A candidate for UNESCO world heritage list: Mardin province

Abstract

Mardin province, located in Southeastern Anatolia region and included in UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, is an ancient settlement that steps forward with especially its "Cultural Landscape" values. Although the origins of the foundation of Mardin at the stage of history is unclear, its urban history, dating back to B.C. 4500's, still maintains its authentic wealth that has a nested structure composed of Assyrians, Armenians, and Muslims. The values that Mardin owns vary from singular structure scale to urban texture, choice of material, color, tradition, military and religious buildings, bazaars and public spaces, at a diverse spectrum. Along with a transcultural importance and "collective memory" resulted by the tangible and intangible heritages, the city also possesses an "Outstanding Universal Value", which makes the town a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage list. With reference to this situation, criteria for becoming a World Heritage Site and the related process of progression are discussed in this article. Then, the tangible and intangible heritages of Mardin are analyzed, the nomination process of the town for UNESCO World Heritage List and the importance of eliminating the potential risks are elaborated.