The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. [1] Turkey accepted the convention on 16 March 1983, making its historical sites eligible for inclusion on the list. As of 2023, there are 21 World Heritage Sites in Turkey, including nineteen cultural sites and two mixed sites. [2]
The first three sites in Turkey, Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, Historic Areas of Istanbul and Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia, were inscribed on the list at the 9th Session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Paris, France in 1985. [3] The latest inscriptions, Gordion and Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia, were added to the list in 2023.
Site | Image | Location | Criteria | Area ha (acre) | Year | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aphrodisias | Aydın Province 37°42′30″N28°43′25″E / 37.70833°N 28.72361°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) | 152 (380) | 2017 | The site consists of Aphrodisias itself (featuring the 3rd-century BCE Temple of Aphrodite) and the ancient marble quarries nearby, which had brought wealth to the ancient Greek city. [6] | |
Archaeological Site of Ani | Kars Province 40°30′00″N43°34′00″E / 40.50000°N 43.56667°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(iv) | 251 (620) | 2016 | Located close to the Turkey-Armenia border, the medieval city of Ani reached its golden age in the 10th and 11th centuries as the capital of Bagratid Armenia, before going into decline from the 14th century on following a Mongol invasion and a major earthquake. [7] | |
Archaeological Site of Troy | Çanakkale Province 39°57′23″N26°14′20″E / 39.95639°N 26.23889°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii)(vi) | 158 (390) | 1998 | Dating back to more than four millennia ago and serving as a key influence on Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid , Troy was rediscovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the late 19th century, and has since become one of the most well-known archeological sites in the world. [8] | |
Arslantepe Mound | Malatya Province 38°22′55″N38°21′40″E / 38.38194°N 38.36111°E | Cultural: (iii) | 74.07 (183.0) | 2021 | Arslantepe was an ancient city on the Tohma River, a tributary of the upper Euphrates rising in the Taurus Mountains. It has been identified with the modern archaeological site of Arslantepe near Malatya. The first swords known in the Early Bronze Age (c. 33rd to 31st centuries) are based on finds at Arslantepe by Marcella Frangipane of Rome University. [9] | |
Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire | Bursa Province 40°11′05″N29°03′44″E / 40.18472°N 29.06222°E | Cultural: (i)(ii)(iv)(vi) | 27 (67) | 2014 | The first capital of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century, Bursa, with its innovative urban planning, became a major source of reference for future Ottoman cities. The nearby village of Cumalıkızık, exemplar of the vakıf system, provided support for the development of the capital. [10] | |
City of Safranbolu | Karabük Province 41°15′36″N32°41′23″E / 41.26000°N 32.68972°E | Cultural: (ii)(iv)(v) | 193 (480) | 1994 | A crossroads of the caravan trade, Safranbolu flourished from the 13th century on. Its architecture became a major influence on urban development throughout the Ottoman Empire. [11] | |
Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape | Diyarbakır Province 37°54′11″N40°14′22″E / 37.90306°N 40.23944°E | Cultural: (iv) | 521 (1,290) | 2015 | Diyarbakır has been a city of great significance from the Hellenistic period until the present. The site contains Diyarbakır's 5.800km-long city walls, as well as the Hevsel Gardens, which provided food and water supply to the city. [12] | |
Ephesus | İzmir Province 37°55′45″N27°21′34″E / 37.92917°N 27.35944°E | Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vi) | 663 (1,640) | 2015 | The ancient Greek city of Ephesus was famed for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis, which now lies in ruins. After coming under Roman control in the 2nd century BCE, the city flourished, leaving behind monumental structures such as the Library of Celsus. The House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John became major Christian pilgrimage sites from the 5th century on. [13] | |
Gordion | Ankara Province 37°13′00″N38°55′21″E / 37.21667°N 38.92250°E | Cultural: (iii) | 1,064 (2,630) | 2023 | Gordion was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. Occupation at the site is attested from the Early Bronze Age (c. 2300 BCE) continuously until the 4th century CE and again in the 13th and 14th centuries CE. [14] | |
Göbekli Tepe | Şanlıurfa Province 37°13′00″N38°55′21″E / 37.21667°N 38.92250°E | Cultural: (i)(ii)(iv) | 126 (310) | 2018 | Dating back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic age between 10th and 9th millennium BCE, the site was likely used by hunter-gatherers for ritualistic purposes. [15] | |
Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia | Nevşehir Province 38°40′00″N34°51′00″E / 38.66667°N 34.85000°E | Mixed: (i)(iii)(v)(vii) | 9,884 (24,420) | 1985 | The Göreme Valley area is famous for its striking hoodoo rock formations. The region of Cappadocia also features a gallery of rock-hewn dwellings, villages, churches, underground cities and great examples of post-Iconoclastic Byzantine art. [16] | |
Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği | Sivas Province 39°22′17″N38°07′19″E / 39.37139°N 38.12194°E | Cultural: (i)(iv) | 2,016 (4,980) | 1985 | Founded in the early 13th century, the mosque-hospital complex at Divriği is a unique and outstanding example of Islamic architecture, blending distinct and sometimes contrasting designs. [17] | |
Hattusha: the Hittite Capital | Çorum Province 40°00′50″N34°37′14″E / 40.01389°N 34.62056°E | Cultural: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv) | 268 (660) | 1986 | The formal capital of the Hittite Empire, with its well-preserved city gates, temples, palaces and the nearby rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, is among the last vestiges of the once dominant power in Anatolia and northern Syria. [18] | |
Hierapolis-Pamukkale | Denizli Province 37°55′26″N29°07′24″E / 37.92389°N 29.12333°E | Mixed: (iii)(iv)(vii) | 1,077 (2,660) | 1988 | The natural site of Pamukkale is famous for its visually striking landscape, consisting of petrified waterfalls, stalactites and terraces. The nearby town of Hierapolis, founded at the end of the 2nd century BCE, hosts various Greco-Roman structures including temples, baths, a necropolis, as well as examples of Early Christian architecture. [19] | |
Historic Areas of Istanbul | Istanbul Province 41°00′30″N28°58′48″E / 41.00833°N 28.98000°E | Cultural: (iii)(iv)(vii) | 678 (1,680) | 1985 | The imperial capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, Istanbul has been a major political, religious and cultural centre for more than two millennia. Its skyline, which includes masterpieces such as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Topkapı Palace, testifies to the great geniuses of architects through the ages. [20] | |
Nemrut Dağ | Adıyaman Province 38°02′12″N38°45′49″E / 38.03667°N 38.76361°E | Cultural: (i)(iii)(iv) | 11 (27) | 1987 | Nemrut Dağ is the location where King Antiochus I (69–34 B.C.) of Commagene constructed his own temple-tomb, surrounded by colossal statues and stelae, in one of the most ambitious architectural undertakings of the Hellenistic period. [21] | |
Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük | Konya Province 37°40′00″N32°49′41″E / 37.66667°N 32.82806°E | Cultural: (iii)(iv) | 37 (91) | 2012 | Occupied between approximately 7400 BC and 5200 BC, the expansive site of Çatalhöyük is among the few examples of a well-preserved Neolithic settlement, with its egalitarian urban layout, roof-access dwellings, wall paintings and reliefs testifying to a proto-urban way of life. [22] | |
Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape | İzmir Province 39°07′33″N27°10′48″E / 39.12583°N 27.18000°E | Cultural: (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi) | 333 (820) | 2014 | Founded in the 3rd century BC as the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty, Pergamon was one of the most important cities of the ancient world. After its bequest to the Romans in 133 BC, the city witnessed further development, becoming known as a major therapeutic centre. [23] | |
Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex | Edirne Province 41°40′40″N26°33′34″E / 41.67778°N 26.55944°E | Cultural: (i)(iv) | 3 (7.4) | 2011 | Constructed during the 16th century, the Selimiye Mosque complex at Edirne is considered by the architect Mimar Sinan to be his masterpiece and represents the highest achievement of Ottoman architecture. [24] | |
Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia | Countrywide | Cultural: (ii)(iv) | 0.61 (1.5) | 2023 | The site consists of five wooden hypostyle mosques in Anatolia dating back to the late 13th and mid-14th centuries. [25] | |
Xanthos-Letoon | Antalya and Muğla Provinces 36°20′06″N29°19′13″E / 36.33500°N 29.32028°E | Cultural: (ii)(iii) | 126 (310) | 1988 | The site consists of two neighboring settlements. Xanthos, the centre of the Lycian civilization, exerted significant architectural influences upon other cities of the region, with the Nereid Monument directly inspiring the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Caria. Letoon, an important religious centre in Lycia, hosts the Letoon trilingual, which provided the key in deciphering the long-extinct Lycian language. [26] |
Xanthos or Xanthus, also referred to by scholars as Arna, its Lycian name, was an ancient city near the present-day village of Kınık, in Antalya Province, Turkey. The ruins are located on a hill on the left bank of the River Xanthos. The number and quality of the surviving tombs at Xanthos are a notable feature of the site, which, together with nearby Letoon, was declared to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
Safranbolu is a town in Karabük Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is the seat of Safranbolu District. Its population is 52,999 (2022). It is about 9 km north of the city of Karabük, 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Ankara and about 100 km south of the Black Sea coast. The town's historic names in Greek were Theodoroupolis and later Saphrampolis (Σαφράμπολις). Its former names in Turkish were Zalifre and Taraklıborlu. It was part of Kastamonu Province until 1923 and Zonguldak Province between 1923 and 1995. The town lies at an elevation of 508 m (1,667 ft).
Denizli is a city in Aegean Turkey, and seat of the province of Denizli. The city forms the urban part of the districts Merkezefendi and Pamukkale, with a population of 651,200 in 2022.
Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The area is famous for a carbonate mineral left by the flowing of thermal spring water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.
The Selimiye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque, located in the city of Edirne, Turkey. It was commissioned by Sultan Selim II and was built by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan between 1568 and 1575. It was considered by Sinan to be his masterpiece and is one of the highest achievements of Islamic architecture as a whole and Ottoman architecture in particular.
Tourism in Turkey is focused largely on a variety of historical sites, and on seaside resorts along its Aegean and Mediterranean Sea coasts. Turkey has also become a popular destination for culture, spa, and health care. Since 2021, Turkey is the fourth most visited country in the world.
Hierapolis was a Hellenistic Greek city built on the site of a Phrygian cult center of the Anatolian mother goddess Cybele, in Phrygia in southwestern Anatolia. It was famous for its hot springs, its high quality wool fabrics and dyes, and as the birthplace of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus. Its extensive remains are adjacent to modern Pamukkale in Turkey.
Divriği, historically Tephrike , is a town in Sivas Province of Turkey. It is the seat of Divriği District. Its population is 10,800 (2022). The town lies on gentle slope on the south bank of the Çaltısuyu river, a tributary of the Karasu river. The Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, along with the adjoining hospital (Darüşşifa), are on UNESCO's World Heritage List by virtue of the exquisite carvings and architecture of both buildings. Cihan Deniz Akbaş is the current mayor.
Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital is a mosque and hospital complex built in 1228–1229 by the local dynasty of the Mengujekids in the small Anatolian town of Divriği, now in Sivas Province, Turkey. The complex is located in the upper town, below the citadel. The exquisite stone carvings and eclectic architecture of the complex places it among the most important works of architecture in Anatolia and led to its inclusion on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1985.
Turkish art refers to all works of visual art originating from the geographical area of what is present day Turkey since the arrival of the Turks in the Middle Ages. Turkey also was the home of much significant art produced by earlier cultures, including the Hittites, Ancient Greeks, and Byzantines. Ottoman art is therefore the dominant element of Turkish art before the 20th century, although the Seljuks and other earlier Turks also contributed. The 16th and 17th centuries are generally recognized as the finest period for art in the Ottoman Empire, much of it associated with the huge Imperial court. In particular the long reign of Suleiman the Magnificent from 1520 to 1566 brought a combination, rare in any ruling dynasty, of political and military success with strong encouragement of the arts.
Global Heritage Fund is a non-profit organization that operates internationally. Founded in California in 2002, its mission is to "transform local communities by investing in global heritage."
The House of Mengüjek was an Anatolian beylik of the first period, founded after the Battle of Manzikert. The Mengujekids ruled the regions of Erzincan, Kemah, Şebinkarahisar and Divriği in Eastern Anatolia in the 12th and 13th centuries.
Anatolian Seljuk architecture, or simply Seljuk architecture, refers to building activity that took place under the Sultanate of Rum, ruled by an offshoot of the Seljuk dynasty that emerged from the Great Seljuk Empire alongside various other local dynasties. The Anatolian Seljuks patronized their own tradition of architecture whose surviving examples are generally found in present-day Turkey. Anatolian Seljuk architecture was eclectic and influenced by multiple traditions including Armenian, Byzantine, Iranian, and Syrian architecture. Unlike earlier Great Seljuk architecture to the east, their buildings were generally constructed in stone and featured significant stone-carved decoration as well as tile decoration. While the Seljuk Sultanate declined and ended in the late 13th century, architecture continued to flourish and diversify under the smaller Beylik states in Anatolia, which included the early Ottomans.
İzzet Mehmet Pasha Mosque is an 18th-century mosque in Safranbolu of Karabük Province, Turkey.
Mahmutbey Mosque is a historical mosque in Kasaba village in Kastamonu Province, Turkey.
The Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia are a World Heritage Site consisting of five Seljuk mosques in Anatolia dating back to the late 13th and mid-14th centuries.