Ordu prepares UNESCO bids for historic houses, Cape Yason

ORDU

The municipality in the northern province of Ordu will prepare comprehensive projects to add the city’s historic houses and Cape Yason to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Ordu Mayor Mehmet Hilmi Güler said the local government continues its efforts to protect the city’s historical, cultural and natural values. The municipality will base the UNESCO project for unique civil architecture examples, particularly those in the historic Taşbaşı neighborhood, on detailed scientific research.

Officials will also draft a tentative list project for Cape Yason, which currently holds the status of a first-degree archaeological and second-degree natural protected area.

“Cape Yason, with its 1869 church, archaeological values and natural texture, is one of our most precious heritage sites,” Güler said.

The new initiative aims to safeguard this special area, transfer its cultural legacy to future generations and make it more visible internationally, he said.

Located along Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, Ordu draws visitors year-round with its ancient landmarks and nature. Cape Yason remains one of the rare peninsulas along the coastline hosting a historic church structure. The prominent cape also carries significant mythological importance, as it is widely believed to be the location where the Greek legend of the Golden Fleece took place.