New York - June 24, 2025: Ankara, the capital of the Republic of Türkiye, has officially been admitted to the UNESCO 2025 Tentative List. This move recognizes the exemplary modern architecture and approach to urban planning that have set Ankara apart as a respected world city and an elite destination. With its inclusion, the total number of Turkish sites on the list has been raised to 80. 

Ankara replaced Istanbul as the capital of Türkiye on October 13, 1923, following the 1922 decline of the Ottoman Empire and subsequent restructuring of the Turkish Republic. Representing a shift in attitude towards one of progress, Ankara would thrust Türkiye into the future with an intensive modernization initiative beginning under President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and continuing through the 1970s, transforming it into the city it is today. The UNESCO submission – filed collaboratively by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO – includes feats of urban design such as the North/South-oriented Atatürk Boulevard and districts such as Ulus and Kızılay. It also features such iconic structures as: The First, Second and Third Grand National Assembly of Türkiye buildings; the Presidential Complex; Güven Park; Youth Park; Ankara Train Station; and İş Bank Building. 

Central to Türkiye's submission are the many ways in which the city's layout and structures reflect the cultural importance of Ankara. The İş Bank is emblematic of the country's approach to economic reconstruction during the Republic era. Institutions like the Faculty of Language, History and Geography, as well as cultural organizations such as the State Opera and Ballet and Ankara Radio, demonstrate the new government's focus on arts and communication. Investment in these areas allowed Ankara to become the world-class city it has become, earning its spot under UNESCO's consideration. 

Admission to the UNESCO Tentative List means that Ankara is now eligible for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List, and that UNESCO acknowledges the city as being potentially of “Outstanding Universal Value.” This aligns with efforts by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism to preserve and effectively transmit the country's cultural and natural heritage internationally by engaging with UNESCO, the global standard for cultural conservation. As a city that has been home to great civilizations including the likes of the Hittites, Phrygians, Romans and Ottomans, to being a contemporary powerhouse and microcosm of Türkiye's accomplishments, Ankara's place on the list puts it on a path to preserve its legacy for generations to come. 

For more information on planning your next visit to Türkiye, please visit: https://goturkiye.com/.