Turkey’s Antep İşi embroidery was listed by UNESCO at the 20th intergovernmental committee conference

With this inscription, Turkey now has 32 items on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, including 14 international files created in cooperation with nations with similar cultural histories.

With Antep İşi Embroidery’s inclusion on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Republic of Turkey has reached a significant cultural milestone. At the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage’s 20th Session, which was held in New Delhi from December 8–13, 2025, the inscription was made public. 

UNESCO praised Turkey’s submission during the Committee’s meeting, praising the Antep İşi dossier as a thorough and flawlessly written document. The nation was commended for both the general calibre of its safeguarding initiatives and its dedication to preserving living heritage via community involvement and organised recording. 

“Antep İşi embroidery has stood as one of the most cherished elements in a young woman’s dowry and has always held a central place in the preservation of our cultural heritage,” said Mayor Fatma Sahin, highlighting the significance of this legacy. As a native of your city and your mayor, I have firsthand knowledge of the significance of Antep İşi in my own life, so I am incredibly honoured and touched by this new UNESCO designation. We are happy that the United Nations’ objectives for sustainable development, girls’ education and empowerment, and family economic growth have now been met by the international framework that protects this priceless embroidery. We get great satisfaction from preserving this priceless art form, both locally and globally, from tradition to the future.

Delegations congratulated Mayor Şahin and Ali Murat Ersoy, the ambassador of Turkey to New Delhi, after the designation was given.

Ambassador Ersoy and his spouse, Fazilet Ersoy, organised a special Gaziantep Promotion Event on December 10, 2025, to present this unique craft and the ancient city of Gaziantep to members of the international diplomatic community and Indian friends. Mayor Şahin provided visitors with an in-depth lecture throughout the event, which helped them better understand the city’s rich cultural identity and legacy. The city is ready to expand partnerships that build on this rich shared heritage, Mayor Şahin said, highlighting the long-standing cultural and commercial ties between the two countries that date back to the historic Silk Road. He also invited the guests to visit Gaziantep and encouraged broader cooperation in all fields.