UNESCO World Heritage Site

UNESCO is an international organisation devoted to caring for cultural and natural sites of outstanding value. Cultural properties recognised by UNESCO include those dated from the earliest beginnings of human history to the very recent past. The addition of a property to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites recognizes the need for its protection.

In 2012 Çatalhöyük was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was in recognition of the site’s extensive period of occupation, unusual architecture and egalitarian social organisation. Çatalhöyük now joins a long list of globally important sites, a few of which you may recognise on this map.