Historic Beypazarı district enters UNESCO list

ISTANBUL

Ankara’s historic Beypazarı district on April 18 entered the tentative list of UNESCO with its thousands of years old history.

Beypazarı 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 Beypazarı 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- "erişte"- 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 İzmir on the Aegean coast, Karatepe-Aslantaş archeological site in the central Osmaniye province and Koramaz Valley in the central Kayseri province also entered the UNESCO's tentative list.