Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik reported that 10 cultural and natural assets have been accepted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Cultural Heritage Tentative List in 2015. With the new additions, the number of assets on the list from Turkey has increased to 62."Every year, a country can suggest one natural and one cultural protected area to UNESCO. Apart from these suggestions, a country cannot submit an application suggesting an asset from the tentative list be included on the main list," Çelik said, informing the press about the process.Stating that preparing applications for the assets on the main list is more comprehensive and challenging, the minister said that they will work to determine the assets that should move to the permanent list.Çelik characterized the addition of the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross as "a kind of special message," and said, "It is known that the church in Akdamar was opened for the religious ceremonies of the Armenian people with the permission of our government. To strengthen world peace, we are allowing a community to conduct their religious ceremonies." He also said the government has been handling the issues that were prohibited before in a more positive way, and highlighted that the restoration of the church was completed with contributions from the government. "The inclusion of the Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross on UNESCO's tentative list is an example and a message to foreign parliaments that are under the influence of the campaign conducted by the Armenian diaspora. Some foreign parliaments are making what was a sad event that happened between two ancient nations sharing a common history and past a political issue," he continued. He expressed his happiness that 10 cultural and natural assets have been included on the tentative list of UNESCO, adding, "However, I am especially happy that the Armenian church in Akdamar has entered onto the list." Stressing that Turkey has made huge progress in terms of promoting the richness and expanse of its cultural geography, Çelik reported that many applications are being prepared for the upcoming years.This year, the following monuments have been accepted onto the list:The Armenian Cathedral of the Holy Cross: Located on Akdamar Island in southeastern Turkey's Lake Van, Akdamar Church, also known as The Church of the Holy Cross, was built between 915 and 921 A.D. by architect Bishop Manuel under the supervision of the Armenian King Gagig I Ardzruni. In 2005, the government rehabilitated the church and opened it to visitors in 2007. Since 2010, religious ceremonies have been held once a year in the church.Yıldız PalaceLocated in the Beşiktaş suburb of Istanbul, on the top of a hill overlooking the Bosporus, Yıldız Palace was the residence of Sultan Abdülhamid II from 1876-1909. The property is a complex where gardens and pavilions designed in different styles surround the palace.The ancient city of AspendosThe ancient city of Aspendos is located in southern Turkey's Antalya province in the ancient Pamphylia region. The acropolis lies about 60 meters above sea level and sits on a flat-topped hill with many surviving monuments including the Nymphaeum, the Basilica, the market building and the Odeion.The ancient city of Stratonicea: Stratonikeia is located on the edges of the village of Eskihisar, seven kilometers west of the district of Yatağan in the province of Muğla. The ancient city features many historical structures including the Bouleuterion, the Augustus-Imperial Temple, Roman baths and a Roman city gate.Mountainous Phrygia: Mountainous Phrygia is an upland mountainous area constituting deep valleys and volcanic tufa rocks, inhabited firstly by the Phrygians, one of the Thracian tribes from 1200 B.C. Along the deep valleys in the region, there are castles, necropoli, rock-cut worshiping sites, altars, cisterns and monumental rock-cut tombs have been discovered that provide testament to Phrygian culture.Uzunköprü BridgeAt 393 meters long, the 572-year-old Uzunköprü Bridge is the world's longest stone bridge. The bridge follows its fellow list makers from Edirne, the Selimiye Mosque and Historical Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling.The Tomb of İsmail Fakirullah: The monument is located within the Aydınlar district of the Siirt province in southeastern Turkey. The tomb was built for İsmail Fakirullah, an 18th century Sufi, by his students. The Ismail Fakirullah Tomb consists of two rooms and a hallway covered by one large and two small domes and a tower.Historic guild town of Mudurnu: Located in Bolu province, the settlement of Mudurnu was founded along a deep, narrow valley formed by the Mudurnu (Gallos) River in a region rich with pine forests and thermal springs. The historical urban landscape of Mudurnu today presents a quiet but striking ensemble of monumental and civic architecture set on a rocky river valley.Harşena Mountain and the rock-tombs of the Pontic kings: Amasya is located in the inner part of the northern Black Sea Region, at the crossroad that connects the Black Sea coast to other regions of Anatolia. The city has hosted many civilizations from the Early Bronze Age to the end of the Ottoman Empire. During the Pontic Kingdom period, Mount Harşena and Amasya Fortress saw their most magnificent days that saw walls around the fortress and monumental rock-tombs for Pontic kings built.Ashab al-Kahf Complex: The Ashab al-Kahf – the seven sleepers in the cave – is a narrative illustrating the interaction of different cultures in a process dating from Paganism to Christianity and Islam. The cave, which assumed that the sleepers had very long slumber and then awoke, is located in the Afşin district of the Kahramanmaraş province. The interior of the cave is about 100 square meters, and the ceiling resembles a flat concrete structure – a unique feature for a cave.