05 September 2018•Update: 06 September 2018
CANAKKALE, Turkey
Archaeological Site of Assos in Turkey's northwestern Canakkale province is eyeing the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Assos, also known as Behramkale, was one of the most important port cities of the ancient age and possesses crucial cultural heritage from the region’s Roman period, including an antique theater, agora, necropolis and walls.
The site, located 17 kilometers (11 miles) south of Ayvacik district, was accepted in the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage on April 15, 2017.
According to the UNESCO website, Assos, as a significant polis in the Archaic Period, has maintained its important role in the region until the Byzantine times.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, head of the Assos excavations, Prof. Nurettin Arslan of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, said the site has drawn the interest of foreign and domestic visitors.
"I hope Assos will be included into the permanent list and get deserved place because the site becomes one of the popular center of our country not only with its archaeological remains, but also with village architecture, port, sea and nature," Arslan said.
He added many tourists visited the site in 2018 compared to the last year.
Turkish archaeologists started excavations at Assos in 1981.
The protection, promotion and restoration of the ancient city and the historic city are all undertaken by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Governorship of Canakkale and the local administration of the Behramkale village.
Reporting by Burak Akay:Writing by Diyar Guldogan
