Reviving Türkiye’s cultural heritage and ‘Legacy for Future Project’ | Daily Sabah – Daily Sabah

Report on Türkiye’s Cultural Heritage Initiatives and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report outlines the recent cultural and tourism initiatives undertaken by Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It analyzes these projects through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting contributions to sustainable cities, quality education, economic growth, and strong institutions.

Enhancing Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) and Quality Education (SDG 4)

A primary focus of recent efforts has been the safeguarding of cultural heritage and the creation of inclusive public spaces, directly contributing to SDG 11.4 (protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage) and SDG 4 (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all).

Major Urban Cultural Infrastructure Projects

• Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM): Inaugurated in 2021, this modern 95,000-square-meter facility provides a vital public space for culture and arts. With over 624,000 event attendees in one year, it serves as a cornerstone for community engagement and lifelong learning (SDG 11, SDG 4).
• Rami Library: Opened in 2023, this is Türkiye’s largest 24/7 library, with a seating capacity of 4,500. It provides widespread access to information and educational resources, advancing SDG 4. Its recognition as a finalist for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture underscores its role as a sustainable and inclusive community hub (SDG 11).
• Izmir Culture and Arts Factory: The restored Alsancak Tekel Factory now serves as a major cultural center, integrating museums, libraries, and art workshops. This revitalization of industrial heritage creates a sustainable urban space for community interaction and education (SDG 11, SDG 4).

Restoration and Preservation of National Heritage Sites

Extensive restoration work has been completed to protect and open key historical sites to the public, directly fulfilling the mandate of SDG 11.4.

1. Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque: Reopened for worship in 2020.
2. Sümela Monastery: A UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List site, reopened in 2021.
3. Galata Tower and Maiden’s Tower: Restored and reopened to visitors.
4. Bodrum Castle: Reopened in 2021 following comprehensive restoration.
5. Additional Sites: Restoration was also completed for numerous complexes, mosques, and madrasahs, including the Gök Medrese in Sivas and the Cacabey Madrasah in Kırşehir.

Promoting Decent Work, Economic Growth (SDG 8), and Global Partnerships (SDG 17)

The initiatives have generated significant economic activity and fostered international cooperation, aligning with SDG 8 (promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all) and SDG 17 (strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development).

The “Legacy for the Future Project”

Launched in 2023, this project revolutionizes archaeological work in Türkiye with a focus on efficiency and economic impact.

• Operational Enhancements: The project extended excavation work to a 12-month schedule and significantly increased funding, reaching TL 3.4 billion in 2024.
• Economic Impact (SDG 8): In 2024, the project created employment for over 5,000 people, including more than 2,000 specialists and 3,000 support staff, providing decent work and contributing to local economies.
• Scientific Advancement: Accelerated efforts, including underwater excavations, led to the discovery of over 6,000 artifacts in 2024 alone.

Nighttime Museum Initiative

This innovative program enhances sustainable tourism and supports local economies.

• Increased Accessibility: The initiative makes historical sites accessible for evening exploration, hosting approximately 400,000 visitors in 2024 at key destinations like Ephesus and Cappadocia.
• Economic Growth (SDG 8): The program provides a substantial boost to local businesses, promoting sustainable tourism revenue.
• Expansion: In 2025, the service will be offered at 27 sites across Türkiye.

International Cooperation and Intangible Heritage (SDG 17)

• Global Partnerships: Restoration efforts have been extended to heritage sites in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, demonstrating a commitment to international cooperation.
• UNESCO Collaboration: Through dedicated efforts in preserving intangible cultural heritage, Türkiye has become the third-highest contributing country to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, strengthening global partnerships for cultural preservation.

Strengthening Institutions for Peace and Justice (SDG 16)

Systematic efforts to protect cultural assets and combat illicit trafficking contribute to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions, in line with SDG 16 (promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels).

Repatriation of Cultural Artifacts

A concerted struggle against the smuggling of cultural property has yielded significant results, directly addressing SDG 16.4 (significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime).

• Of the approximately 27,000 artifacts returned to Türkiye since 1980, 13,200 were repatriated in the last 20 years.
• Over 9,000 of these artifacts have been brought back since 2018.

Asset Registration and Institutional Protection

The development of robust legal and institutional frameworks for heritage protection is a key achievement.

• Asset Registration: Between 2019 and 2022, a total of 4,699 archaeological sites and 13,331 immovable cultural properties were registered and placed under state protection.
• Museum Conservation: Restoration and conservation work has been completed on 96,264 artifacts held in museum inventories.

Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.7: Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
     
     Explanation: The article details the creation and renovation of numerous cultural and educational institutions. The opening of the Rami Library, “the largest library in Türkiye operating 24/7,” and initiatives like “mobile libraries, railway station libraries, and nation’s reading halls” directly support access to knowledge. The establishment and renovation of museums such as the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture and the Atlas 1948 Istanbul Cinema Museum, along with the Türkiye Culture Route Festival, promote an “appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.3: Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation.
     
     Explanation: The “Legacy for the Future Project” is explicitly mentioned as a contributor to employment. The article states, “In 2024, archaeological work generated employment for more than 5,000 people, including over 2,000 specialists and more than 3,000 support staff.” This demonstrates direct job creation through cultural heritage projects.
   • Target 8.9: By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
     
     Explanation: The article highlights initiatives aimed at boosting sustainable tourism centered on local culture. The “Türkiye Culture Route Festival” is described as an initiative that “enabled cities across the country to engage with culture and the arts.” The “nighttime museum experience” is another policy that promotes tourism, with the article noting it “provided a substantial boost to local businesses.”

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
     
     Explanation: This is the central theme of the article. It extensively documents the restoration and protection of cultural heritage sites, including the reopening of the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, the inauguration of the Istanbul Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), the restoration of the Galata Tower and Maiden’s Tower, and the reopening of the Sümela Monastery. The article also quantifies these efforts, stating that “restoration and conservation work has been completed on 96,264 artifacts” and “4,699 archaeological sites and 13,331 immovable cultural properties were registered and placed under protection.”

4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.4: By 2030, significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.
     
     Explanation: The article discusses the successful repatriation of stolen cultural assets. It states that “significant efforts have been made to repatriate cultural artifacts that were smuggled abroad” and that “approximately 27,000 artifacts have been returned to Türkiye,” with “9,000 of them brought back after 2018.” This directly relates to the target’s goal of strengthening the recovery and return of stolen assets.

5. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.
     
     Explanation: The article implies strong partnerships, particularly with international bodies. It mentions that “Many of our cultural assets were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List” and that Türkiye has become “the third-highest contributing country to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.” Furthermore, restoration efforts were extended to “heritage sites in our broader cultural geography, such as Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo,” indicating international cooperation. The large-scale projects managed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also suggest extensive public and potentially private partnerships to achieve these goals.

Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. For Target 11.4 (Protect cultural heritage):

   • Number of restored artifacts: “restoration and conservation work has been completed on 96,264 artifacts.”
   • Number of registered cultural properties: “4,699 archaeological sites and 13,331 immovable cultural properties were registered and placed under protection.”
   • Financial investment in heritage: “funding allocated to excavation sites… reached TL 3.4 billion ($83.7 million) in 2024.”
   • Number of unearthed artifacts: “over 6,000 archaeological artifacts were unearthed in 2024 alone.”

2. For Target 8.9 (Promote sustainable tourism):

   • Number of visitors to cultural sites: “the AKM hosted over 624,000 attendees at events last year alone.”
   • Number of visitors to nighttime museums: “in 2024 alone, approximately 400,000 visitors were hosted at major destinations such as Ephesus, Hierapolis, Olympos, Patara, Side and Cappadocia under this program.”
   • Number of sites offering nighttime experiences: “In 2025… nighttime museum services will be offered at 27 sites across Türkiye.”

3. For Target 8.3 (Create decent jobs):

   • Number of jobs created: “In 2024, archaeological work generated employment for more than 5,000 people, including over 2,000 specialists and more than 3,000 support staff.”

4. For Target 16.4 (Return stolen assets):

   • Number of repatriated artifacts: “approximately 27,000 artifacts have been returned to Türkiye,” with “9,000 of them brought back after 2018.”

5. For Target 4.7 (Promote cultural education):

   • Number and capacity of libraries: The opening of the Rami Library with a “seating capacity of 4,500” and its status as the “largest library in Türkiye.”
   • Number of new museums and cultural centers: The article lists the opening of the AKM, the Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture, the Atlas 1948 Istanbul Cinema Museum, and the Izmir Culture and Arts Factory.

Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: dailysabah.com