A program was organized to commemorate the 19st Anniversary of Turkey's 26th Cultural Heritage inclusion on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage Main List on July 2021, 1.
Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Selahattin Gürkan, as well as Battalgazi Mayor Osman Güder, representatives of institutions and organizations, NGO representatives, Foundation-Association and Chamber Presidents, Metropolitan Municipality Assembly Members, Muhtars and citizens attended the program organized by Malatya Metropolitan Municipality in Arslantepe Mound.
Mayor of Battalgazi, Osman Güder, who thanked Mayor Gürkan for his work for Arslantepe Mound to be included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Permanent List, said, “Since the day Mr. Gürkan became the mayor of Battalgazi, at the point of revealing our values and appropriating them to society and humanity. Our old Malatya made great efforts and efforts to reveal the values of our Battalgazi one by one. Since the day we came to Battalgazi Municipality and took over the task, together with our Metropolitan Municipality and our stakeholders, Arslantepe Mound, which is worthy of the world cultural heritage list in terms of meaning and importance, was included in the permanent list of world cultural heritage, as a result of the work carried out under the chairmanship of our Metropolitan Municipality Mayor in 2021. It has been included in the UNESCO permanent list.
I hope we all continue our efforts, both nationally and internationally, to introduce the Arslantepe Mound, this civilization to the world and the place where the civilization of humanity began, as all the constituents of Malatya, together. Hopefully, in order to bring the crowd to the level we desire, our Metropolitan Mayor has their projects prepared so that the crowd can be formed at all hours of the day, and we, as the municipality, are in the process of expropriating a few of our old buildings. We will do our best to make the people comfortable before and after the trip. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Arslantepe Mound.”
Gürkan, “Arslantepe is an Important Value for World Humanity”
Stating that Arslantepe Mound, which is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Permanent List, is an important achievement for Turkey and the world humanity, Malatya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Selahattin Gürkan said, “History is important. It is not possible for those who do not know their past to look to the future with confidence and to walk confidently towards the future. When we took office in 2004, our first job was to research the history of Malatya, to bring to light the experiences in its history, and to carry it to the present and future generations. In this sense, when we look at the history of Malatya, we saw that the first place of establishment was Cafer Höyük. The late Prof. Dr. We learned that Ufuk Esin did it. Our teacher Ufuk Esin made a presentation about the excavations he had done in the area where Ağılyazı village is located and in the parts within the Karakaya Dam basin. After that, the second settlement of Malatya is Arslantepe Mound. Arslantepe is the first sentence of the sentence that we call 'the epic city where the civilization of humanity began and which made Anatolia the homeland' when describing Malatya. Excavations in Arslantepe, Prof. Dr. Marcella Frangipane, Assoc. Dr. In 2006, we unanimously presented the citizenship certificate to Francesca Balossi Restelli and her four friends for researching the history of Malatya. Ms. Marcella brought the remains of Arslantepe Mound to light, like digging a well with a needle, so to speak.
There are ten basic criteria determined by UNESCO for a heritage to be included in the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. Those criteria should be found and created as findings, and the necessary social facilities and facilities should be found within the hierarchy of needs. After we did all these works, the task was entrusted to us by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2014 and we had Arslantepe Mound included in the UNESCO temporary cultural heritage list. Then they said that you are the chairman of the board of directors and do the necessary work to be included in the main list. We carried out our studies until 2016, then the process of interim evaluations and chapters started and on January 8, 2019, the file took its final form by passing through all institutions, organizations and units. All of our stakeholders have contributed to the finalization of the file. Meetings were canceled due to the onset of the pandemic. At the meeting held on July 26, 2021, Arslantepe Mound was accepted as the 19th Cultural Heritage in Turkey. This is also an important date for Malatya. It is also an important gain for Turkey. It is also an important value for the world's humanity," he said.
Gurkan; “There will be a simulation center in the welcome center”
Stating that the work for the welcome center to be built in Arslantepe Mound continues intensively, Mayor Gürkan said, “The Arslantepe Mound needs to be opened locally, not only to our country, but to the world. From now on, our Governorship, Metropolitan Municipality, Battalgazi Municipality and other stakeholders have great responsibilities. We are in constant dialogue with our Ministry of National Education, our Governor's Office and our Provincial Directorate of National Education regarding the area where the school is located in the Arslantepe Mound region, which we call the welcome center. Our friends made their projects at the point of completing the process as soon as possible and building the area we call the welcome center, building a center in the form of a simulation of the experiences 7000 years ago in our welcome center, and building the center where the social facilities are located for those who come to visit. We visited our Minister of Culture and Tourism together with our deputies and the Mayor of Battalgazi and they expressed that they would support us in this matter. Our Ministry will give its support and we have a responsibility and an obligation to open Arslantepe not only to Turkey but also to the world, by providing the necessary support locally and with the completion of the welcome center as soon as possible. We are working intensively with our district municipality and other stakeholders. I would like to express that this year, I hope our related friends will carry out the necessary works for laying the foundation of the simulation center. I wish Arslantepe to be beneficial to our Malatya, our country and the world humanity. I hereby state that the extension of the findings in Arslantepe is the fundamental element of the foundation of human civilization on love and peace.”
After the speeches, the photo exhibition describing the UNESCO Process of Arslantepe was visited by the participants.
At the end of the program, Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Selahattin Gürkan and Battalgazi Mayor Osman Güder signed the Arslantepe Memorial Book and stamped the memorial book with a replica of the seal found during the excavations in Arslantepe.
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