Turkey's bazaar added to temporary UNESCO Heritage list

Turkey's historical Kemeralti Bazaar and its surrounding area has been added to the temporary UNESCO World Heritage List.

The vibrant bazaar in the Aegean city of Izmir dates back to the 17th century. For tourists, it is a smaller version of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.

"This is the start of a new era. We have three years to enter the permanent list of UNESCO," said Ugur Yuce, a member of the body responsible for the upkeep of the area.

Turkey plans to add the bazaar at UNESCO's permanent list in three years, Yuce said.

"This process will add a lot to both this area and Izmir," he added.

Koramaz Valley added to UNESCO list

UNESCO also temporarily added Central Anatolian Kayseri province Koramaz Valley to the list, Kayseri’s Mayor Memduh Buyukkilic said.

The valley sits at an altitude ranging from 250 meters to 550 meters, about 12 kilometres away from the city centre.

The valley hosts giraffe fossil reservoirs, cave roads and a bird paradise in Engir Lake. Archaeologists, cave researchers and art historians have worked on excavation sites at Kultepe Kanis region.