Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The list of Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage Sites marvellously blends cultural and natural beauty, highlighting the best of history. Anyone who knows Turkey will testify to the diverse historical timeline, and touring the UNESCO sites perfectly introduces a country that is sometimes hard to understand.
The UNESCO list includes buildings, cities with rich histories, natural sites, mixed sites, complexes, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, and mountains. To be added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, they must be culturally unique or of physical significance.
While each Heritage Site is still part of Turkey, UNESCO says international communities benefit from them. To preserve each site for future generations, UNESCO actively works with the government to protect and promote the sites.
All UNESCO Heritage sites are open to the public, so tour them independently or buy round-the-country tours to see them all in one trip. However, don't expect a quick, whirlwind visit because more are always being added.
The List of Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage Sites
1: Troy Archaeological Site
With 4000 years of history, the extensive remains of this legendary city reflect the first contact between Anatolia and Mediterranean civilisations. Bronze Age Troy featured in the Trojan War of ancient Greek oral and literary tradition, and the archaeological site revealed a large and prosperous city occupied over millennia. Debates even took place about whether mythical Troy existed. However, today, archaeological excavations have revealed the city of Homer's Iliad. First discovered in the 19th century, and excavations continuing in the 20th century, Troy now called Hisarlık features a replica of the famed wooden horse.
2: Bursa and Cumalikizik: Birth of the Ottoman Empire
Eight sites in Bursa and the nearby Cumalikizik village promote urban and rural systems of 14th-century Ottoman towns. The site includes commercial districts of khans, mosques, religious schools, public baths, a kitchen for the poor, and the tomb of Orhan Ghazi, founder of the Ottoman dynasty.
On Uludag Mountain slopes in northwestern Turkey, architectural styles include Byzantine, Seljuk, Arab, Persian, and other influences. Bursa connects with significant historical events, myths, ideas, and traditions from the early Ottoman periods, and sultans, courtiers, and Muslim leaders chose it as their burial place.
3: Safranbolu Town
Safranbolu, a typical Ottoman town, played a crucial role in the caravan trade between the East and West over centuries. Developed as a trading centre after the 11th-century Turkish conquest, it was an important caravan station by the 13th century.
Three distinct historical districts are Cukur marketplace, Kirankoy, and Baglar (the Vineyards). Kirankoy, formerly a non-Muslim district with a contemporary European feel, had artisans and tradesmen living above their shops. While Cukur illustrates how the separation of Muslim and non-Muslim quarters during Ottoman rule enabled each community to establish settlements according to tradition.
4: Diyarbakır Fortified City and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape
This historical fortress in southeast Turkey comprises inner and outer sections constructed in the 4th century AD by emperor Constantias II, who used stone from the old Roman city of Amida. They are the world's broadest and longest defensive walls after the Great Wall of China.
The walls have numerous towers, gates, buttresses and sixty-three inscriptions, and the site includes Hevsel Gardens, seven hundred hectares of fertile land connecting with the Tigris River that supplied food and water, the Anzele water source and Ten-Eyed Bridge. It is one of Turkey’s best-preserved cultural centres, full of architectural marvels.
5: Ephesus Ancient Greco-Roman City
10th century BC, Ephesus, an ancient city of Ionia, now sits near Izmir, the third largest metropolis of Turkey. As one of twelve Ionian League cities, in its heyday under Roman Republic control in 129BC, the population of 60,000 people made it the most extensive Roman Asia minor city after Sardis and Alexandria Troas.
Famed for public buildings like the Artemis Temple, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Greek city was one of seven churches of Asia and where Saint John and Mary spent time. Every year, millions of international and local tourists visit Ephesus, making it a top tourist attraction in Turkey and a site for Christian pilgrimage.
6: Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital
The remarkable Divrigi Great Mosque and Hospital in Turkey’s eastern Sivas province combines a grand hypostyle mosque with a two-storey hospital, which includes a tomb. Sitting on slopes below Divrigi castle, the mosque features a hexagonal, pointed-roofed dome over its prayer niche, a cupola over the ablution’s basin in the prayer hall, and elaborately carved stone portals on the north and west sides. It certainly stands out for its architectural achievements and rich history.
The adjoining hospital, the Darush-Shifa, designed by architect Hurrem Shah in 1228, has a grand, elaborately carved stone portal leading into a double-height atrium formed by four massive piers supporting a dome with an oculus over a central pool. The hospital rooms are located around this atrium.
Unique features of this masterpiece of Islamic architecture are the sophisticated technique of vault construction and a creative, exuberant type of decorative sculpture, particularly on three doorways, in contrast to unadorned interior walls.
7: Hattusa: Hittite Capital in Central Anatolia
Hattusa, the former capital of the Hittite Empire, is notable for its urban organisation and landmark ruins, such as temples, royal residences, and fortifications. The Lion's Gate, rich ornamentation, the Royal Gate, and the Yazilikaya rock sanctuary often appear in travel magazines.
Found within the Bogazkale District, besides city landmarks and a rock sanctuary, the site features Kayalı Bogaz ruins and Ibikim Forest. The best-preserved ruin at Hattusa is the lower city, Great Temple, though others of a similar date and shape appear in the upper part, which consists of temples for Hittite gods and goddesses.
8: Historic Areas of Istanbul
The Byzantium and Constantinople empires ruled from historic Istanbul, and its unique integration of architectural masterpieces reflects the meeting of Europe and Asia over centuries. Buildings within this UNESCO site of Istanbul city centre include the Hagia Sophia, Zeyrek mosque, a former church, mosque and now a museum, the 15th century Faith complex, Topkapi Palace from where the first Ottoman sultans ruled before they moved to Dolmabahce, Suleymaniye Mosque, and the 17th century Blue Mosque. Out of all the tourist attractions in Turkey, the historic areas of Istanbul are the most popular and host millions of visitors annually. Evidence shows that settlement there happened as early as the 6th century BC.
9: Nemrut Dag and Ancient History
Sitting high on Nemrut Dag of the Eastern Taurus Mountain range in southeast Turkey, the late Hellenistic King Antiochus built these temple tombs and statue heads as a monument to himself. From 50 BC, five giant seated limestone statues, identified by their inscriptions as deities, face outwards from the tumulus on the east upper level and west terraces. Flanked by guardian lion and eagle animal statues at each end, this complex design and colossal scale combine to create a project unequalled in ancient worlds.
10: Catalhoyuk Neolithic Site and Domestic Buildings
Catalhoyuk ancient settlement, a rare example of a well-preserved Neolithic settlement, depicts ancient civilisations that transitioned from village to urban living. The vast site rises 20 metres above the Konya Plain in Turkey’s Southern Anatolian Plateau.
Excavations revealed 18 levels of Neolithic occupation dating from 7,400-6,200 BC. They supplied different evidence of prehistoric social organisation and cultural practices and shed light on early human adaptation to sedentary life and agriculture. The enormous collection of features, including wall paintings representing symbolic worlds, makes it the most significant Neolithic settlement documenting early agricultural life.
11: Pergamon in the Izmir Province
Pergamon was a cultural, scientific, and political hub. Landmark buildings include the highly steep theatre, long stoa, a three-terraced Gymnasium, the tumuli, pressurised water pipelines, city walls, and Kybele Sanctuary. The Hellenistic dynasty founded the most extensive library in Pergamon, while the Attalia Dynasty founded the famous sculpture school.
Later, Romans built other vital structures, including Asklepion Sanctuary, a legendary healing centre whose sacred spring still flows, the Roman Theatre, a Great Aqueduct, the Trajan Temple and the Serapeum.
Ottomans later built other urban structures, such as mosques, baths, bridges, and water systems. Pergamon testifies to unique and integrated aesthetic achievements of civilisations. It incorporates Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman structures, reflecting Paganism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, preserving their cultural features within historic landscapes.
12: Selimiye Mosque and Social Complex
This square mosque, with its single great dome and four slender minarets, dominates the skyline of Edirne, a former Ottoman capital. The Selimiye complex includes a covered market, clock house, outer courtyard, and library, designed by Sinan, a famous 16th-century Ottoman architect. The interior décor consists of exquisite Iznik tiles, and the complex harmoniously evokes an Ottoman kulliye, a group of buildings constructed around a mosque and managed as a single institution.
13: Xanthos-Letoon Lycian Civilization
Xanthos-Letoon is a remarkable archaeological complex made up of two neighbouring archaeological sites in southwestern Anatolia, between the Antalya and Muğla Provinces. The two sites highlight the architecture of Anatolian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine civilisations and stand for unique examples of ancient Lycian architecture.
Archaeologists uncovered important Lycian texts, and these inscriptions, often engraved in rock or on massive stone pillars, proved crucial to better understanding the beliefs and lifestyle of the Lycian people and their Indo-European language. In the 2nd century, Xanthos was the capital city of the Lycian empire. Both can be visited on a day trip from nearby Fethiye.
14: Goreme National Park and Rock Sites of Cappadocia
Erosion has sculpted dormant volcanic landscapes of central Anatolian Turkey to form Goreme National Park and its famous fairy chimneys, cave churches, and weird rock site formations. The density of rock-hewn cells, churches, troglodyte villages and underground cities make it a beautiful, sizeable cave-dwelling complex of Cappadocia.
Renowned for religious activity, dating back to the 4th century, small anchorite communities carved their homes and churches out of tufa rock, and in later years, they served as places of refuge to invading army forces. While in Cappadocia, see the famous underground cities; although they don’t belong to the UNESCO list, they still amaze everyone. A road trip covers other attractions that are still worth seeing even though they are not on the UNESCO list.
15: Hierapolis-Pamukkale in Denizli
The natural heritage of Pamukkale, a surreal landscape of calcite-laden waters and terraced basins, results in a white-covered hillside nicknamed the ‘Cotton Palace.' Nearby, ancient Hierapolis, a former spa destination, holds ruined landmarks, including baths, temples, and other Greek monuments displaying the cultural heritage. However, its claim to fame stems from Pluto's Gate, a mythical gate to hell. These days, the city is a famous historical attraction.
16: Ani: City of 1001 Churches
Sitting near the border with Armenian, this beautiful city receives little tourists because of its remote location, but it is a must-see for its historical significance. The prime time of Ani was during the 11th century, as the Bagratids Kingdom's ruling centre and a pivotal point on old trade routes. By the 14th century, an earthquake and invasion by the Mongol empire led citizens to desert Ani, and it fell into ruins. Extensive excavations have revealed marvellous landmarks like the Cathedral and Saint Gregory Tigran Hornets Church.
17: Aphrodisias in Turkey’s Aydin Province
For years, tourists neglected Aphrodisia's ancient ruins in favour of Pamukkale's Calcium pools. In 2017, its inclusion in UNESCO's Heritage Site list changed all that as increasingly more tourists arrived. They are easily pleased because this city was a school of sculptors, and excellent examples of this craft are on display where hundreds of impeccable and detailed sculptures of prominent rulers and society stand. Other landmark buildings include two bathhouses, a theatre, temples, and an agora, reflecting the varied cultural significance and stunning architecture.
18: Gobeklitepe
In 2018, the archaeological significance of Gobeklitepe took its deserved place on Turkey’s UNESCO list. As the world's oldest temple, it threw religious stories of human history into chaos as archaeologists and historians sought to learn more about the t-shaped pillars dating back 11,500 years. Turkey declared 2019 the year of Gobeklitepe to promote the Neolithic site, giving great insight into how man has evolved over the centuries. Archaeologists say excavations are ongoing, so this is one of Turkey's UNESCO Sites worth watching.
19: Arslantepe Mound
Named a UNESCO site in 2021, this Chalcolithic city shows evidence of human settlement and urban planning. As part of the "Northern regions of Greater Mesopotamia," its importance in history, is near the birth of civilisation. Archaeologists first discovered the site in 1932 and have since established various civilisations lived here and produced the first known swords in history.
20: Gordion in Ankara
As the ancient capital city of Phrygia, Gordion shows early Bronze Age occupation. Connected with the ancient tradition of the Gordian knot, the town is also associated with connected the famous King Midas. Out of all excavations in Turkey, this one has used the latest technology to discover more about the settlements that lived and raised their families here. 3rd century BC, Burial mounds were found at Gordion.
21: Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia
This UNESCO Site includes five 13th—and 14th-century Seljuk mosques. The Seljuk period refers to the Sultanate of Rum era, and their unique architectural style in various buildings around Turkey. Influenced by Syrian, Iranian, Byzantine, and Armenian architecture, the style is unique.
What is the Tentative List?
Aside from the list of Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the tentative list includes cultural sites submitted for application but still under review and awaiting approval. Seventy-seven sites from Turkey are on the list, but approval takes several years. Regardless, this fascinating country has enough attractions and UNESCO World Heritage sites to keep people exploring for years.
Yalova
