TURKEY ON THE WORLD HERITAGE LIST
Home to 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Turkey offers an extraordinary journey through thousands of years of human history. Discover everything from the world's oldest known temple at Gobekli Tepe and the legendary city of Troy to the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the dazzling white terraces of Pamukkale. At Shashot Travel, our carefully crafted itineraries bring these iconic cultural and natural treasures together, allowing you to experience the very best of Turkey's UNESCO heritage.
🏛 Historic Areas of Istanbul
📍 Istanbul 📂 Cultural 📅 1985
Located where Europe meets Asia, Istanbul has connected civilizations for over two millennia. This UNESCO site includes iconic landmarks such as Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque, and the ancient Byzantine City Walls.
➡️ Explore our Istanbul Tours
🎈 Goreme National Park & the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
📍 Nevsehir 📂 Mixed 📅 1985
Carved by volcanic eruptions and shaped by erosion, Cappadocia is famous for its fairy chimneys, underground cities, and rock-cut churches decorated with Byzantine frescoes. It is one of Turkey's most extraordinary landscapes.
➡️ Discover our Cappadocia Tours
🏘 Historic City of Safranbolu
📍 Karabuk 📂 Cultural 📅 1994
Safranbolu is one of the best-preserved Ottoman towns in the world. Its traditional wooden mansions, caravanserais, cobbled streets, and artisan workshops reflect life along the historic Silk Road.
➡️ Visit Safranbolu on our Black Sea Tours
🐴 Archaeological Site of Troy
📍 Canakkale 📂 Cultural 📅 1998
Best known as the setting of Homer's Iliad, Troy reveals more than 4,000 years of history through nine successive layers of settlement. Myth and archaeology come together at one of the world's most legendary ancient cities.
➡️ Explore our Troy Tours
💧 Hierapolis–Pamukkale
📍 Denizli 📂 Mixed 📅 1988
Pamukkale's brilliant white travertine terraces were created by mineral-rich thermal waters over thousands of years. Above them lies Hierapolis, an ancient spa city with a theatre, Roman baths, and one of Anatolia's largest necropolises.
➡️ Discover our Pamukkale Tours
📚 Ancient City of Ephesus
📍 İzmir 📂 Cultural 📅 2015
One of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Mediterranean, Ephesus is home to the magnificent Library of Celsus, the Great Theatre, Marble Street, and the remains of the Temple of Artemis.
➡️ Explore our Ephesus Tours
🗿 Gobekli tepe
📍 Sanliurfa 📂 Cultural 📅 2018
Dating back more than 11,500 years, Gobekli tepe is the world's oldest known monumental sanctuary. Its massive T-shaped stone pillars transformed our understanding of the origins of civilization.
➡️ Visit Gobekli tepe with our Southeastern Turkey Tours
⛪ Archaeological Site of Ani
📍 Kars 📂 Cultural 📅 2016
Known as the "City of 1,001 Churches," Ani was once a thriving medieval capital on the Silk Road. Today its churches, cathedral, and defensive walls overlook a dramatic canyon landscape.
🌄 Mount Nemrut
📍 Adiyaman 📂 Cultural 📅 1987
Famous for its colossal stone heads and royal tomb sanctuary, Mount Nemrut offers one of the world's most spectacular sunrise and sunset experiences.
➡️ Discover our Mount Nemrut Tours
🕌 Great Mosque & Hospital of Divrigi
📍 Sivas 📂 Cultural 📅 1985
Built in the 13th century, this extraordinary complex is celebrated for its intricate stone carvings and is regarded as one of the masterpieces of medieval Islamic architecture.
🦁 Hattusha: The Hittite Capital
📍 Corum 📂 Cultural 📅 1986
Once the capital of the mighty Hittite Empire, Hattusha features monumental city walls, Lion Gate, royal temples, and the nearby Yazilikaya rock sanctuary.
🪦 Xanthos–Letoon
📍 Antalya & Mugla 📂 Cultural 📅 1988
The political and religious heart of ancient Lycia, Xanthos and Letoon preserve monumental tombs, inscriptions, temples, and unique evidence of Lycian civilization.
🏺 Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape
📍 İzmir 📂 Cultural 📅 2014
Pergamon was one of antiquity's greatest centers of learning. Its Acropolis, dramatic hillside theatre, ancient library, and Asklepion reveal the city's remarkable cultural legacy.
➡️ Explore our Pergamon Tours
🕌 Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex
📍 Edirne 📂 Cultural 📅 2011
Designed by the legendary architect Mimar Sinan, Selimiye Mosque is considered the masterpiece of Ottoman architecture, crowned by one of the world's finest domes.
🧱 Neolithic Site of Catalhoyuk
📍 Konya 📂 Cultural 📅 2012
One of the world's earliest farming communities, Catalhoyuk provides exceptional insight into Neolithic life through its interconnected mudbrick houses and symbolic wall paintings.
👑 Bursa & Cumalikizik
📍 Bursa 📂 Cultural 📅 2014
The birthplace of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa preserves early imperial mosques, bustling bazaars, thermal baths, and the beautifully preserved village of Cumalikizik.
🌿 Diyarbakir Fortress & Hevsel Gardens
📍 Diyarbakir 📂 Cultural 📅 2015
Encircled by impressive black basalt walls, Diyarbakir Fortress overlooks the fertile Hevsel Gardens, a cultural landscape that has sustained civilizations for thousands of years.
💎 Aphrodisias
📍 Aydin 📂 Cultural 📅 2017
Dedicated to Aphrodite, this elegant Roman city is renowned for its marble sculpture school, exceptionally preserved stadium, temples, and monumental gateways.
⚔ Arslantepe Mound
📍 Malatya 📂 Cultural 📅 2021
Arslantepe documents over 8,000 years of human occupation and contains one of the world's earliest known palaces, along with some of the oldest bronze swords ever discovered.
👑 Gordion
📍 Ankara 📂 Cultural 📅 2023
The ancient capital of Phrygia, Gordion is closely linked to King Midas and the legendary Gordian Knot. Monumental burial mounds and impressive fortifications survive today.
🪵 Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia
📍 Konya • Kastamonu • Eskisehir • Afyonkarahisar • Ankara 📂 Cultural 📅 2023
This UNESCO serial site includes five remarkable medieval mosques renowned for their beautifully carved wooden columns, intricate ceilings, and exceptional craftsmanship that has survived for over 700 years.
👑 Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe
📍 Manisa 📂 Cultural 📅 2025
Sardis, the capital of the ancient Lydian Kingdom, is renowned as the home of the legendary King Croesus and one of the first places in the world where gold and silver coins were minted. The site also includes the monumental Bin Tepe tumuli, one of the largest ancient royal burial landscapes in the world.
Turkiye's UNESCO Tentative List: Future World Heritage Sites
While Turkey is home to 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the country also boasts an impressive UNESCO Tentative List featuring remarkable historical landmarks, archaeological treasures, and breathtaking natural landscapes that may be inscribed in the future. These lesser-known destinations offer unique experiences far from the crowds and showcase the extraordinary diversity of Turkey's cultural heritage.
Must-Visit UNESCO Tentative Sites
🏔 Sumela Monastery (Trabzon)
A spectacular 4th-century Greek Orthodox monastery dramatically built into the cliffs of the Pontic Mountains, overlooking the lush forests of the Black Sea region.
🏛 Ancient City of Sagalassos (Burdur)
One of the best-preserved ancient cities in Anatolia, famous for its monumental Antonine Fountain, impressive Roman ruins, and breathtaking mountain setting.
⚡ Aizanoi Ancient City (Kutahya)
Home to one of the world's best-preserved Temples of Zeus, an ancient Roman stock exchange, and an exceptionally intact archaeological complex.
🏺 Lycian Civilization Cities (Antalya & Mugla)
Discover the ancient Lycian world through remarkable cities such as Patara, Myra, Tlos, Xanthos, and their rock-cut tombs, theatres, and coastal landscapes.
⛪ St. Nicholas Church (Demre, Antalya)
Visit the historic church built over the tomb of Saint Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop who inspired the legend of Santa Claus.
🏡 Historic Town of Birgi (İzmir)
A beautifully preserved Anatolian town featuring elegant Ottoman mansions, Seljuk monuments, narrow stone streets, and traditional architecture.
🦴 Karain Cave (Antalya)
One of Turkey's oldest prehistoric settlements, preserving evidence of human occupation dating back more than 400,000 years.
Other Notable UNESCO Tentative Sites
🏛 Ancient Cities & Archaeological Sites
• Ancient City of Anazarbos (Adana)
• Ancient City of Priene (Aydın)
• Ancient City of Stratonikeia (Mugla)
• Ancient City of Kanytelis & Kizkalesi (Mersin)
• Zeugma Archaeological Site (Gaziantep)
• Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop (Gaziantep)
• Harran & Sanliurfa Cultural Landscape (Sanliurfa)
🕌 Religious & Historic Monuments
• Akdamar Church (Van)
• St. Pierre Church (Hatay)
• Alahan Monastery (Mersin)
• Bodrum Castle (Castle of St. Peter)
• İshak Pasa Palace (Agri)
• Genoese Castles and Fortifications along the Trade Routes
🌿 Natural & Cultural Landscapes
• Lake Salda (Burdur)
• Kizilirmak Delta Bird Sanctuary (Samsun)
• Ballikayalar Nature Park (Kocaeli)
• Tuz Golu (Salt Lake) Special Environmental Protection Area
Planning a UNESCO-Inspired Journey?
Many of Turkey's UNESCO Tentative Sites are located close to popular destinations such as Cappadocia, Ephesus, Pamukkale, Antalya, Gaziantep, and Sanliurfa, making them excellent additions to your itinerary.
Whether you're interested in ancient civilizations, hidden archaeological treasures, or spectacular natural landscapes, Shashot Travel can create a personalized itinerary that combines Turkey's famous UNESCO World Heritage Sites with its fascinating future World Heritage candidates.
Contact us to start planning your tailor-made Turkey tour.