5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Our Country

UNESCO World Heritage status is a prestigious designation for historical and cultural artifacts, ensuring their careful preservation and transmission to future generations. Italy holds the record for the most registered sites on the UNESCO list, while Turkey boasts 13, with Bursa Cumalıkızık and the Hanlar Area being the latest additions. This recognition serves as an excellent opportunity to showcase Turkey's historical and cultural heritage to the world. Let’s explore five of these heritages for our travel plans this season.

The Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital in Sivas, built in 1228-1229 by the Mengücek ruler Ahmet Shah, still greets you with its original splendor. Known for its unique plan, architecture, and decorations, the mosque features a male silhouette that appears on its door when the afternoon sun shines upon it. In front of this silhouette, a rectangular shadow also emerges, believed to represent a man reading the Quran and praying. The site, added to the UNESCO list in 1985, is worth visiting just to witness this phenomenon.

The magnificent ancient city of Pergamon, located in the center of Bergama district in Izmir, showcases its legendary beauties and artifacts. It served as the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon in the 200s BC. Its first remains were discovered in 1870 during railway construction by the Germans. The discovery itself is fascinating! Excavations and restorations continue in some areas today. Make sure to visit if you're passing through Izmir. It was accepted into the UNESCO list in 2014, and you will agree that it was added not a moment too soon.

The ancient capital of the Hittites during the Bronze Age, Hattusa, is a favorite with tourists all year round. If you haven’t seen it yet, you are missing out on a lot. Serving as the Hittite center between the 17th and 13th centuries BC, the site also reveals significant advancements in architecture and art from that era. Excavations across this vast area have uncovered five cultural layers containing relics from the Hatti, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Galatian, Roman, and Byzantine periods. It was included in the list in 1986.

The ancient cities of Xanthos-Letoon, once the capital to the Lycians, are located on the Fethiye-Kaş highway. The oldest remains in the area date back to the 8th century BC. The rock tombs and sarcophagi are particularly fascinating aspects of Lycian culture. Don’t miss out on visiting this site if you find yourself in the Mediterranean region this summer.

Çatalhöyük, one of the oldest settlements in Central Anatolia dating back 9,000 years, is undeniably one of the most intriguing sites on the list. If you haven't seen it yet, be sure to add it to your must-visit list before you die! This site is one of the earliest known Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements. The continuous inhabitation of the mounds for two thousand years is confirmed. Imagine how captivating that is! Additionally, the mounds reveal the social life, art, and culture of the Neolithic Age. UNESCO added it to its list in 2012.