Over the weekend, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the addition of the Diyarbakir Fortress to its list of World Heritage Sites.
What is the Diyarbakir Fortress?
The Diyarbakir Fortress, also known as the Diyarbakir City Walls, or the Diyarbakir Castle, is an ancient structure in the city of Diyarbakir.
First constructed by Romans around 300 AD, many cultures and conquerors have fortified the Diyarbakir Fortress over the last 1500 years.
The Fortress is known for its black walls, which are made of volcanic stone mined from the surrounding region. These black walls gave way to the castle’s ancient nickname, the “Black Fortress.”
Where is Diyarbakir?
Diyarbakir is a large city in the mainly Kurdish region of Turkey. With a population of 1.4 million people, Diyarbakir is a thriving city, with Kurds and non-Kurds living side by side.
Also known as Amed, the city has been a strategic military location for thousands of years. Thanks to the notoriety of the “Black Fortress,” the city has been fought over by many military leaders.
What is the World Heritage List?
The UNESCO World Heritage List is a collection of historical sites around the globe. To be included on the list, a site must be of “outstanding universal value.”
Each year, the UNESCO World Heritage committee gathers together and “inscribes” new sites and shortlists others. This year, the Diyarbakir Fortress was inscribed as a new World Heritage Site, after being shortlisted for several years.
[To Read More Visit UNESCO]
