India has long understood the significance of preserving ancient heritage and historical monuments. A civilisation that gave the world timeless treasures such as Hampi, Ajanta, and the ghats of Varanasi knows that history truly comes alive within the walls of remarkable places. It is this shared appreciation for heritage that makes Türkiye a natural and compelling destination for Indian travellers.
With this vision, Türkiye invites history enthusiasts, archaeology lovers, and cultural explorers from India to discover a country that is home to 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include snow-white thermal terraces, fairy-tale valleys shaped by volcanic rock formations, and one of the most significant ancient port cities of the classical world.
As of 2025, Türkiye has 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, comprising 20 cultural and 2 mixed properties. The “mixed” category recognises sites of exceptional value for both their natural and cultural significance. In addition, 79 sites are included on UNESCO’s Tentative List, awaiting future inscription as World Heritage Sites.
To put this into perspective, even if a traveller were to spend an entire week in Türkiye visiting only its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, they would still only scratch the surface of the country’s extraordinary historical and cultural legacy.
Where to Begin Your Journey
Among Türkiye’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Göbeklitepe in Şanlıurfa stands out as the place that transformed our understanding of human history.
Dating back nearly 12,000 years, Göbeklitepe is approximately 6,000 years older than Stonehenge and 7,000 years older than the Egyptian pyramids. Located in Upper Mesopotamia, this monumental archaeological site has fundamentally reshaped archaeologists’ understanding of early human civilisation.
The discovery revealed that hunter-gatherer communities were capable of constructing monumental structures long before the advent of agriculture. More recent excavations have also shown that the Neolithic people who built Göbeklitepe possessed an advanced understanding of geometry.
For travellers who wish to experience the origins of human civilisation at the very place where history began, there is no destination in the world more ancient—or more accessible—than Göbeklitepe.