Culture minister says Turkey should preserve cultural heritage from damages caused by civilizations

EDIRNE (A.A) - August 5, 2011 - Turkey's culture and tourism minister said on Friday that Turkey should preserve cultural and historical heritage from damages caused by civilizations.
Ertugrul Gunay said civilizations were bringing not only advantages but also disadvantages and damage to cultural and historical heritage.
"Let's preserve our heritage from such damages, and let's not harm the silhouette of this city," Gunay told a press conference in the northwestern province of Edirne.
Gunay's press conference came after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added Edirne's Selimiye Mosque to World Heritage List.
The minister defined Selimiye as a unique construction in not only Turkey but also in the world, thanks to its architecture.
On June 27, 2011, UNESCO added Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex on the "World Heritage List."
The square Mosque with its single great dome and four slender minarets, dominates the skyline of the former Ottoman capital of Edirne. Sinan, the most famous of Ottoman architects in the 16th century, considered the complex, which includes madrasas (Islamic schools), a covered market, clock house, outer courtyard and library, to be his best work. The interior decoration using Iznik tiles from the peak period of their production testifies to an art form that remains unsurpassed in this material. The complex is considered to be the most harmonious expression ever achieved of the Ottoman kulliye, a group of buildings constructed around a mosque and managed as a single institution. 
The World Heritage Committee, responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, comprises representatives of 21 countries, elected by the States Parties of the World Heritage Convention for four years. Each year, the Committee adds new sites to the List.     
To date, the World Heritage List numbers 911 properties of "outstanding universal value," including 704 cultural, 180 natural and 27 mixed properties in 151 States Parties. The World Heritage Convention has been ratified by 187 States Parties to date.