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Seven Sleepers cave in southeast Turkey eyes UNESCO heritage list
Seven Sleepers cave in southeast Turkey eyes UNESCO heritage list
An Islamic-Ottoman complex named on the Seven Sleepers in Turkey's southeastern Kahramanmaraş province is preparing to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Click through for the story in photos...
The complex in Afşin district along with Jesus Masjid, which was built in A.D. 446, was accepted into the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage on April 13, 2015.
In Christian and Islamic tradition, the Seven Sleepers is the story of a group of youths who hid inside a cave to escape a religious persecution and emerge 300 years later. Named after this anectored, the Eshab-ı Kehf (the companions of cave) complex illustrates the interaction of different cultures in a process dating from Paganism to Christianity and then to Islam," according to UNESCO website.
Fatih Mehmet Güven, Afşin Mayor, told Anadolu Agency that they want to apply for the UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2019.
"I believe after we get included in the permanent list, we will be able to increase the number of tourists visiting the site, especially foreigners," Güven said.
Güven said they want everyone in Turkey to see Eshab-i Kehf.
Click through for more photos from the complex.
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