Turkey's historic Selimiye Mosque inscribed on World Heritage List

UNESCO o(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - UNESCO on  Monday decided to add Turkey's Selimiye Mosque and the social complex surrounding it to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

UNESCO's decision came after several meetings that continued until this weekend. UNESCO, operating under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, has two lists: the World Heritage List and the World Heritage Tentative List. In order to be included on the World Heritage List, sites first have to be added to the World Heritage Tentative List.

Turkey saw 23 of its sites included on the tentative UNESCO list in 2009 and 27 by 2011, one of them being Selimiye, which is located in Edirne province. A total of 704 cultural areas from around the world are currently listed on UNESCO's permanent list, in addition to 180 natural properties and 27 others.

The proposed inclusion of Turkey's 27 cultural areas, which are currently on the tentative list and which included Selimiye, was taken up at a UNESCO meeting that convened on June 19 and continued until the weekend. On Monday UNESCO's World Heritage committee approved nine more sites for the World Heritage List, including Selimiye. The nine sites being inscribed on the list are scattered throughout Africa, Europe and Asia.

There are four sites situated in Asia: the Ancient Villages of Northern Syria (Syrian Arab Republic), the Cultural Sites of Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), the Persian Garden (Iran), and Citadel of the Ho Dynasty (Vietnam). Three of the sites are located in Europe: the Cultural Landscape of the Serra de Tramuntana (Spain), Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps (Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Slovenia) and Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex (Turkey). The two other sites are located in Africa: Konso Cultural Landscape (Ethiopia), and Fort Jesus in Mombasa (Kenya).

Including Monday's inscription, the 35th session of World Heritage Committee has so far added 22 sites to the list since the session started on June 19.

Apart from Selimiye, Turkey currently has nine historical and cultural sites on the World Heritage List, which include Göreme National Park and the rock formations of Cappadocia, the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği, the historic areas of İstanbul, the Hittite capital of Hattusha, Mount Nemrut, Hierapolis-Pamukkale, Xanthos-Letoon, the city of Safranbolu and the archaeological site of Troy.

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