Istanbul among best for historical venues

ISTANBUL

Istanbul’s historical areas were included on UNESCO’s ‘best practice’ list. DAILY NEWS photos, Emrah GÜREL

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has inscribed the historical areas of the Turkish city of Istanbul on its World Heritage Committee list of “best practice.”

Adopted during the 37th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session in Phnom Penh of Cambodia, the decision of the Committee put Istanbul, along with 26 places including Greece’s Acropolis, Japan’s Kyoto Historical Monuments and Tataristan’s Kazan Kremlin Historical and Archaeological Complex, on its “best practice” list, which is determined in terms of criteria such as their state of local protection and their value for humanity, to mark the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.

Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, Head of UNESCO National Committee of Turkey Professor Öcal Oğuz said the historical peninsula of Istanbul, ranked on the list of “best practice,” set an example for the world in terms of protection and transfer to next generations.

He stated that the decision of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee must be regarded as a confirmation of the efforts and methods of protection that are in practice in Istanbul.

“The decision to include Istanbul on the list is of great importance to indicate the successful implementation of the basic criteria of UNESCO while choosing the historical places to be put on the UNESCO World Heritage list after evaluation of their protection, contribution, proportion and transfer to next generations,” he added.

The UNESCO list of ‘Best Practice’

The 26 historical venues on the list for regional renovation projects and other practices in different fields are as follows: the Acropolis in Athens, Angkor, Archaeological Ensemble of Merida, Boyana Church, Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, Cueva de las Manos in Rio Pinturas, Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa, Gros Morne National Park, Historic and Architectural Complex of the Kazan Kremlin, Historic Center of Oaxaca and Archaeological Site of Monte Alban, Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities), Historic Town of Vigan, Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, Land of Frankincense, Le Morne Cultural Landscape, Medieval City of Rhodes, Mogao Caves, Old Havana and its Fortification System, SGang Gwaay, Sacred City of Caral-Supe, San Marino Historic Center and Mount Titano, Shiretoko, Škocjan Caves, Sundarbans National Park, Teide National Park and Wet Tropics of Queensland.