分类： other

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.

On Thursday, a joint site visit led by Dominican Republic Tourism Minister David Collado and U.S. Ambassador to the nation Leah Castillo put a much-needed spotlight on the Colonial City, one of the country’s most culturally rich yet underpromoted heritage destinations, as part of a broader push to boost cultural tourism draw. The walking tour kicked off at Parque Duarte, where local producers and artisans had set up immersive displays showcasing the breadth of Dominican-made goods and handcrafted creations. During their stop at the park, both senior officials got a first-hand taste of local culture, sampling popular traditional chilled treats and fresh coconut water, while admiring intricately designed handcrafts fashioned from two of the region’s most iconic natural stones: amber and rare blue larimar.

After wrapping up their time at Parque Duarte, the official delegation made their way through a curated route of the Colonial City’s most iconic and historically significant landmarks. The 16th-century walled district, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Americas, currently draws approximately 8% of all international tourists that visit the Dominican Republic each year, a figure tourism officials hope to grow through targeted promotion and infrastructure investment. The tour itinerary included stops at famous pedestrian corridors Calle Billini and Calle Isabel la Católica, the historic Convento de los Dominicos, public gathering spaces Plaza Tirso de Molina, Plaza de España and Plaza San Antón, the centuries-old Iglesia Las Mercedes, and the Museo Fortaleza de Santo Domingo, a former military fortress that now houses exhibits tracing the capital’s colonial and post-independence history.

The joint visit comes as the Dominican Republic works to expand its tourism product beyond the sun-and-beach getaways that have long been the country’s main tourist draw, highlighting cultural and heritage travel as a key growth area that can attract longer-staying, higher-spending visitors while supporting local artisans and small businesses. Collaboration between the Dominican tourism sector and U.S. diplomatic officials also aims to strengthen bilateral ties through people-to-people cultural exchange, and encourage more U.S. travelers, who make up the largest share of the country’s international visitors, to explore the Colonial City’s unique offerings.