2 more Turkish cultural assets enter UNESCO’s list

By Ahmet Sertan Usul

ANKARA (AA) - Two more cultural assets of Turkey have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

With the new additions, 85 cultural assets from Turkey have made it to the list.

The historic town of Kemaliye in the eastern Erzincan province and the Late Antique and Medieval Church and Monasteries of Midyat and surrounding area (Tur Abdin) in the southeastern Mardin province were added to the list, the Culture and Tourism Ministry said in a statement.

Located on the caravan routes of the Silk Road, the historic town of Kemaliye became an important trade center within the region over time.

The town is also blessed with unique natural elements.

The Karanlik (Dark) Canyon in the town is spread over 35 kilometers (21.7 miles). It is among the five deepest canyons in the world with a depth of 1,000 meters.

Traces of Turks can be found in the Dilli Valley, located 4 to 5 km (2.5 to 3.1 mi) northwest of Kemaliye.

- Midyat and Surrounding area

The Tur Abdin region presents early examples of monastic architecture, where intense construction activity has been experienced since the early periods of Christianity. It witnessed the emergence of a new and unique architectural language that can be associated with the Syriac Orthodox community throughout history.

The rural landscape, a limestone plateau, covers 80 villages with approximately 100 churches and 70 monasteries.

Together with surrounding terraced vineyards, olive, and almond trees, the monasteries and churches form a dramatic landscape.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar