Kahramanmaraş, November 02, 2025 – The Europe Today: The Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş has been officially designated as a UNESCO City of Literature, marking a historic milestone as the first city in Türkiye to receive this honor.
The announcement was made in Paris during World Cities Day 2025 celebrations, UNESCO confirmed. The recognition places Kahramanmaraş among a global network of cities committed to promoting culture and creativity as engines of sustainable urban development.
“Kahramanmaraş became the first city from Türkiye to be selected in this field by joining this prestigious network in the ‘literature’ category,” said Metropolitan Mayor Firat Görgel on Friday.
Görgel emphasized that the city’s deep literary heritage, rich poetic tradition, and vibrant cultural scene have elevated its literary profile both nationally and internationally.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay announced the inclusion of 58 new cities in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), bringing the total to 408 cities across more than 100 countries. For the first time, the network introduced a new category — Creative Cities of Architecture — joining the existing seven fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Media Arts, and Music.
“UNESCO Creative Cities demonstrate that culture and creative industries can be concrete drivers of development,” Azoulay said. “By welcoming 58 new cities, we are strengthening a network where creativity supports local initiatives, attracts investments, and promotes social cohesion.”
This year, ten cities were named UNESCO Cities of Literature: Aberystwyth (Wales), Abuja (Nigeria), Celje (Slovenia), Conakry (Guinea), Dumaguete City (Philippines), Gdańsk (Poland), Kahramanmaraş (Türkiye), Lund (Sweden), San Luis Potosí (Mexico), and Tangier (Morocco).
With these additions, the total number of UNESCO Cities of Literature now stands at 63, reinforcing the global importance of literature and cultural expression as pillars of sustainable urban growth and international dialogue.
