Mahmutbey Mosque, on the UNESCO list, is being opened to tourism

According to the statement made by the Northern Anatolian Development Agency (KUZKA), after the Mahmutbey Mosque, which is considered one of the most important wooden mosques in Anatolia and built with the overlapping technique, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name of the Wooden Hypostyle Mosques of the Medieval Period of Anatolia in 2023, various works were planned to protect the mosque and provide a better experience for visitors.

The "Kasaba Village Mahmut Bey Mosque's Visitor Experience is Improving" project, prepared by the Kastamonu Special Provincial Administration with the aim of making the mosque's surroundings more accessible and comfortable for both local people and visitors through works carried out within the framework of the area management plan, was implemented with the support of KUZKA provided within the scope of the 2024 Destination Development Technical Support Program.

The architectural concept design work for the planned visitor center within the scope of the project has been completed, completing an important stage. In line with this, resting areas around the mosque and a center where visitors can receive better service have been designed. While the mosque garden has been made more aesthetic and useful with the landscaping arrangements, the mosque and its surroundings will have a more impressive appearance at night thanks to the improved lighting systems. In addition, innovations such as signs informing visitors about the mosque and its surroundings and local product sales units related to cultural heritage have been included in the project.

With this project, which is attributed great importance to Kastamonu tourism, it is aimed to make the province's only World Heritage Mahmutbey Mosque a more attractive cultural destination, to introduce the city's cultural heritage to wider audiences and to increase the tourism potential of the region.