UNESCO World Heritage Committee to meet in Istanbul

At the meeting the committee will decide on which cultural and natural heritage to include on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

Turkey is also on the application list this year, for the ancient ruins of Ani in eastern Anatolia on the border with Armenia. 

The meeting will be hosted by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the UNESCO Turkey National Committee, the Istanbul Governor’s Office and the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. 

The opening of the meeting will be held on July 10 by the Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı and UNESCO General Director Irina Bokova. On the second day of the meeting, Avcı will also attend a meeting on the protection of Syrian cultural heritage. 

A total of 33 applications to join the list will be discussed during the Istanbul meeting.