List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey

⭐ In the context of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Turkey’s formal association with the governing convention began in what year, paving the way for the recognition of its significant cultural and natural landmarks?

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⭐ Core Definition: List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey

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. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. Turkey accepted the convention on March 16, 1983.

There are 22 World Heritage Sites in Turkey, of which 20 are cultural and 2 are mixed, listed for both cultural and natural values. The first sites to be inscribed were Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia; the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği; and the Historic Areas of Istanbul, all at the 9th Session of the World Heritage Committee in 1985. The latest inscription, Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe, was added to the list in 2025. In addition, Turkey has 79 sites on its tentative list.

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In this Dossier

List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey in the context of Troy

Troy (Hittite: 𒆳𒌷𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭, romanised: Truwiša/Taruiša; Ancient Greek: Τροία, romanisedTroíā; Latin: Troia) or Ilion (Hittite: 𒌷𒃾𒇻𒊭, romanised: Wiluša; Ancient Greek: Ἴλιον, romanisedĪ́lion) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destination, and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1998.

Troy was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt during its 4000 years of occupation. As a result, the site is divided into nine archaeological layers, each corresponding to a city built on the ruins of the previous. Archaeologists refer to these layers using Roman numerals, Troy I being the earliest and Troy IX being the latest.

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List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey in the context of Historic Areas of Istanbul

The Historic Areas of Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul'un Tarihî Alanları; Greek: Ιστορικές Περιοχές της Κωνσταντινούπολης, romanizedHistorikés Periochés tīs Kōnstantinoúpolis; Ottoman Turkish: استانبولك تاریخي اﻻنلری) are a group of sites in the capital district of Fatih in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. These areas were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

It includes buildings and structures such as the Sarayburnu, the Topkapı Palace, the Hagia Sophia, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Hagia Irene, Zeyrek Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Little Hagia Sophia and the Walls of Constantinople.

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List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey in the context of Xanthos

Xanthos or Xanthus, also referred to by scholars as Arna, its Lycian name, (Turkish: Ksantos, Lycian: 𐊀𐊕𐊑𐊏𐊀 Arñna, Greek: Ξάνθος, Latin: Xanthus) 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.

The city of Xanthos was a centre of culture and commerce for the Lycians, and later for the Persians, Greeks and Romans who in turn conquered the region. Xanthos influenced its neighbours architecturally; the Nereid Monument directly inspired the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in the region of Caria.

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List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey in the context of Hattush

Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey (originally Boğazköy) within the great loop of the Kızılırmak River (Hittite: Marashantiya; Greek: Halys).

French archeologist Charles Texier brought attention to the ruins after his visit in 1834. Over the following century, sporadic exploration occurred, involving different archaeologists. The German Oriental Society and the German Archaeological Institute began systematic excavations in the early 20th century, which continue to this day. Hattusa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1986.

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List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey in the context of Mardin

Mardin (Kurdish: مێردین, romanizedMêrdîn; Arabic: ماردين, romanizedMārdīn; Syriac: ܡܪܕܝܢ, romanizedMardīn; Armenian: Մարդին) is a city and seat of the Artuklu District of Mardin Province in Turkey. It is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location on a rocky hill near the Tigris River.

In February 2000, the Turkish Ministry of Culture placed Mardin and its surrounding cultural landscape on the country’s Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

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List of World Heritage Sites in Turkey in the context of Letoon

Letoon or Letoum (Turkish: Letoon, Ancient Greek: Λητῷον) in the Fethiye district of Muğla Province, Turkey, was a sanctuary of Leto located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) south of the ancient city of Xanthos, to which it was closely associated, and along the Xanthos River. It was one of the most important religious centres in the region though never a fully-occupied settlement.

Letoon was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.

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