**3. Decision-Making Organizations and Their Criteria for Choosing International Cultural Routes**

The COE (Council of Europe), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and World Heritage Committee (WHC), and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and International Committee on Cultural Routes (CIIC) actively work on cultural routes. The cultural route topic was first mentioned by the European Union (EU) in 1964 and COE was assigned to work on this topic. COE has developed a cultural routes program, established an institute, created a website and digital map system, established a certificate system, and has now implemented 48 cultural routes through agreements with stakeholders such as tourism companies and management centers. In 1994, UNESCO and ICOMOS met and developed a program to evaluate cultural routes. UNESCO and WHC cultural routes were included in the "World Heritage List" after ICOMOS established the CIIC committee to study cultural routes and published a charter (Table 1).


**Table 1.** Cultural Works of International Organizations.

COE, UNESCO and WHC, ICOMOS and CIIC have conducted research to define the concept of cultural route and its criteria (Table 2). The purpose of the COE's European Cultural Routes Program (COE-CR 1987) is to demonstrate the common and living cultural heritage of Europe's various countries and cultures through travel in space and time. To be accepted into this program, a route must first obtain a "Council of Europe Cultural Routes Label" certificate. The COE has a number of criteria for obtaining this certificate (COE 2013). Cultural routes were designated as one of the four parts of the World Heritage List by UNESCO and WHC as a global heritage in continuous and numerous interactions with the environment, with strategic, symbolic, philosophical, dynamic, and evocative dimensions. It has an established criteria for accepting cultural routes into the WHL (UNESCO and WHC 1994). ICOMOS has defined cultural routes as humanity's common cultural heritage, which should be protected through collaborative efforts. It is stated that different cultural groups should serve purposes such as increasing interaction, protecting and preserving cultural heritage, and creating a social, economic, and physical environment that is sustainable. With its cultural routes charter, ICOMOS has also published its own cultural routes criteria (ICOMOS 2008).

**Table 2.** COE, UNESCO and WHC, ICOMOS and CIIC cultural route criteria.



#### **Table 2.** *Cont.*


COE, UNESCO and WHC, ICOMOS and CIIC issued certificates to routes based on their criteria (Table 3) and published them on their websites. The cultural routes have been organized by theme by the COE. UNESCO and WHC have included their routes in the World Heritage List (WHL), which can be understood from the terms route and road. ICOMOS and CIIC routes are published on the CIIC web page with brief information and

maps. It redirects to the WHL page for detailed information. Religious routes are definitely included in the lists of all organizations. Table 3 shows religious routes in red, while other routes are in black. It is worth noting that the Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes, the first approved route by COE, UNESCO, and WHC, is a pilgrim route that has received certificates from all three organizations.

**Table 3.** COE, UNESCO and WHC, ICOMOS and CIIC cultural routes.

