Gordion ancient city awaits UNESCO’s heritage status

The ancient city of Gordion in the capital Ankara is expecting to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List after the voting in Riyadh in September, says the head of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce (ATO).

Gürsel Baran stated that they are confident that the application, which has been in a waiting process for some time, will be approved in the September voting during his speech at an informative meeting where the roadmap for a project of utilizing the cultural treasures of the capital for the economy was discussed.

With the approval, the ancient city would become the first city from Ankara to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, Baran added.

"Gordion will be our 20th heritage site included in the list from Türkiye, and our capital will obtain its first heritage," he expressed.

Stressing the importance of Gordion's presence among the most valuable tourism destinations in the tourism catalogs published worldwide, Baran stated that entering the World Heritage List is an important move in terms of tourism and economy

"Considering its contributions to the prolongation of the tourism seasons in our region and the creation of new income opportunities and new employment areas, Gordion's potential emerges as a gem for our region."

When looking at the data from similar attraction centers worldwide, it is observed that cultural heritage makes a significant contribution to regional development, Baran added.

Seyit Ardıç, a senior official from the chambers, also said that Ankara's cultural values should be brought into the economy.

"Converting this cultural heritage, which stands out with its existing potential, into a tourist product will enrich both our country and the economy of Ankara," Ardıç said.