Close to capital Ankara, Beypazari enters tentative list with preserved Ottoman houses, diverse local food.

Ankara’s historic Beypazari district on Friday entered the tentative list of UNESCO with its thousands of years old history.

Beypazari has been a settlement since ancient times and holds symbols of ancient traditions with rich historical and natural resources, according to UNESCO.

A popular travel destination close to Turkey’s capital Ankara, the district attracts visitors with its well-preserved old Ottoman houses, diverse local food, and natural sources.

Day-trippers are hosted in traditional Turkish houses, typically two or three-story stone buildings.

As for its local cuisine, the most famous local food is Beypazari kurusu, a traditional long-lasting pastry. Other significant tastes include high-quality natural mineral water, “tarhana” — a dried crushed mixture of fermented yogurt and wheat flour usually served as a soup — “eriste” — traditional noodles — and stuffed grape leaves.
The fertile soil of the region makes it produce nearly 60% of Turkey’s carrots, as well as lettuce, green onion, and spinach farming.

A 3-000-year-old Zerzevan Castle located in southeastern Diyarbakir, the historical port city of Izmir on the Aegean coast, Karatepe-Aslantas archeological site in the central Osmaniye province and Koramaz Valley in the central Kayseri province also entered the UNESCO’s tentative list.