If you missed part one, you can read it here:

https://fethiyetimes.com/unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-turkey-part-one/

Sites on the World Heritage List (Cultural) – continued …

Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği

The stunning Divriği mosque and madrasa (seminary) complex has been declared by UNESCO to be one of the most important centres of cultural heritage in the world.

Its exceptional remoteness – two hours drive from Sivas – makes it one of the least visited sites. Originally a Byzantine stronghold, Divriği was taken by the Seljuks who commissioned the building with its lavishly carved portals. The Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği was added to the World Heritage List in 1985.

Hattusha: the Hittite Capital

Hattuşa was once a great and impressive city, defended by stone walls over 6km in length. Today the ruins consist mostly of re-constructed foundations, walls and a few rock carvings, but there are several more interesting features, including a tunnel and some fine hieroglyphic inscriptions preserved in situ.

The site itself is strangely atmospheric, almost eerie, exciting for its ruggedness and high antiquity rather than for its buildings or reliefs. Hattusha: the Hittite Capital was added to the World Heritage List in 1986.

Historic Areas of Istanbul

The Historic Areas of Istanbul is a group of sites in the capital district of Fatih in the city of Istanbul, Türkiye. 

From ancient ruins to 16th-century masterpieces, here are some of the must-see UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites and landmarks in Istanbul. These areas were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

• Sarayburnu
• Topkapi Palace
• Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofia)
• Sultan Ahmed Mosque
• Hagia Irene
• Zeyrek Mosque
• Suleymaniye Mosque
• Little Hagia Sophia

Click on the link below for more information about these sites courtesy of viator.com

Must-See UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Istanbul

Nemrut Dağ

The 7,000-foot-tall mountain, Nemrut Dağı (Mount Nemrut), houses a historical site unlike any other in the country.

Notable for its ancient tomb and temple complex, which includes numerous massive statues of Greek and Persian gods, the stunning site was constructed by King Antiochus I in 62 BC and is today considered to be the most significant monument of the Kingdom of Commagene. Nemrut Dağ was added to the World Heritage List in 1987. 

You can read our previous article about Nemrut Dağ here.

Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük

Çatalhöyük is Türkiye’s most important neolithic and Bronze Age site and the earliest known city in the world.

The sophisticated tools, jewellery, and sculpture found here, and above all the wall paintings decorating the shrines, all dating from 6800 BC, indicate a remarkably advanced civilisation in Anatolia at this time. These items are now in the Ankara Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, but the site is nevertheless impressive for its size. The Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyü was added to the World Heritage List in 2012.

Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape

Pergamon is, for the most part, a site of quiet classical splendour. Its ruins – especially the Asklepion and Acropolis – are so extraordinary that they were inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List in June 2014, the 999th site in the world (and the 14th in Türkiye) to be so honoured.

The thermal springs of Pergamon made the city one of the principal centres of healing and beauty. One of the major thermal spas of Pergamon is within the Sanctuary of Asclepius (Güzellik Ilıcası). It is believed to have been commissioned by King Euamens of Pergamon, and its healing and beauty properties were enjoyed by Cleopatra.

Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex

The square Mosque with its single great dome and four slender minarets dominates the skyline of the former Ottoman capital of Edirne. Sinan, the most famous of Ottoman architects in the 16th century, considered the complex, which includes madrasas (Islamic schools), a covered market, a clock house, an outer courtyard and a library, to be his best work.

The interior decoration using Iznik tiles from the peak period of their production testifies to an art form that remains unsurpassed in this material. The complex is considered to be the most harmonious expression ever achieved of the Ottoman külliye, a group of buildings constructed around a mosque and managed as a single institution. Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex were added to the World Heritage List in 2011. 

Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia

This serial property is comprised of five hypostyle mosques built in Anatolia between the late 13th and mid-14th centuries, each located in a different province of present-day Türkiye. The unusual structural system of the mosques combines an exterior building envelope built of masonry with multiple rows of wooden interior columns (“hypostyle”) that support a flat wooden ceiling and the roof. These mosques are known for the skilful woodcarving and handiwork used in their structures, architectural fittings, and furnishings.

Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia were added to the World heritage List in 2023.

Xanthos-Letoon

Xanthos, with its fine Roman theatre and Lycian pillar tombs, is a magnificent site, as befits the remains of Lycia’s greatest city.  Any tour of Xanthos should begin with the theatre and its extraordinary pair of pillar tombs, 8m high.

On the acropolis stand the remains of a Lycian royal palace, overlooking the river valley. On the other side of the car park is an extensive Byzantine basilica with mosaic flooring and further uphill is the necropolis, with a cluster of huge tombs dominated by another pillar tomb. At the top of the hill are the remains of a Byzantine monastery and a large Roman temple. Xanthos-Letoon was added to the World Heritage List in 1988.

Sites on the World Heritage List (Mixed)

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia

Cappadocia is famous for its weird and wonderful natural rock formations and unique historical heritage. One of the best places to see these strange formations is the town of Göreme, which is located among a large number of tuff cones, termed fairy chimneys.

The fairy chimneys have been formed as the result of wind and water erosion of two different volcanic layers: a thick layer of tuff (consolidated volcanic ash) covered by a thin layer of basalt that is more resistant to erosion. Due to the ease of carving into the tuff, many of the fairy chimneys at Cappadocia have been hollowed out over the centuries to create houses, churches and storage facilities. Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia were added to the World Heritage List in 1985.

Hierapolis-Pamukkale

Deriving from springs in a cliff almost 200 m high overlooking the plain, calcite-laden waters have created at Pamukkale (Cotton Palace) an unreal landscape, made up of mineral forests, petrified waterfalls and a series of terraced basins.

At the end of the 2nd century B.C. the dynasty of the Attalids, the kings of Pergamon, established the thermal spa of Hierapolis. The ruins of the baths, temples and other Greek monuments can be seen at the site. Hierapolis-Pamukkale was added to the World Heritage List in 1988.

You can read our previous article on Pamukkale and Hierapolis here.

There are 79 more sites in Türkiye on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, properties that are considered to be cultural and/or natural heritage of outstanding universal value and therefore suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List.

UNESCO World Heritage – Turkey

Sources: UNESCO/LonelyPlanet/Explorer Turkey/Viator

Featured image by Nichola Chapman

This article was first published on 16 December 2021 and updated on 14 November 2023.

The post UNESCO World Heritage sites in Türkiye – part two appeared first on Fethiye Times.

Perched on a hill above the modern town of Bergama, the great acropolis of Pergamum (Pergamon) is one of the most dramatic sights in Türkiye. 

Pergamum is, for the most part, a site of quiet classical splendour. Its ruins – especially the Asklepion and Acropolis – are so extraordinary that they were inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List in June 2014, the 999th site in the world (and the 14th in Türkiye) to be so honoured.

After Athens lost its political importance in the 2nd century BC, Pergamum and Alexandria became the two main – and competing – centres of an ancient civilisation. 

Pergamum’s famous library and the Temple of Zeus were constructed at this time, along with the vast artificial terraces on the hillside, which allowed the city to spread downwards. 

Excavations have reconstructed enough of the acropolis area today to give an impression of how the upper city would have looked during the Roman period.

The most spectacular and impressive structure remains the theatre, a remarkable piece of engineering built into an exceptionally steep hillside.

The lower terraces are best explored from the car park at the foot of the Acropolis. Here are a vast gymnasium, the Temple of Demeter and Hellenistic houses and shops on streets rutted by chariot wheels. 

The lowest part of the city in now largely covered by the town of Bergama, with an attractive old quarter.

One of the most pleasurable ways to see Pergamum is to arrive in time to see the sunset from the acropolis, then to stay the night and explore the rest of the site in the morning.

Have a look at our gallery of photos taken by Norman Clark.

In photos: the spectacular ancient city of Pergamum

Getting there

Pergamum is situated 440 km from Fethiye (100 km north of Izmir). 

Visitors who drive can park in the lower or upper car parks or follow the signposts along Akropol Caddesi to the lower station of the Bergama Acropolis Cable Car. The cable car ride takes five minutes.

Follow the link below for details of options for getting to Bergama from Fethiye.

https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Fethiye/Bergama

This article was first published on 24 March 2022.

The post In photos: the spectacular ancient city of Pergamum appeared first on Fethiye Times.

Türkiye’s third-largest city, İzmir has been an important Aegean port since ancient times, when it was known as the Greek city of Smyrna; its seafront is as fetching and lively as any in the world. The city’s rich and fascinating heritage reflects the fact that it has been the home of Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Levantines and Turks over the centuries. Today, the city still enjoys its small but culturally-colourful Jewish and Levantine communities – and its unique and delicious cuisine attests to this. Its monumental history and delightful sea towns make Izmir one of Türkiye’s must-see places – one you should definitely add to your holiday list.

Here are some of the coastal towns of Izmir:

Çeşme

The biggest and most famous of the beach resorts around Izmir, Çeşme is an essentially Turkish resort and thermal spa (Çeşme means ‘spring’), dominated by its 14th-century Genoese fortress with a labyrinth of twisting back streets behind. The attractive promenade is lined with restaurants. The long, sandy beach where most of the hotels are concentrated lies a little outside the town.

Özdere

A beautiful corner of the Aegean, Özdere is a coastal town in the Menderes district of the Izmir region. With a temperate climate, favourable location and nearly 40-kilometre-long coastline and blue-flag beaches, Özdere is a local centre of tourism.

The promenades and walkways along the shoreline host numerous taverns, shops and restaurants that cater to visitors.

Bergama (Pergamon)

The laid-back market town of Bergama is the modern successor to the once-powerful ancient city of Pergamon (Pergamum). Unlike Ephesus, which heaves with tourists year-round, Pergamon is for the most part a site of quiet classical splendour. Its ruins – especially the Asklepion and Acropolis – are so extraordinary that they were inscribed on Unesco’s World Heritage List in June 2014, the 999th site in the world (and the 14th in Türkiye) to be so honoured.

The thermal springs of Pergamon made the city one of the principal centres of healing and beauty. One of the major thermal spas of Pergamon is within the Sanctuary of Asclepius (Güzellik Ilıcası). It is believed to have been commissioned by King Euamens of Pergamon, and its healing and beauty properties were enjoyed by Cleopatra.

Alongside its historic and cultural heritage, Bergama is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Trekking along the route to Kozak Plateau through the pine forests covering the Kozak mountain range between Bergama and Ayvalık, dotted with ruins and rural landscapes, also provide opportunities for photo safaris.

Urla

38km from Izmir, Urla is situated in the centre of the peninsula bearing the same name. The Urla Peninsula prides itself on its 40km coastline, untouched small bays and 12 islets.

Urla has a very Aegean ambience with its small squares, coffee shops under the vines, village bazaars and restaurants serving delicious and healthy Aegean cuisine.

Liman Tepe is an archaeological excavation site not to be missed when visiting Urla. Liman Tepe, whose history goes back six thousand years ago, is recorded in history as the oldest settlement in the Urla district. It was one of the harbours of the Ancient Klazomenai City, and among the most significant harbour cities in the Aegean in the 3^rd millennium B.C

Foça

Named after the seals that live on the islands surrounding the city, Foça (Phocaea), refered to in the Legend of Homer, was established by Aeolians in 11^th century BC. 

Very well placed for access to Izmir airport, this pretty fishing village has a lively harbor front with excellent seafood restaurants.

Foça offers a unique combination of historical, natural and urban preservation sites and many parts of the district are under strict environmental protection, due to the value of the flora and the fauna, and the beauty of the small bays and coves. It is also home to the endangered Mediterranean monk seals. 

​Dikili

Dikili, located 120km north of Izmir, ia a lovely district appealing to local and foreign visitors alike and is famous for its spas.

There are thermal spas in Nebiler, Bademli and Kocaoba villages. The Port of Dikili provides international transport by sea and is a major source of income for the local communities.

The sub-district of Çandarlı, is a well-developed town and an important tourist resort with its rich history and extraordinary beauty.

Natural attractions include a crater lake in Merdivenli village and pine forests and historical caves in Demirtaş and Deliktaş villages.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our look at some of Izmir’s coastal towns. Next time you’re planning a visit to Izmir, why not give yourself time to visit one and see for yourself …

Sources: Daily Sabah/Lonely Planet/Turkey Home/Wikipedia

This article was first published on 28 July, 2018

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