The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are places of importance to cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. Cultural heritage consists of monuments (such as architectural works, monumental sculptures, or inscriptions), groups of buildings, and sites (including archaeological sites). Natural features (consisting of physical and biological formations), geological and physiographical formations (including habitats of threatened species of animals and plants), and natural sites which are important from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, are defined as natural heritage. Turkey accepted the convention on March 16, 1983.
There are 22 World Heritage Sites in Turkey, of which 20 are cultural and 2 are mixed, listed for both cultural and natural values. The first sites to be inscribed were Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia; the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği; and the Historic Areas of Istanbul, all at the 9th Session of the World Heritage Committee in 1985. The latest inscription, Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe, was added to the list in 2025. In addition, Turkey has 80 sites on its tentative list.
World Heritage Sites UNESCO lists sites under ten criteria; each entry must meet at least one of the criteria. Criteria i through vi are cultural, and vii through x are natural.
+ Site Image Location (province) Year listed Description Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia Kayseri and Nevşehir Provinces 1985 357; i, iii, v, vii (mixed) The Göreme Valley area is famous for its striking hoodoo rock formations. The region of Cappadocia also features a gallery of rock-hewn dwellings, villages, churches, underground cities, and great examples of post-Iconoclastic Byzantine art. Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği Sivas 1985 358; i, iv (cultural) Founded in the early 13th century, the mosque-hospital complex at Divriği is a unique and outstanding example of Islamic architecture, blending distinct, and sometimes contrasting designs. Historic Areas of Istanbul Istanbul 1985 356bis; i, ii, iii, iv (cultural) The imperial capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, Istanbul has been a major political, religious, and cultural centre for more than two millennia. Its skyline, which includes masterpieces such as the Hippodrome of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, the Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Topkapı Palace, testifies to the great geniuses of architects through the ages. Hattusa: the Hittite Capital Çorum 1986 377; i, ii, iii, iv (cultural) The formal capital of the Hittite Empire, with its well-preserved city gates, temples, palaces, and the nearby rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, is among the last vestiges of the once dominant power in Anatolia and northern Syria. Mount Nemrut Adıyaman 1987 448; i, iii, iv (cultural) Mount Nemrut is the location where King Antiochus I (69–34 BC) of Commagene constructed his own temple-tomb, surrounded by colossal statues and stelae, in one of the most ambitious architectural undertakings of the Hellenistic period. Hierapolis-Pamukkale Denizli 1988 485; iii, iv, vii (mixed) The natural site of Pamukkale is famous for its visually striking landscape, consisting of petrified waterfalls, stalactites, and terraces. The nearby town of Hierapolis, founded at the end of the 2nd century BC, hosts various Greco-Roman structures including temples, baths, a necropolis, as well as examples of Early Christian architecture. Xanthos-Letoon Antalya and Muğla Provinces 1988 484; ii, iii (cultural) The site consists of two neighboring settlements. Xanthos, the centre of the Lycian civilization, exerted significant architectural influences upon other cities of the region, with the Nereid Monument directly inspiring the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Caria. Letoon, an important religious centre in Lycia, hosts the Letoon trilingual, which provided the key in deciphering the long-extinct Lycian language. City of Safranbolu Karabük 1994 614; ii, iv, v (cultural) A crossroads of the caravan trade, Safranbolu flourished from the 13th century on. Its architecture became a major influence on urban development throughout the Ottoman Empire. Archaeological Site of Troy Çanakkale 1998 849; ii, iii, vi (cultural) Dating back to more than four millennia ago and serving as a key influence on Homer's Iliad and Virgil's Aeneid, Troy was rediscovered by Heinrich Schliemann in the late 19th century, and has since become one of the most well-known archeological sites in the world. Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex Edirne 2011 1366; i, iv (cultural) Constructed during the 16th century, the Selimiye Mosque complex at Edirne is considered by the architect Mimar Sinan to be his masterpiece and represents the highest achievement of Ottoman architecture. Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük Konya 2012 1405; iii, iv (cultural) Occupied between approximately 7400 BC and 5200 BC, the expansive site of Çatalhöyük is among the few examples of a well-preserved Neolithic settlement, with its egalitarian urban layout, roof-access dwellings, wall paintings, and reliefs testifying to a proto-urban way of life. Pergamon and its Multi-Layered Cultural Landscape İzmir 2014 1457; i, ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) Founded in the 3rd century BC as the capital of the Hellenistic Attalid dynasty, Pergamon was one of the most important cities of the ancient world. After its bequest to the Romans in 133 BC, the city witnessed further development, becoming known as a major therapeutic centre. Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire Bursa 2014 1452; i, ii, iv, vi (cultural) The first capital of the Ottoman Empire in the 14th century, Bursa, with its innovative urban planning, became a major source of reference for future Ottoman cities. The nearby village of Cumalıkızık, exemplar of the vakıf system, provided support for the development of the capital. Diyarbakır Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape Diyarbakır 2015 1488; iv (cultural) Diyarbakır has been a city of great significance from the Hellenistic period until the present. The site contains Diyarbakır's 5.800km-long city walls, as well as the Hevsel Gardens, which provided food and water supply to the city. Ephesus İzmir 2015 1018rev; iii, iv, vi (cultural) The ancient Greek city of Ephesus was famed for one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis, which now lies in ruins. After coming under Roman control in the 2nd century BC, the city flourished, leaving behind monumental structures such as the Library of Celsus. The House of the Virgin Mary and the Basilica of St. John became major Christian pilgrimage sites from the 5th century on. Archaeological Site of Ani TurKars 2016 1518; ii, iii, iv (cultural) Located close to the Turkey-Armenia border, the medieval city of Ani reached its golden age in the 10th and 11th centuries as the capital of Bagratid Armenia, before going into decline from the 14th century on following a Mongol invasion and a major earthquake. Aphrodisias Aydın 2017 1519; ii, iii, iv, vi (cultural) The site consists of Aphrodisias itself (featuring the 3rd-century BC Temple of Aphrodite) and the ancient marble quarries nearby, which had brought wealth to the ancient Greek city. Göbekli Tepe Şanlıurfa 2018 1572; i, ii, iv (cultural) Dating back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic age between 10th and 9th millennium BC, the site was likely used by hunter-gatherers for ritualistic purposes. Arslantepe Mound Malatya 2021 1622; iii (cultural) Arslantepe was an ancient city on the Tohma River, a tributary of the upper Euphrates rising in the Taurus Mountains. It has been identified with the modern archaeological site of Arslantepe near Malatya. The first swords known in the Early Bronze Age (c. 33rd to 31st centuries) are based on finds at Arslantepe by Marcella Frangipane of Rome University. Gordion Ankara 2023 1669; iii (cultural) Gordion was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. Occupation at the site is attested from the Early Bronze Age (c. 2300 BC) continuously until the 4th century AD and again in the 13th and 14th centuries AD. Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of Medieval Anatolia Countrywide 2023 1694; ii, iv (cultural) The site consists of five wooden hypostyle mosques in Anatolia dating back to the late 13th and mid-14th centuries. Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe Manisa 2025 1731; iii (cultural) Capital of Lydia with a temple, gymnasium, and royal burial mounds.
Tentative list In addition to sites inscribed on the World Heritage List, member states can maintain a list of tentative sites that they may consider for nomination. Nominations for the World Heritage List are only accepted if the site was previously listed on the tentative list. Turkey lists 80 properties on its tentative list.