Gordion Ancient City in the Polatlı district of Ankara has been declared a ‘World Heritage’ by UNESCO.
According to an announcement from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, during the 45th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting held in the capital city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today, a decision was made to protect Gordion as a world heritage site. Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, who announced the decision on his social media account, said, “We have some great news! We have added our 20th property to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Gordion Ancient City, one of Ankara’s unique cultural assets, is now a ‘World Heritage.’ I would like to thank everyone involved. However, it’s not over yet! We are expecting another piece of good news from UNESCO. Hopefully, with the beautiful news we are expecting from the wooden-supported mosques of Anatolia, we will further increase our count on the World Heritage List. Congratulations!”
The settlement that began in the Early Bronze Age around 2500 BC in Gordion, which has survived from ancient times to the present day in the Polatlı district of Ankara, continues to this day in the adjacent Yassıhöyük. The uninterrupted settlement spanning a period of 4,500 years in and around the Ancient City places Gordion among the rare areas in the world with the longest history of continuous habitation.
Gordion, which was the capital of the Phrygian civilization, is surrounded by numerous tumuli (burial mounds) dating from the 9th century BC to the 3rd century BC, representing different periods. The Citadel Mound has survived to the present day as the most important component of the Gordion Archaeological Site, while the early Phrygian castle walls and monumental structures stand out as unique examples in Anatolia for that period.
Source DHA
