TURKEY ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST
There are 869 cultural/archaeological sites, 213 natural sites and 39 mixed sites on the entire list.
18 heritage sites are in the UNESCO World Heritage List in Turkey. 16 sites are the cultural and 2 sites are the mixed (cultural/natural). And also 85 sites are in the Tentative List.
CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN TURKEY
1 - CAPPADOCIA (Mixed - Cultural/Natural)
Goreme national park and the rock site of Cappadocia was added on the World Heritage List in 1985 as "mixed category". Fairy-chimneys, shaped by wind and water erosions, made this area natural heritage. Cappadocia history reach the paleolitic era. Since that, Cappadocian people carved their home, churches, castle and even underground cities. That why this area is the cultural heritage.
2 - HISTORICAL AREAS OF ISTANBUL (Cultural)
Istanbul, capital city of 3 empires (East Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman), has been in the World Heritage List since 1985. Historical areas of Istanbul consist four main areas which are the Archeological Park (Sultanahmet Square and surrounding area), the Suleymaniye Mosque, Zeyrek Mosque (Used to be Church and surrounding area), the City Wall of Istanbul.
3 - GREAT MOSQUE AND HOSPITAL OF DIVRIGI (Cultural)
This sites has entered on the list in 1985. It was built by Ahmet Shah in 1229. Monumental architecture and stone carving decorations, which are tree dimension and intricate geometric styles, made it first Turkish building on the List.
4 - HATTUSHA (Cultural)
Hattusha, was capital city of the Hittite, was the center of the arts and architecture in its time. It was inscribed on the List in 1986.
5 - MOUNT NEMRUT (Cultural)
Antiochus, the king of Commagene, was burried in the Tumulus which was a kind of tomb on the top of the Mount Nemrut. It makes there the highest (2.150m) open-air museum in the World. And also there are some ruins which include several giant statues. This arceological site has been in the World Heritage List since 1987.
6 - XANTHOS - LETOON (Cultural)
Xanthos was the capital city of the Lycia and Letoon was the most important religious center in antique era. Those titles value was inscribed to the World Heritage List. This arceological site has been in the World Heritage List since 1988.
7 - PAMUKKALE - HIERAPOLIS (Mixed - Cultural/Natural)
Pamukkale, with the white travertines and the ancient city of Hierapolis, has been in the World Heritage List since 1988. Pamukkale means "cotton castle" in Turkish and carbonate minerals in the hot spring water gives this snowy shape and white colour. Hierapolis is located on the top of the hill.
8 - SAFRANBOLU (Cultural)
City of Safranbolu was added on the List in 1994. It is an Anatolian city with about 2.000 well-preserved wooden houses, stone-paved norrow streets.
9 - TROY (Cultural)
Ancient city of Troy, has 4.000 years of history, is one of the well-known archeological site in the World, because of the myth on Trojan War. Acheological site of Troy has been in the List since 1998. It was began the excavation by German archeologist Schliemann in 1870 and known to have 9 archeological layers. This arceological site has been in the World Heritage List since 1998.
10 - SELIMIYE MOSQUE and ITS SOCIAL COMPLEX (Cultural)
Selimiye Mosque has been in the World Heritage List since 2011. Sinan who is the most famous of Ottoman architects in the 16th century, considered the complex (includes madrasas (Islamic schools), a covered market, outer courtyard, clock house and library, to be his best work.
11 - NEOLITHIC SITE of CATALHOYUK (Cultural)
This arceological site has been in the World Heritage List since 2012. The taller eastern mound contains eighteen levels of Neolithic occupation between 7400 BC and 6200 BC, including wall paintings, reliefs, sculptures and other features. The western mound shows the evolution of cultural practices in the Chalcolithic period, from 6200 BC to 5200 BC.
12 - BURSA and CUMALIKIZIK: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire (Cultural)
City of Bursa and Cumalikizik was added on the List in 2014. Bursa and Cumalikizik represent the creation of an urban and rural system establishing the first capital city of the Ottoman Empire and the Sultan’s seat in the early 14th century. In the empire’s establishment process, Bursa became the first city, which was shaped by kulliyes, in the context of waqf (public endowments) system determining the expansion of the city and its architectural and stylistic traditions.
13 - PERGAMON and ITS MULTI-LAYERED CULTURAL LANDSCAPE (Cultural)
This ancient site has been in the World Heritage List since 2014. Pergamon was an ancient Greek city in Aeolis. It was located 26 kilometers from the sea. Today, the main sites of ancient Pergamon are to the north and west of city of Bergama. It became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, 281–133 BC. Pergamon is cited in the Book of Revelation as one of the seven churches of Asia.
14 - DIYARBAKIR FORTRESS and HEVSEL GARDENS CULTURAL LANDSCAPE (Cultural)
This site has been in the World Heritage List since 2015. The fortified city of Diyarbakir and the landscape around has been an important centre since the Hellenistic period, through the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman times to the present. The site also includes the Hevsel Gardens.
15 - EPHESUS (Cultural)
This ancient site has been in the World Heritage List since 2015. Ephesus Ancient City is an outstanding example of a Roman port city, with sea channel and harbour basin. Theatre, Celsus Library, Odeon are most important monuments of Ephesus. There are little remains of the famous Temple of Artemis, one of the “Seven Wonders of the World".
16 - ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE of ANI (Cultural)
This ancient site has been in the World Heritage List since 2016. This medieval city combines religious, residential and military structures, characteristic of a medieval urbanism built up over the centuries by Christian and then Muslim dynasties.
17 - APHRODISIAS (Cultural)
This ancient site has been in the World Heritage List since 2017. Aphrodisias was named after Goddess of Love Aphrodite and was built in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. The stadium of the city of Aphrodisias is one of the best-preserved stadiums. The city was also famous for its school of sculptors.
18 - GOBEKLITEPE (Cultural) - Zero Point in History of Human Civilisation
Gobeklitepe is a series of mainly circular and oval-shaped structures set on the top of a hill, about 15 km away from the city of Sanliurfa Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. Archaeologically categorized as a site of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A Period (c. 9600–7300 BC). There is an archeological proof that these installations were not used for domestic use, but predominantly for ritual or religious purposes. Subsequently, it became apparent that Gobeklitepe consists of not only one, but many of such Stone Age temples.
TENTATIVE LIST
1 - Antalya, Karain Cave (1994)
2 - Trabzon, Sumela Monastery (The Monastery of Virgin Mary) (2000)
3 - Mersin, Alahan Monastery (2000)
4 - Demre, St. Nicholas Church (2000)
5 - Harran and Sanliurfa (2000)
6 - The Tombstones of Ahlat the Urartian and Ottoman Citadel (2000)
7 - Seljuk Caravanserais on the route from Denizli to Dogubeyazit (2000)
8 - Konya - A capital of Seljuk Civilization (2000)
9 - Alanya (2000)
10 - Mardin Cultural Landscape (2000)
11 - Tarsus, St.Paul Church, St.Paul's Well and surrounding historic quarters (2000)
12 - Dogubeyazit, Ishak Pasha Palace (2000)
13 - Antalya Kekova (2000)
14 - Antalya, Gulluk Dagi - Termessos National Park (2000)
15 - Antalya, Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization (2009)
16 - Burdur, Archaeological Site of Sagalassos (2009)
17 - Antalya, Archaeological Site of Perge (2009)
18 - Konya, Beysehir Esrefoglu Mosque (2011)
19 - Hatay, St. Pierre Church (2011)
20 - Kutahya Cavdarhisar, Aizanoi Antique City (2012)
21 - Gaziantep, Archeological Site of Zeugma (2012)
22 - Ankara, Gordion (2012)
23 - Izmir, Historic Town of Birgi (2012)
24 - Mugla, Mausoleum and Sacred area of Hecatomnus (2012)
25 - Mugla, Medieval City of Becin (2012)
26 - Historical Monuments of Nigde (2012)
27 - Gaziantep, Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop (2012)
28 - Eskisehir, Odunpazari Historical Urban Site (2012)
29 - Mersin Anamur, Mamure Castle (2012)
30 - Nevsehir, Haci Bektas Veli Complex (2012)
31 - Denizli, Archaeological site of Laodikeia (2013)
32 - Lake Tuz Special Environmental Protection Area (SEPA) (2013)
33 - Manisa Salihli, The Ancient City of Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe (2013)
34 - Iznik (2014)
35 - Mardin, Zeynel Abidin Mosque Complex and Mor Yakup (Saint Jacob) Church (2014)
36 - Kirsehir, Tomb of Ahi Evran (2014)
37 - Antakya, Vespasianus Titus Tunnel (2014)
38 - Kastamonu, Mahmut Bey Mosque (2014)
39 - Kayseri, Archaeological Site of Kultepe-Kanesh (2014)
40 - Mugla Dalyan, Ancient City of Kaunos (2014)
41 - Anatolian Seljuks Madrasahs (2014)
42 - Malatya Orduzu, Archaeological Site of Arslantepe (2014)
43 - Mersin Erdemli, Ancient City of Korykos (2014)
44 - Adana Kozan, Ancient City of Anazarbos (2014)
45 - Canakkale (Dardanelles) and Gelibolu (Gallipoli) Battles Zones in the First World War (2014)
46 - Konya Beysehir, Eflatun Pinar: The Hittite Spring Sanctuary (2014)
47 - Van Gevas, Akdamar Church (2015)
48 - The Theatre and Aqueducts of the Ancient City of Aspendos (2015)
49 - Kahramanmaras Avsin, Eshab-i Kehf Kulliye (Islamic-Ottoman Social Complex) (2015)
50 - Historic Guild Town of Mudurnu (2015)
51 - Amasya, Mount Harsena and the Rock-tombs of the Pontic Kings (2015)
52 - Mountainous Phrygia (2015)
53 - Mugla Yatagan, Ancient City of Stratonikeia (2015)
54 - Edirne Uzunkopru, The Bridge of Uzunkopru (2015)
55 - Siirt Aydinlar, Ismail Fakirullah Tomb and its Light Refraction Mechanism (2015)
56 - Istanbul, Yildiz Palace Complex (2015)
57 - Diyarbakir Silvan, The Malabadi Bridge (2016)
58 - Tushpa/Van Fortress, the Mound and the Old City of Van (2016)
59 - Edirne, Sultan Bayezid II Complex: A Center of Medical Treatment (2016)
60 - Antalya, Yivli Minaret Mosque (2016)
61 - Sivrihisar Great Mosque (2016)
62 - The Bodrum Castle (2016)
63 - Istanbul, Nuruosmaniye Complex (2016)
64 - Burdur Golhisar, Ancient city of Kibyra (2016)
65 - Ankara Ulus, Haci Bayram Mosque and its Surrounding Area (the Haci Bayram District) (2016)
66 - Samsun, Kızılırmak Delta Wetland and Bird Sanctuary (2016)
67 - Archaeological Site of Assos (2017)
68 - Ayvalık Industrial Landscape (2017)
69 - Konya, Ivriz Cultural Landscape (2017)
70 - Tokat, Early Period of Anatolian Turkish Heritage: Niksar, The Capital of Danishmend Dynasty (2018)
71 - The Underground Water Structures in Gaziantep; Livas' and Kastels (2018)
72 - Wooden Roofed and Wooden Columned Mosques in Anatolia (2018)
73 - Sakarya, The Bridge of Justinian (2018)g
74 - Aydin, Archaeological Site of Priene (2018)
75 - Elazig, Historic City of Harput (2018)
76 - Yozgat, Basilica Therma (Sarikaya Roma Hamami) (2018)
77 - Tokat, Nature Park Basilica Cave (2019)
78 - Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea (2020)
79 - Ankara, Historic Town of Beypazari (2020)
80 - Osmaniye, Karatepe-Aslantas Archaeological Site (2020)
81 - The Historical Port City of Izmir (2020)
82 - Diyarbakir, Zerzevan Castle and Mithraeum (2020)
83 - Kayseri, Koramaz Valley (2020)
84 - Mardin, Late Antique and Medieval Churches and Monasteries of Midyat and Surrounding Area (Tur Abdin) (2021)
85 - Erzincan, Historic Town of Kemaliye (2021)