The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
There are 1092 properties in the World Heritage list including 845 cultural, 209 natural, 38 mixed heritages in which 54 of them are in danger and 37 of them are transboundary.
UNESCO's World Heritage mission is to
Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage;
Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List;
Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites;
Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training;
Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger;
Support States Parties' public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation;
Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage;
Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.
Turkey in the World Heritage List:
States Parties are encouraged to prepare their Tentative Lists with the participation of a wide variety of stakeholders, including site managers, local and regional governments, local communities, NGOs and other interested parties and partners.
States Parties should submit Tentative Lists, which should not be considered exhaustive, to the World Heritage Centre, at least one year prior to the submission of any nomination. States Parties are encouraged to re-examine and re-submit their Tentative List at least every ten years.
States Parties are requested to submit their Tentative Lists using a Tentative List Submission Format, in English or French, containing the name of the properties, their geographical location, a brief description of the properties, and justification of their outstanding universal value.
Nominations to the World Heritage List will not be considered unless the nominated property has already been included on the State Party's Tentative List.
There are 1071 sites in the Tentative List from 177 States Parties. There are 77 sites from Turkey in the Tentative List: