The World Underwater Activities Federation (CMAS) and UNESCO have formally acknowledged Türkiye’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Preservation Program, a commendable initiative that has been efficiently applied over the previous 5 years, as a mannequin program within the subject.
Renowned for its historical underwater cities, shipwrecks and vibrant harbors, Türkiye stands among the many world’s most bountiful international locations in relation to underwater actions. The nation’s devoted efforts in preserving its underwater cultural heritage by way of the implementation of the Underwater Cultural Heritage Preservation Program have garnered reward from each UNESCO and CMAS.
Associate professor Hakan Öniz, a college member of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets Department at Akdeniz University, lately traveled to Paris, to signal a cooperative protocol with officers from UNESCO and CMAS.
As the Underwater Cultural Heritage director of CMAS, Öniz expressed his perception that the protocol will considerably contribute to selling Türkiye’s wealthy underwater heritage. He additionally revealed that, in collaboration with the Turkish Underwater Federation, this system has efficiently educated 400 divers to safeguard the underwater cultural treasures.
“Scientists, coast guard, police or gendarmerie teams cannot single-handedly protect our country’s extensive 8,500-kilometer (5,281.66-mile) coastline,” Öniz emphasised. “Through this program, thousands of divers actively contribute to the protection of our underwater cultural heritage and assist us in making new discoveries. Additionally, pamphlets have been created for divers in 120 countries and have been translated into 15 languages so far.”
The subject of underwater archaeology in owes its origins to the pioneering work of American researcher professor George Bass, who performed research on the Gelidonya shipwreck off the coast of the southern province of Antalya within the Fifties. The first underwater excavations, initiated 70 to 75 years in the past in Anatolia, marked the arrival of “underwater archaeology” as a definite subject of examine inside the worldwide scientific group.
Türkiye’s steadfast dedication to preserving its underwater cultural heritage not solely safeguards its invaluable historic treasures but additionally reinforces its standing as a world chief in underwater exploration and conservation.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
