Istanbul World Heritage property. Representing and cataloguing the material and intangible assets for local sustainable development.

The purpose of this paper is to present the criteria for the inclusion of the Historic Areas of Istanbul in the World Heritage List in 1985. Representing and cataloguing the material and intangible assets as well as considering the integrity and authenticity of historic sites, monuments, architectures, and immaterial heritages are all aspects which need to be considered for a World Heritage Property (WHP). These criteria are related to multidimensional and multidisciplinary approaches which represent the cultural and natural assets through their material and intangible values. The paper focuses on the representation of this Outstanding Universal Value in terms of sustainable development for the local community. How are Istanbul's cultural and landscape heritage perceived by residents and tourists? How was the restructuring of Istanbul integrated, in terms of skyline and urban landscape, within the historical area? Can the urban redevelopment process in the Istanbul WHP be considered a 'best practice' for the regeneration process of site? How does this regeneration affect the property's management? After the 1980s, the major cities of Turkey have experienced urban transformation processes following the changes in the international trade policy and perception of cultural heritage. Istanbul took the highest amount of share from these transformation processes and has become the most important economic, cultural and tourism center as well as the most integrated pole to the world economy of the country.