Abstract
Genoese Castles of Aegean Region UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List
In 2013, “Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea” was created in
In 2013, “Trading Posts and Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea” was created
for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. Turkey has taken place with selected historical castles, and the list updated
in 2020. Except for Turkey, as an international component, the castles of Crimea Autonomous Region, Ukraine, are located on
the list. Yoros Castle, Galata Tower in Istanbul, Foça, Çeşme, Guvercinada Castle and Kusadasi city walls, Amasra Castle in
Bartin, Akcakoca Castle in Duzce, and Sinop Castle took place in the nomination file as national components. Genoese
colonies were established as trade colonies in the Aegean and Black Sea, especially in Istanbul, by acquiring trade privileges
from the Medieval Byzantine Era. Some castles built during the Byzantine era in the coastal regions of Anatolia passed under
the Genoese rule or were even rebuilt by the Genoese. The castles and the fortified settlements, which continued their existence
with the restoration and reconstruction in the Ottoman era with the Turkish domination in the region, are considered tangible
cultural heritage that reflects the qualities of intercultural Mediterranean architecture. The study discusses the national and
international qualities and importance of the castles, which are under the domination of the Genoese colonies in the Aegean
Region, within the scope of tangible cultural heritage and cultural heritage tourism. A research study on the subject has been
carried out, and the castles and fortified structures in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List and the castles and
fortified settlements located on the “Genoese Trade Route” in Turkey were investigated and compared. “Trading Posts and
Fortifications on Genoese Trade Routes from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea”, which is on the UNESCO’s World
Heritage Tentative List, contributes to cultural heritage tourism in the context of historical memory and cultural diversity.
For this reason, it has been concluded that it will be beneficial for the sustainability of international cultural interaction in the
Mediterranean to be promoted as a cultural heritage tourism destination at the national and international level to revitalize
the route to which the Aegean Region castles are connected.
Keywords
UNESCO, Cultural heritage, Tourism, Genoese, Castle.
