Cultural and natural heritage
An important subject to be dwelt upon in the world and in Turkey too, is the preservation of cultural values, so that these can be handed down to future generations.
Turkey is lucky in that it has a richness and variety in cultural and natural resources and the preservation and development of these have been stipulated by law. Many organizations have been set up in connection with this subject and preservation has now become a subject that concerns many organizations, institutions and people.
Turkey has approximately 2,700 historical ruins some dating back to prehistoric times and 41,000 works of culture.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) encourages the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding and universal value to humanity. World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located. In the UNESCO "World Cultural Heritage List" there are 9 heritage sites from Turkey, out of 830 properties around the world (644 cultural, 162 natural and 24 mixed properties in 138 member countries). These are:
- Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia (1985)
- Great (Ulu) Mosque and Hospital (Darüssifa) of Divrigi in Sivas (1985)
- Historic Areas of Istanbul (1985)
- Hattusha (Bogazköy) - Hittite Capital (1986)
- Nemrut Mountain in Adiyaman (1987)
- Hierapolis - Pamukkale (1988)
- Xanthos - Letoon near Antalya (1988)
- City of Safranbolu (1994)
- Archaeological Site of Troy (1998)
Pamukkale (Hierapolis) is now covered by a comprehensive protection and construction plan and needed restoration work has already begun.
UNESCO's Tentative List is an inventory of the properties which each member country intends to consider for nomination of cultural and/or natural heritage sites during the following years. Countries re-examine and re-submit their Tentative List at least every ten years. 18 properties from Turkey are in this list, including their submission dates:
- Alahan Monastery (2000)
- Alanya (2000)
- Bursa and Cumalikizik Early Ottoman urban and rural settlements (2000)
- Edirne Selimiye Mosque (2000)
- Ephesus (1994)
- Gulluk Dagi - Termessos National Park in Antalya (2000)
- Harran and Sanliurfa (2000)
- Ishak Pasha Palace in Dogubeyazit - Agri (2000)
- Karain Cave in Antalya (1994)
- Kekova (2000)
- Konya - Capital of Seljuk Civilization (2000)
- Mardin Cultural Landscape (2000)
- Seljuk Caravanserais on the route from Denizli to Dogubeyazit (2000)
- St. Nicholas Church in Demre (2000)
- St. Paul Church, St.Paul's Well and surrounding historic quarters in Tarsus (2000)
- Sumela Monastery - Monastery of Virgin Mary in Trabzon (2000)
- The Citadel and the Walls of Diyarbakir (2000)
- The Tombstones of Ahlat the Urartian and Ottoman citadel (2000)
An agreement ratified in Barcelona on February 16, 1976 in regard to the "Prevention of Pollution in the Mediterranean" and a Protocol relevant to special areas of protection have all gone into effect. Within the framework of this protocol the following have been designated as special protection areas:
Dilek Yarimadasi (Peninsula)
Olympos Beydaglari (Beyda Mountains)
Gelibolu Yarimadasi Milli Park (Gelibolu
Peninsula National Park)
Furthermore, in accord with the same agreement, 100 sites along the shores of the Mediterranean sea which share a common importance, and seventeen other sites around the country have come under protection. Work is being undertaken at an international level. The seventeen sites are as follows:
Antalya, Aspendos, Bursa, Didyma, Ephesus, Fethiye - Ölüdeniz, Halikarnassos, Istanbul, Kaunos, Kekova, Knidos, Miletos, Pergamon, Phaselis, Priene, Troy, Xanthos.
An agreement on the Protection of the European Archaeological Heritage has also been signed.
An agreement signed between Turkey and the Council of Europe countries on the protection of the European architectural heritage has been ratified by Law 3534 and brought into effect.
For sample Tours visiting some of the above sites, please Click Here.
Source: Unesco and others.