29 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Turkey Adds New Sites to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Two additional cultural objects have been added to Turkey’s World Heritage Tentative List, bringing the total number of cultural assets on the list to 85. The late antique and medieval churches and monasteries of Midyat and the surrounding region (Tur Abdin) in southeastern Mardin province, as well as the historical town of Kemaliye (Eğin) in eastern Erzincan province, were recently added to the list.

Turkey had 83 assets on the list in 2020.

The Kemaliye district, situated on the Silk Road and caravan roads, is notable for its distinct urban texture, architecture, and initial settlements. The Euphrates had an impact on the region’s design space and architecture, and settlements were built in response.

Karanlık (Dark) Canyon, which is about 35 kilometers (21.75 miles) long, is a part of the Kemaliye settlement. Dark Canyon is one of the top five deepest canyons in the world, with a height difference of up to 1000 meters (3280.84 feet) between the river’s mouth and the valley’s floor. According to the UNESCO website, remnants of the Turkish population were also be found 4 to 5 kilometers northwest of Kemaliye in the Dilli Valley. Photometric scans and ethnographic techniques were used to collect evidence from petroglyphs and carvings in the valley, resulting in considerable information about Turkish culture’s past.

The Tur Abdin (meaning “the Mountain of the Servants of God” in Syriac)
The Tur Abdin (meaning “the Mountain of the Servants of God” in Syriac)

The Tur Abdin (meaning “the Mountain of the Servants of God” in Syriac) area, which contains early examples of monastic architecture, witnesses the appearance of a modern and distinct architectural language that has been synonymous with the Syriac Orthodox community throughout history. Tur Abdin, a limestone plateau, has a distinct cultural landscape that includes nearly 80 villages and 70 monasteries from different eras.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



The Church of Mor Sobo, the Church of Yoldat Aloho, the Monastery of Deyrul Zafaran, the Monastery of Mor Gabriel, the Monasteries of Mor Abai near Qelleth, Mor Loozor near Habsenas, the Monastery of Mor Yakup at Salah, and the Churches of Mor Quryaqos at Urdnus and Mor Azozo el at Kfarze were chosen for nomination.

These structures, which share similar characteristics and dates from the sixth and eighth centuries, help to understand the character of the country as a whole. They are also a significant example of Turkey’s rich cultural history with various beliefs.

Related Articles

World’s oldest wooden structure ‘476,000 years old’ discovered in Zambia

20 September 2023

20 September 2023

An ancient wooden structure found at Kalambo Falls, Zambia—dated to about 476,000 years ago—may represent the earliest use of wood...

Unusual construction material may be linked to the Tower of Babel

5 November 2021

5 November 2021

Archaeologists have recently discovered bitumen and mortar plastered onto a brick dating back to the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II. This...

Archaeologists unearth first archaeological evidence about Anatolia’s mysterious Kaska community, sworn enemies of the Hittites

16 January 2025

16 January 2025

In the course of the excavations conducted by Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University‘s Department of Archaeology, artifacts from the Late Bronze...

Particle physics and archeology collaboration uncovers secret Hellenistic underground chamber in Naples

13 May 2023

13 May 2023

The ruins of the ancient necropolis of Neapolis, built by the Greeks between the end of the fourth and the...

Oil drilling uncovers a 2,000-year-old cemetery with giant Urn-like tombs in Southwest Iran

16 July 2022

16 July 2022

An ancient cemetery with urn-like tombs was discovered in Ahvaz, the capital city of Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran. The...

Alexander the Great’s Bathroom Discovered at Greece’s Aigai Palace

11 May 2024

11 May 2024

Archaeologists say to have unearthed Alexander the Great’s bathroom at the Aigai Palace in northern Greece. The vast Aigai palace,...

Infinite Embrace: New research sheds light on Bronze Age family relationships that link Britain to Luxembourg

30 January 2024

30 January 2024

A new study of early Bronze Age examples from Luxembourg and Britain, led by researchers from the universities of Mainz...

World’s Only Ancient Wooden Twin-Hulled Boats Unearthed in Vietnam

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery in Bac Ninh province, northern Vietnam, has brought to light two remarkably well-preserved ancient wooden boats,...

A rural necropolis from Late Antiquity discovered in northeastern France

5 November 2022

5 November 2022

Inrap archaeologists have unearthed a small rural necropolis from the late 5th century (Late Antiquity) at Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes in northeastern France....

Archaeological excavations started again after 50 years in Tunceli Tozkoparan mound

28 June 2021

28 June 2021

Archaeological excavations at the Tozkoparan Mound in Turkey’s Tunceli province are anticipated to turn the city into one of eastern...

At a dig site in western Turkey, a centuries-old Byzantine fortress will be revealed

24 December 2021

24 December 2021

Excavation of vast Byzantine-era fortifications considered to be about 900 years old has begun at a dig site in western...

Grave Dig Uncovers 1,500-Year-Old Mosaic with Star of David and Cryptic Greek Petition in Türkiye

3 August 2025

3 August 2025

During a routine grave dig in Türkiye’s Diyarbakır province, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable 1,500-year-old mosaic featuring the Star of David...

The remains of a very uncommon’ dinosaur species have been discovered in Brazil

20 November 2021

20 November 2021

Researchers have uncovered the remains of a toothless, two-legged dinosaur species that lived 70 million years ago in Brazil, calling...

Italian Versailles being returned to its former glory through

17 May 2023

17 May 2023

The Italian Royal Palace of Caserta, a long-neglected near Naples, is being restored to its former glory through a vast...

Women May Have Ruled El Algar in the Bronze Age

12 March 2021

12 March 2021

The diadem found in the Bronze Age tomb belonging to the El Algar culture may have belonged to a queen....