Heritage with Related Tags
Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
The site on the Southern Anatolian Plateau covers an area of 37 hectares and consists of two hills. The higher, eastern mound contains 18 layers of Neolithic remains dating between 7400 and 6200 BC, including murals, reliefs, sculptures and other symbolic and artistic features. Together, they bear witness to the evolution of civilization. As humans adapted to settled life, social organization and cultural practices changed. The western mound shows the evolution of cultural practices during the Chalcolithic period, between 6200 and 5200 BC. Çatalhöyük provides important evidence of the transition from a settled village to an urban agglomeration, which remained in the same location for more than 2,000 years. It is characterized by a unique street-less settlement, where houses are clustered back-to-back with rooftops leading to the buildings.
The wooden pillared mosques of medieval Anatolia
The collection consists of five mosques in Anatolia, built between the late 13th and mid-14th centuries AD, in different provinces of present-day Turkey. Their structural system is distinctive: brick and stone exterior walls are combined with rows of wooden interior pillars that support wooden ceilings and roofs. These mosques are known for the skilled wood carving and craftsmanship used in the construction of their structures, architectural fittings and interiors.
Göbekli Tepe
Located in the Görmüş Mountains in southeastern Anatolia, the site displays large circular, oval and rectangular megalithic structures built by hunter-gatherers during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period between 9,600 and 8,200 BC. The monuments were probably ritual-related and were likely funerary objects. The distinctive T-shaped columns, carved with images of wild animals, provide insight into the lifestyle and beliefs of people living in Upper Mesopotamia around 11,500 years ago.
Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği
This region of Anatolia was conquered by the Turks in the early 11th century. In 1228-29, Emir Ahmet Shah built a mosque and its hospital in Divrigi. The mosque has a single prayer room, topped by two domes. The unique features of this masterpiece of Islamic architecture are the extremely sophisticated construction of the vaults and the creative and colorful decorative sculptures (especially on the three doorways, which contrast with the plain walls inside).
Archaeological Site of Troy
With a 4,000-year history, Troy is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. The site was first excavated in 1870 by the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. From a scientific point of view, its extensive remains are the most important evidence of the first contact between Anatolian civilization and the Mediterranean world. In addition, the siege of Troy by Greek Spartan and Achaean warriors in the 13th or 12th century BC was immortalized by Homer in The Iliad and has inspired great creative artists around the world since then.