UNESCO VISITS BURSA

Mr. Recep ALTEPE; Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality hosted 23 country delegates, including 10 ambassadors, who came to our country for UNESCO World Heritage Committee Meeting 40^th Session in İstanbul.

Mr. Hüseyin Avni BOTSALI, Permanent Delegate of Turkey at UNESCO,  and permanent ambassadors of other UNESCO World Heritage Committee countries coming from Panama, Holy See (Vatican), Vietnam, Uganda, Lebanon, Serbia, Myanmar, Mexico and Azerbaijan, and directors from  UNESCO Headquarter, specialist from various levels in related NGOs or countries delegations visited Mayor Altepe in Historical Town Hall in Heykel.  Peru, Korea, Greece, Pakistan, Oman, Antigua&Barbuda, Namibia, Eritrea Argentina, Bulgaria, Cuba, Ethiopia, Botswana representatives were also among the group. Visitors, wondering about Bursa since it was inscribed on World Heritage List in 2014, admired Bursa and congratulated Mayor ALTEPE on his valuable works for the city.
Mayor Mr. Recep ALTEPE said “Bursa is a universal value. Bursa is a different city, a historical capital.  Bursa, coming after Istanbul in respect of cultural richness, has always been an important trade center for centuries, since it is located on Silk and Spice Roads. And today, Bursa is a leading country with its trade, industry, cultural and touristic values. We want to convey this historical background to next generations in the best way possible.  Bursa is becoming ‘a living historical city’ and an important ‘museum city’ with its historical buildings having functions thanks to restorations projects.”

Mayor Mr. Recep ALTEPE also said that after inscribing Bursa on UNESCO World Heritage List, works for inscribing İznik on UNESCO World Heritage List have been accelerated.

“Works for both tangible and intangible cultural heritage of Bursa are also performed by Metropolitan Municipality” said Mr. Recep ALTEPE. Mr. Altepe also reminded that, Municipality printed more than 300 books about city culture, and Bursa gives consultancy for 53 different city museums in Turkey. At the end, Mr. Altepe answered UNESCO delegates’ questions.
Various delegates among UNESCO delegation implied that they really like Bursa with its historical and cultural richness and they felt themselves at home.

Visitors were accompanied by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mr. Abdulkadir KARLIK during Bursa excursion and delegation was guided by Prof. Dr. Neslihan DOSTOĞLU and investigated city’s world heritage sites. They visited Muradiye Kulliye, Khans Area, Yeşil Kulliye and Cumalıkızık, all of which are some of the most important values inscribed on World Heritage List. They also visited Bursa Karagöz Museum, where Karagöz and Hacivat (in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List) shadow plays are performed, Uluumay Ottoman Folk Clothes and Ornaments Museum, Irgandı Bridge and Old Spa. Cumalıkızık Patrimonitos, composition of the students from Cumalıkızık Primary and Secondary Schools, gave information about Cumalıkızık. Visitors said that they were very impressed with awareness-raising practices about cultural heritage carried after inscription of Bursa on World Heritage List, and they would model Bursa’s work for their site managements.