Sardis and Lydian tumuli inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List

The ancient city of Sardis and the Bin Tepe tumuli in western Türkiye have been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List, bringing the country’s total to 22 sites.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee on 12 July officially inscribed the ancient city of Sardis and the Lydian Tumuli of Bin Tepe, both located in Manisa province, during its 47th session in Paris.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy celebrated the recognition on social media, noting that Sardis — once the capital of the Lydian civilisation and the birthplace of the world’s first coin — now holds its place among the world’s shared heritage.

“This unique geography is now recognised as part of humanity’s shared legacy,” Ersoy said, expressing gratitude to all contributors and encouraging visitors to experience the newly illuminated site through the night museum programme.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry also hailed the decision, highlighting that the addition of Sardis and Bin Tepe has raised Türkiye’s total number of UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites to 22.

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