About The Historical Heritage Protection Foundation

The Historical Heritage Protection Foundation was established on December 30, 1996 with the aim of finding and bringing to light cultural properties which are ‘The common treasures of mankind’ to be found in Turkey and abroad, and of studying, excavating and restoring them, as well as promoting cooperation between Turkey and similar organizations of other countries. The foundation has been officially recognized by the Turkish government and is a non-profit, non-political organization.

Even before the establishment of the foundation, the founding members in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Foundation, New York started efforts to direct international focus on Ani, and to promote several preservation initiatives.  They also started an important cooperation with the World Monuments Fund, a prestigious international foundation which helps to preserve history’s greatest relics.  Ani was officially nominated to the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Endangered Sites in 1996 and attention directed to it as one of the world’s irreplaceable monuments of cultural heritage in imminent peril.  After its establishment; the Historical Heritage Protection Foundation officially nominated Ani and Patara for the 1998-1999 World Monuments Watch List. 

The Foundation's primary interests are the following sites:

The foundation chart is registered by the 5th High Court of Justice/Istanbul, dated December 30, 1996. Its decree number is 1996/534 E. and 1996/653 K. This decree was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Turkey dated March 15, 1997, issue number 22934.

Among the founders are scholars from various important universities of Turkey such as Prof. Dr. Beyhan Karamagarali and Turgay Yazar of Hacettepe University. Prof. Yildirim Yavuz, Prof. Dr. Ayse Omur Bakirer of Middle East Technical University, Prof. Dr. Haluk Karamagarali and Nakis Akgul of Gazi University, as well as Prof. Dr. Sadik Tural, Director of the Ataturk Cultural Center, together with Serap Unal from the same organization. Other members of the foundation in clued Mrs. Verkin Arioba who acts as the secretary of treasury and Erdem Yucel, the lawyer who is the general secretary of the foundation. 

The head of the foundation Steering Committee is Prof. Dr. Beyhan Karamagarali who is also presiding over the current excavations at Ani, as the representative of both the Turkish Government and Hacettepe University. The other members of the steering Committee are Mrs. Arioba and Mr. Yucel.