TURKEY ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST

There are 890 cultural and natural sites in the World Heritage List (April of 2010). 9 heritage sites are in Turkey...

There are 689 cultural/archaeological sites, 176 natural sites and 25 mixed sites on the entire list.

9 heritage sites are in the UNESCO World Heritage List in Turkey. 7 sites are the cultural and 2 sites are the mixed (cultural/natural). And also 23 sites are in the Tentative List.

CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN TURKEY

1 - 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.

2 - 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.

3 - 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.

4 - 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.

5 - 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.

6 - 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.

7 - 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.

8 - 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.

9 - 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.