Bursa’s Cumalıkızık and İzmir's Bergama [also known as Pergamon] were accepted to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The applications have been admitted during the 38th World Heritages meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held in Qatar, Doha. The application files were entitled “Bursa and Cumalıkızık: The Birth of Ottoman Empire” and “Bergama, multi-leveled cultural landscape area” respectively.
In Turkey, the number of the places registered on the World Heritage List increased from 11 to 13.
While Bursa’s Cumalıkızık entered the list as the 998th, Bergama remained on the 999th - one rink before Bostwana, Okavango Delta, the 1000th site.
Cumalıkızık
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism made a statement about the two locations.
The Hanlar area including the Orhangazi Kulliye of Bursa and Cumalıkızık and its surroundings, consists of six components including the Kulliye of Hüdavendigar (Murad I), the Kulliye of Yıldırım (Bayezid I), the Green (Mehmed I) Kulliye, Muradiye (Murad II) Kulliye and Cumalıkızık village.
Cumalıkızık was founded during 1300s as a waqf [an Ottoman property unit] village. The file on Cumalıkızık emphasized on the theme of Bursa with its Hans and Kulliyes, the importance of this residential area in Ottoman economy and Ottoman’s transformation from a principality to an empire.
Bergama
Bergama was admitted to the Temporary List of World Heritage in 2011. Bergama, Turkey’s other candidate a along with Cumalıkızık, entered to the list as the place where the biggest library of the Hellenistic era had been founded in the category of cultural landscapes. Containing the layers of Hellenistic Roman, Eastern Roman and Ottoman eras in itself, Bergama consists of nine components including the Acropolis, the seven Tumuluses around it and Kybele Holy Area.
Next Year: Diyarbakır and Ephesus?
Ömer Çelik, Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, said on its Twitter account that the files of Diyarbakır and Efes will be debated next year.
Following is the other cities on the World Heritage List: The Historical Places of Istanbul, Divriği Ulu Mosque and its Darüşşafaka, Hattusa, Mount Nemrut, Xanthos-Letoon, the city of Safranbolu, the ancient city of Troya, Edirne Selimiye Mosque and its Kulliye, Göreme National Park and Cappadocia, Pamukkale Hierapolis and the ancient city of Çatalhöyük. (NV/MEV/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
