As the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee took place in Busan, South Korea, from July 20 to 29, 2026, the World Heritage List once again drew global attention. According to information obtained from Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Türkiye’s UNESCO-listed ancient cities preserve the traces of thousands of years of civilizations, myths and faiths.
Archaeological site of Troy
The ancient city of Troy, immortalized in Homer's "Iliad" as the setting of the legendary Trojan War, lies in Türkiye's northwestern Çanakkale province. The archaeological site, which recently returned to the global spotlight with Christopher Nolan's “The Odyssey,” was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998, with a history dating back to around 3000 B.C.
According to legend, Dardanus was born to Zeus and Electra, the daughter of the sea god Oceanus. Dardanus' son Tros founded the land of Troas, while his son Ilus founded the city of Troy.
Mount Ida (Kaz Dağı), on whose foothills Troy was established, is also known as the place where the world's first beauty contest took place. The contestants were Hera, Aphrodite and Athena. Serving as the judge, Paris chose Aphrodite after she promised him Helen, the wife of the king of Sparta. Paris' abduction of Helen then triggered the Trojan War.
