The proposal for İstanbul to become the European Capital of Culture (ECC) was voted in and officially approved by the EU Ministers of Culture who gathered in Brussels on November 13th, 2007. Besides İstanbul, which will present itself with the “The City of Four Ele-ments” motto, other elected cities for “2010 ECC” are Pécz (Hungary) and Essen (Germany).

Turkey so far has registered İstanbul, Safranbolu, Boğazköy, Mount Nemrut, Xanthas-Letoon, Divriği Ulu Mosque and Curing Dormitory and Archeological City of Troy as sites of cultural inheritance, and Pamukkale and Göreme-Cappadocia as areas of both cultural and natural inheritance in the World Inheritance List.