Ankara’s Republic-era urban planning gains UNESCO recognition

ANKARA

Ankara’s Republican-era urban planning and architecture have earned a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, highlighting the country’s capital city’s cultural and historical importance.

This recognition comes as a significant acknowledgment of the city's architectural and urban development during the Republic era, showcasing its transformation into a modern capital.

"Ankara’s planning, along with its reflections of the Republican-era structures and the Republic period's Ankara, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List under the name 'Ankara: Planning and Construction of a Modern Republic Capital,’” a statement from Ankara’s city council highlighted.

The council emphasized that this achievement is an essential first step toward gaining full recognition for the city’s heritage.

The deputy chairman of the city council, Professor Dr. Savaş Zafer Şahin, praised the contributions of academics and experts from the council, noting that these efforts and visionary approach have yielded this significant result for the capital.

Looking ahead, Şahin emphasized that the next step is to closely monitor the process of moving Ankara’s values from the Tentative List to the main UNESCO World Heritage List, a process that will require a unified effort from the entire city.

"The next goal is to complete the necessary conservation efforts for the historical heart of Ankara and establish an area management plan," he explained.

Once these steps are completed, Ankara will rightfully take its place on the main UNESCO World Heritage List with all its values, the deputy chairman pointed out.

In a related initiative, the municipality has also been working on nominating the capital city’s renowned Atatürk Boulevard for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Designed as part of a 1923 master plan to establish Ankara as the capital of the modern Turkish Republic, the iconic boulevard stands as a symbol of the founding philosophy of the Republic. It embodies the political, social, and economic philosophies of the early republic, featuring a host of landmark buildings, many from the republic’s early national architectural period.

Connecting the capital Ankara’s historic Ulus to Çankaya Street, the thoroughfare embodies the city’s transformation under the vision of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the republic’s founder.

The nomination process for the landmark boulevard to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List is expected to be completed within this year.