“Bursa and Cumalıkızık: The Birth of the Ottoman Empire” for historical Bursa Khans Area (Orhan Ghazi Complex and Surroundings), Sultan Complexes (Hüdavendigar, Yıldırım, Yeşil, Muradiye) and Cumalıkızık Village and its annex “Draft Management Plan” which was prepared under the coordination of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality was submitted to the UNESCO World Heritage Center in February 2013; and on Thursday, 6 June 2013 the Management Plan was approved by the Coordination and Supervision Board, which was submitted to the Board in accordance with the 16th Article of the 3rd Chapter of the “Regulation No: 26006, Dated 27 November 2005 on the Methods and Principles for the Establishment and Duties of the Council of Monuments and Site Management and the Designation of the Management Sites”.
After the approval of the Management Plan by the Coordination and Supervision Board, Prof Dr Neslihan Dostoğlu, Bursa Site Management Unit President; Members of the Coordination and Supervision Board, and Advisory Board, and Mr Bayram Vardar, Deputy General Secretary of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality attended the press conference, which took place at the Hünkar Mansion Social Complex.
In the press conference Prof.Dr. Neslihan Dostoğlu, Bursa Site Management Unit President stated that the management plan was a commitment to UNESCO to protect the historical areas in Bursa. Dostoğlu has reminded that great efforts were put in place to inscribe Cumalıkızık, Sultan Complexes and the Khans Area in the UNESCO World Heritage List and that the management plan, which was a requirement of UNESCO since 2000 was a very important element to reach this goal. “Our management plan, which is our commitment not only to UNESCO but also to all our stakeholders will be discussed in Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Council and will most likely be approved” said Dostoğlu, who further gave information on the visit of the UNESCO mission to Bursa after the approval of the plan to see the sites. Dostoğlu added that “The management plan is very valuable for us. The mission that will visit Bursa will examine what we are doing to protect Cumalıkızık, Sultan Complexes and the Khans Region and also what we have achieved. If we can receive a positive feedback from the mission, the work we have done will be evaluated by the World Heritage Committee in June 2014 and the final decision on Bursa will be given”.
Bayram Vardar, Deputy General Secretary of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality said that the management plan for the Khans Region, Sultan Complexes and Cumalıkızık Village showing the establishment of the Ottoman Empire will ensure that they will be protected, preserved and transferred to future generations.
A mission of ICOMOS will come to Bursa in close future and examine nominated areas. Taking into consideration the examinations, UNESCO will declare the results in 2014.
Every year each country can only nominate one cultural and one natural property for the World Heritage List. Bursa is aiming to be inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 with the nomination file entitled “Bursa and Cumalıkızık: The Birth of the Ottoman Empire”.
BURSA METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY BURSA SITE MANAGEMENT UNIT