Turkey: Historic Beypazari district enters UNESCO list

By Gozde Bayar

ANKARA (AA) - Ankara’s historic Beypazari district on Friday entered the tentative list of UNESCO with its thousands of years old history.

Beypazari has been a settlement since ancient times and holds symbols of ancient traditions with rich historical and natural resources, according to UNESCO.

A popular travel destination close to Turkey’s capital Ankara, the district attracts visitors with its well-preserved old Ottoman houses, diverse local food, and natural sources.

Day-trippers are hosted in traditional Turkish houses, typically two or three-story stone buildings.

As for its local cuisine, the most famous local food is Beypazari kurusu, a traditional long-lasting pastry. Other significant tastes include high-quality natural mineral water, "tarhana" -- a dried crushed mixture of fermented yogurt and wheat flour usually served as a soup -- "eriste" -- traditional noodles -- and stuffed grape leaves.

The fertile soil of the region makes it produce nearly 60% of Turkey's carrots, as well as lettuce, green onion, and spinach farming.

A 3-000-year-old Zerzevan Castle located in southeastern Diyarbakir, the historical port city of Izmir on the Aegean coast, Karatepe-Aslantas archeological site in the central Osmaniye province and Koramaz Valley in the central Kayseri province also entered the UNESCO's tentative list.