları during the Seljuk Period. The Great Mosque and Hospital was built by Mengücekoğlu Ahmet Bey and his wife Turan Melek between 1228-1229. The mosque and its complex with two domes, which are among the important works of Islamic architecture, are known as the "Alhambra of Anatolia".
The mosque, which is also called the miracle of Divrigi, was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 1985 with its Anatolian traditional stonework. Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital is Turkey's first architectural structure to be included in this list. also has the feature of being
Evliya Çelebi said about the Sivas Divrigi Great Mosque, "Tongues are barren in its praise, and the pen is broken".
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2. Historical Areas of Istanbul, Istanbul
For me, Istanbul is the gem of the whole world. In this city, which was the capital of the Roman and Ottoman Empires, the cultural heritages do not end with counting. However, UNESCO has taken 4 regions under protection in Istanbul.
- Sultanahmet Urban Archaeological Site. Location Click for
- Sulaymaniyah Conservation Area. Location Click for
- Zeyrek Conservation Area. Location Click for
- Istanbul Land Walls Conservation Area. Location Click for
Istanbul's historical sites entered the UNESCO list in 1985. From time to time, there are reports that he can be removed from the list because the protection conditions are not met. On the contrary, the number of places on the conservation list in Istanbul should increase.
places to visit in Istanbul Click for my suggestions.
3. Göreme National Park and Cappadocia, Nevşehir
If you were to enumerate the must-see places in Turkey, I guess I would count them as Istanbul, Cappadocia, Pamukkale, Mardin and the Black Sea Highlands. The Cappadocia region is one of the most qualified places to be on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. It was listed as a Mixed Heritage Site (both natural and cultural) in 1985.
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Cappadocia travel notesClick for m.
4. Hattusha: Hittite Capital, Çorum
The Hittite Capital and the first capital of Anatolia, Hattusha is located in the Boğazköy district of Çorum. It was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list in 6 with its 1986-kilometer-long walls, cuneiform tablets, gates such as the Lion Gate, the King Gate, and the Yer Kapı. If you go to Çorum to Hattusa, do not miss to visit Alacahöyük in Alaca district.
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5. Mount Nemrut, Adıyaman
There are places in Turkey that I find magical. Mount Nemrut is one of them. I saw the snowy state, the sunrise, the sunset, every aspect of it. I reached the huge statues of the Kingdom of Komagene by camping on its foothills and hiking at sunrise. Mount Nemrut, located within the borders of Kahta district of Adıyaman, and the statues on its summit were included in the list in 1987. Mount Nemrut is one of the must-see places in Turkey and deserves worldwide attention.
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6. Hieropolis Ancient City, Pamukkale, Denizli
Another magical place in Turkey is Pamukkale. The city of Bergama, which was established right next to this white beauty, which is a miracle of water and nature, was included in the UNESCO list in 1988 as a natural and cultural, that is, Mixed Heritage Site, together with Hierapolis. If you go to Pamukkale, you should definitely visit the ancient city of Laodicea, which is very close to Pamukkale. I hope Laodicea will be included in the list as soon as possible.
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7. Xanthos and Letoon Ancient Cities, Antalya and Muğla
The ancient cities of Xanthos and Letoon, two important cities of the Lycian Civilization, entered the UNESCO list in 1988 with the ancient values and inscriptions they contain. Although the distance between the two ancient cities is only 4 kilometers, it is interesting that two separate cities were established at such a close distance. Many architectural elements such as theatres, temples and basalicas can be seen in both ancient cities.
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8. Safranbolu City, Karabuk
Safranbolu, located within the borders of Karabük province, carries the most beautiful examples of nomadic architecture. Safranbolu houses with 2-3 floors that do not cut each other's light were included in the UNESCO list in 1994.
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Safranbolu places to visit Click for spelling.
9. Troy Archaeological Site, Çanakkale
The layered city structure, which was the subject of Homer's Iliad and went down in history as the place where the Trojan War took place, entered the UNESCO list in 3000 with its history dating back to 1998 BC.
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10. Edirne Selimiye Mosque and Complex, Edirne
Selimiye Mosque and Complex in Edirne, which is among the masterworks of Mimar Sinan, was included in the UNESCO protection list in 2011. The mosque, which has a truly magnificent interior architecture with stone, marble, wood and tile work, is a real work of mastery with stone work in its outer courtyard.
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11. Çatalhöyük Neolithic Site, Konya
Located in Çumra district of Konya, Çatalhöyük was found very recently in 1958. Çatalhöyük, which contains finds of architecture and places of worship from the Neolithic period, was included in the Unesco list in 2012. Çatalhöyük, a 9400-year-old archaeological site, is one of the points that shed light on world history.
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12. Bursa and Cumalıkızık: The Birth of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa
Bursa, the first capital of the Ottoman Empire, has always been an important trade center with its inns, mosques, covered bazaars and bazaars. The historical city of Bursa and Cumalıkızık Village, the last Ottoman neighborhood of Bursa, was included in the UNESCO protection list in 2014.
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13. Bergama Multilayered Cultural Landscape Area, Izmir
Pergamon, formerly known as Pergamon, located in the Bergama district of Izmir, with its new name Bergama Ancient City, entered the UNESCO list in 2014. The ancient city, which hosts artifacts from the Hellenistic period, Roman, Eastern Roman and Ottoman Empire periods, is known for the Temple of Athena, which was given to Germany during the Ottoman Empire.
The ancient city, which has many principles such as the steepest ancient theater in the world, is among the most visited ancient cities in Turkey and definitely deserves more.
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14. Diyarbakir Castle and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape, Diyarbakir
The 7000-year-old Diyarbakir Castle and the 8000-year-old Hevsel Gardens were included in the Unesco list in 2015. If you go to Diyarbakir, definitely eat liver, it was the best liver I have ever eaten.
15. Ephesus Ancient City, Izmir
Can you believe that the ancient city of Ephesus, one of the largest ancient cities in Turkey that attracts the most tourists, was included in the UNESCO list in 2015? Home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the 7 wonders of the world, the Ancient City of Ephesus is a cultural heritage that has lived for 9000 years. Ephesus, which is a port city, has a place in history as an important religious center as well as being a trade center.
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16. Ani Archaeological Site, Kars
Ani Ancient City, one of the most important cities of the Silk Road, was included in the UNESCO protection list in 2016. Ani, an important trade city, is also a religiously important place with its 1001 churches. B.C. Ani, an ancient city with a history dating back to 5000 BC, is also home to the first Turkish mosque in Anatolia. The city, which carries traces of Armenian, Georgian, Byzantine and Seljuk cultures, is located on the Arpacay coast, which also serves as the border with Armenia.
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17. Aphrodisias Ancient City, Aydın
Did you know that the ancient city of Aphrodisias was named after the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite? Discovered by our famous photographer Ara Güler, the city entered the UNESCO protection list in 2017. The Lycian city with a history dating back to 5000 BC is located in the Karacasu district of Aydın.
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18. Göbekli Tepe, Sanliurfa
Göbekli Tepe, which changed the history of humanity with its 12 thousand-year history, was included in the UNESCO protection list in 2018. Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important discoveries of our country and even of the world, whose discovery is very recent and only a small part of it has yet been unearthed.
The temple system, located near Şanlıurfa's Örencik Village, changed history as the world's oldest belief center. 2019 was declared the “Year of Göbekli Tepe” in Turkey.
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19. Arslantepe Mound, Malatya
The history of Arslantepe Mound, located in the Battalgazi district of Malatya, dates back to 5 thousand BC. Arslantepe Mound, where the aristocracy was born and the first state form emerged with its 7-year history, was included in the Unesco World Cultural Heritage tentative list in 2014. Arslantepe Mound, with the decision taken at the 2021th World Heritage Committee meeting in July 44. Unesco Our 19th cultural heritage has been added to the World Heritage List.
Turkey UNESCO World Heritage List Map
All places on the UNESCO Conservation List are on the map below. You can see it on google map by clicking on the map.
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Turkey
In addition to the World Cultural Heritage List, Unesco also protects Intangible Cultural Heritage properties.
Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists are divided into different titles; Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Requiring Urgent Protection, Record of Good Practices of Conservation.
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
In the list below, you can see our heritages included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in Turkey.
- Meddahlik Tradition: Listed in 2008.
- Mevlevi Sema Ceremonies: Listed in 2008.
- Minstrel Traditioni: It was listed in 2009.
- Karagoz: Listed in 2009.
- Nevruz: Joined the list in 2009 as a joint file with Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan participated in 2016.
- Traditional Chat Meetings: Yaren, Barana, Sıra Geceleri and other traditional conversations entered the list in 2010.
- Alevi-Bektashi Ritual Semah: Listed in 2010.
- Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festivali: It was listed in 2010.
- Traditional Ceremonial Kebab: Listed in 2011.
- Mesir Paste Festival: Listed in 2012.
- Turkish Coffee and Tradition: Listed in 2013.
- Ebru, Turkish Paper Decoration Art: Listed in 2014.
- Thin Bread Making and Sharing Tradition: Lavaş, Katrıma, Jupka, Yufka: Listed in 2016 as a joint file with Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkey.
- Traditional Tile Art: Listed in 2016.
- Spring Festival Hıdırellez: Listed in 2017 as a joint file with Macedonia.
- Dede Korkut-Korkut Ancestor Heritage: It entered the list in 2018 as a joint file with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan with its Culture, Legends and Music.
- Traditional Turkish Archery: Listed in 2019.
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Requiring Urgent Protection
The cultural heritages in this list are in the status of needing urgent protection. For now, there is only one heritage from Turkey in this list.
18. Whistling: Listed in 2017.
I strongly recommend that you include the places on this list in your travel plans.
Stay on track.
2 Comments
It's been a great piece of information for me. Especially the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is very interesting. I realized that I never knew. This is how I learned. You are amazing, read a lot, travel a lot..
you are so sweet, thank you so much 🙂