According to the evaluation made by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), İzmir’s Birgi village is among the “best tourism villages in the world”. While there are 32 villages around the world in the list, only Birgi from Turkey took place in the list. Birgi, which is stated to have been used as a settlement since 750 BC, welcomes thousands of visitors every year with its architectural texture from the Aydınoğulları period. The villages of Cumalıkızık in Bursa and Anıtlı in Mardin have been accepted into the “improvement program” of the World Tourism Organization, which only 20 villages benefit from. The World Tourism Organization determines the villages in question with the applications made. The 9 important criteria to be met for the application are listed as the existence of cultural and natural resources, the protection and promotion of cultural values, economic sustainability, social sustainability, environmental sustainability, integration of tourism development and value chain, infrastructure and accessibility, health, safety and security.
CUMALIKIZIK/BURSA
ONE OF THE LAST EXAMPLES OF OTTOMAN ARCHITECTURE
Cumalıkızık, Ottomans Bursafrom the regions where they first settled in . The village, which was one of the settlements of the Byzantine period, gained importance after the Ottoman Principality conquered Iznik. Cumalıkızık was established as a foundation village, and this feature is reflected in the architecture of the houses. It brings Ottoman architecture to the present day with a total of 270 houses, 180 of which are still in use, and some of which conservation and restoration works are carried out. The story of its name is also interesting: At that time, the local villages stuck between the valleys at the foot of Uludağ were called “kızık”. This village, where Friday prayers were performed by visiting the surrounding villages, was called Cumalıkızık.
BIRGI VILLAGE/IZMIR
LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS OLD TABLE
Birgi village of Ödemiş district, 124 km from İzmir, has a history of 5 thousand years. It is a picturesque village with its historical houses in the original stone-timbered architecture, narrow streets and trees adorning its streets. It was declared a protected area in 1996 and added to the World Heritage Tentative List by UNESCO in 2012. In the past days World Tourism Organization It was chosen as one of the 32 best tourism villages in the world by It has nearly 200 historical registered buildings. It hosts historical structures such as Ulu Mosque and Çakırağa Mansion. The village, which has a registered population of around 2500, is famous for its chestnuts and figs as well as its houses.
ANITLI VILLAGE/MARDIN
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ‘REST’ PLACE
anitli, MardinIt is an Assyrian village located 30 kilometers from the Midyat district of Turkey. Its name among the Assyrians, Hah, means ‘resting place’. It deserves this name to the fullest with the tranquility of its nature.
The village, with a population of 130, where 18 Assyrian and one Muslim families live, makes their living from agriculture and viticulture. In the village, whose history is said to date back to 4,000 years, there are the ruins of Mor Sobo, the only cathedral of the region. Virgin Mary Church also attracts visitors to the village with its splendor.
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