In a step forward for cultural preservation and international collaboration, the Dominican Republic is actively moving closer to its goal of securing UNESCO World Heritage designation for La Isabela, a landmark colonial-era site on the nation’s northern coast. To strengthen the site’s nomination dossier and tap into global specialized expertise, the country has welcomed a delegation of Turkish cultural heritage professionals, led by veteran underwater archaeologist Harun Özdaş, for an in-depth technical assessment of the historic location.
The Turkish delegation also included senior diplomatic representatives, headed by Ambassador Emriye Bağdagül Ormancı of Turkey’s diplomatic mission to the Dominican Republic, alongside senior cultural heritage officials from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Culture. During the visit, participating authorities repeatedly highlighted the critical role that the site’s submerged archaeological remains play in establishing its global cultural significance. Underwater cultural artifacts and structural remnants, they noted, are not just secondary additions to the site’s history—they are a core component that will help prove La Isabela’s ‘outstanding universal value,’ the key requirement for UNESCO World Heritage inscription.
La Isabela holds a unique place in modern global history: founded in 1493 by Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the Americas, it was the first permanent European settlement established across the entire Western Hemisphere. Today, the site preserves irreplaceable archaeological evidence from the earliest days of transatlantic colonization, including foundational urban planning traces, intact structural foundations, and a vast collection of period artifacts that offer unparalleled insight into the earliest interactions between European colonizers and Indigenous populations of the Caribbean. For years, La Isabela has held a spot on the Dominican Republic’s tentative UNESCO nomination list, a preliminary step toward formal consideration for the coveted global designation.
The technical partnership with Turkish archaeologists is part of a broader strategy by the Dominican Ministry of Culture to expand global collaboration in heritage conservation. Beyond advancing the UNESCO bid, the cooperation facilitates cross-border knowledge sharing, builds capacity for specialized underwater heritage preservation, and allows both nations to exchange evidence-based best practices for protecting vulnerable submerged cultural assets. Dominican cultural officials noted that this international collaboration strengthens not only La Isabela’s nomination prospects but also the country’s broader national efforts to preserve and promote its unique historic and cultural legacy to the world.