WCA attends signature ceremoney UNESCO World Heritage in Midyat, Southeast Tuerkiye
- Post 16 February 2022
On 14 February 2022, WCA attended the signature ceremony of the UNESCO World Heritage Nomination File Preparation co-operation protocol between the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Midyat Municipality in Midyat, Southeast Türkiye.
On behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, the Director General of Cultural Assets and Museums Mr. Gökhan Yazgi signed the protocol. After the event, Melki Toprak, the Chairman of the Federation of the Arameans (Syriacs) in Switzerland, submitted a letter to him co-signed with the WCA President Johny Messo. Among other things, the letter stresses that:
"we remain eager to cooperate with your Ministry on promoting and highlighting the riches of our cultural heritage in Southeast Türkiye. Additionally, we would like to request you to consider nominating other beautiful and meaningful architectural buildings in the Tur-Abdin region that are not yet added to UNESCO’s list. In due time, we will propose concrete names, but one notable case is for example the Mor Hushabo Church in the village of ‘lwardo (Gülgöze)."
Left to right: Midyat's Municipality Chairman, the Syriac Orthodox Archbishops of Tur-Abdin and Mardin, Mr. Gökhan Yazgi, Melki Toprak the Chairman of the Federation of the Arameans (Syriacs) in Switzerland, Kuryakos Ergün the Chairman of the Mor Gabriel foundation and the representative of the Aramean community in Mardin
Mr. Yazgi gladly received the letter (see photo below) and welcomed the WCA and its Member Federations to visit him in Ankara to deepen their cooperation on the question of Türkiye's Aramaic cultural heritage.
On behalf of WCA, its Member Federations and Suryoyo Sat, Melki and Yakob Dag (see photo below on the left side of the stairs) from Suryoyo Sat Holland participated in this historic event in Midyat, Southeast Türkiye.
