KONYA ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST

Konya is an important city with historical, natural and cultural riches. Famous for its 10 thousand years of history and settlements such as Çatalhöyük and Boncuklu Höyük, which shed light on human history, Konya is a historical city that has hosted many civilizations that have continued to the present day, including the Hittites, Phrygians, Lydians, Persians, Macedonians, Romans, Sassanids, Seljuks and Ottomans.

Konya, which has such a deep history and natural richness, is also mentioned in the World Heritage List with its historical and cultural assets. Konya is a city with cultural heritages such as Çatalhöyük Neolithic City and Eşrefoğlu Mosque, Mevlevi Sema, Nasreddin Hodja on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List and Salt Lake Special Environmental Protection Area, Seljuk Caravanserais, İvriz Cultural Landscape, Eflatunpınar: Hittite Water Monument, Anatolian Seljuk Madrasahs on the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List.

TURKEY ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST 

Turkey, which was elected as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the 2023 2027 Period, has 21 heritage sites on this list, 19 of which are cultural and 2 of which are mixed. Again, Turkey has a total of 84 heritage sites on the Tentative List, 77 of which are cultural, 4 of which are mixed and 3 of which are natural. (UNESCO Turkish National Committee. Access Date: 13.12. 2024).

ON THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST 

Within the scope of the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the party states are obliged to submit their inventories (tentative list) of the assets that are suitable for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List to the UNESCO World Heritage Center. The nomination files prepared for the assets included in this list published by the UNESCO World Heritage Center are submitted to the World Heritage Committee. While preparing the Tentative Lists, the status of the assets meeting the criteria determined by the World Heritage Committee and their architectural, historical, aesthetic and cultural, economic, social, symbolic and philosophical characteristics are also taken into consideration.

In this context, there are many more historical and natural beauties in Konya and its surroundings that can be included in the world heritage list. The inclusion of these historical and natural beauties in the UNESCO list is of great importance both in terms of protecting these assets in our city and in terms of revitalizing tourism in the future.

While the process regarding the World Heritage List continues, there are natural and cultural assets such as the Evil Eye Bead of the World, Meke Crater Lake, Boncuklu Mound, Karatay Madrasa, Gevale Castle, Akören Church, Selimiye Mosque, Kilistra Ancient City, Alaeddin Mosque, İnce Minareli Madrasa, Sille Aya Elenia Church, Tınaztepe Cave in Konya and its surroundings that meet the criteria determined by UNESCO.

 It also strengthens the view that the Sawatra Ancient City in Karatay District, which we believe meets the criteria determined by UNESCO and whose excavations have just begun, and the underground city “Sarayini” dating back to the Roman period discovered in Sarayönü district of Konya can be included in these lists.

It is also envisaged that Konya may take its place on UNESCO’s list of regional and cultural heritages as the “SELJUK CAPITAL KONYA” within the scope of historical cities and with the “ŞİVLİLİK TRADITION” specific to Konya, which has been maintained since the time of Sultan Selim II (1566 1574) during the Ottoman Empire period.

Meanwhile, with Turkey being elected as a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the period 2023-2027, it is of great importance to register the multinational files titled “The Art of Illumination”, “Iftar and Socio Cultural Traditions Related to Iftar”, “Mey/Balaban Craftsmanship and Performance” and “The Art of Mother-of-Pearl Inlay” on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

 It is also important for Konya tourism that one of the 9 photographs on the 2023-24 World Heritage Map (https://whc.unesco. org/en/wallmap/) on UNESCO’s official website includes the Eşrefoğlu Mosque, which is on the permanent list in the category of Mosques with Wooden Roofs and Wooden Carriers in Anatolia.

 REFERENCES

1- AKGÖL Mustafa (2024) “UNESCO Dünya Mirası Listesi’nde Türkiye ve Konya” . Yeni İpek Yolu Dergisi, Vol:407. s: 56-61 Anadolu Matbaası, Konya 

2- https://whc.unesco.org/ 

3- https://konyakultur.gov.tr/index. php?route=pages/pages&page_id=28 

4- https://www.unesco.org.tr/Pag es/125/122/UNESCO-D%C3%BCn ya-Miras%C4%B1-Listesi 

5- https://www.unesco.org.tr/Pag es/126/123/UNESCO-%C4%B0n sanl%C4%B1%C4%9F%C4%B1n-So mut-Olmayan-K%C3%B Clt%C3%BCrel-Miras%C4%B1-Tem sil%C3%AE-Listesi 

6- https://www.unesco.org.tr/Home/Gal lery/3#images-11 

7- https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/2702