During its session on July 1st, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee which is meeting in St. Petersburg between 25 June – 6 July 2012 for its annual session has unanimously accepted the inclusion of the Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük among the World Heritage Sites.
In its decision, the World Heritage Committee which consists of specialists from 21 countries, held that Çatalhöyük which was nominated to the World Heritage List by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism met the basic criteria of the World Heritage Convention, maintained its authenticity and integrity and was of ‘outstanding universal value’.
The report that the decision was based on emphasized that Çatalhöyük, the history of which dates back to 7,400 B.C., represents a unique testimonial to a certain stage of Neolithic Period and displays a settlement style that illustrates a significant phase in the human history and an urban planning that is based on a sense of community and ideals of equality.
With the inclusion of Çatalhöyük on the World Heritage List, the number of World Heritage Sites in Turkey rose to 11 in total, a solid evidence of historical and cultural depth in this cradle of civilization.