An example of a cultural route in Istanbul (Tasawwuf heritage)

The mystical heritage of İstanbul presents the common value of humanity with its diverse and unique cultural and institutional heritage created by the human-centered world of thought and contributions of different civilizations. This heritage, on the Asian - European Continents and has a continuity of 8000 years, is located in a privileged city such as Istanbul, the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, and featured in UNESCO World Heritage Site as a natural transition area between cultures in a wide geography extending to the continents of Europe, Asia andAfrica. The concept of the cultural route, on the other hand, offers a new generation perspective to culture and tourism with its holistic approach that covers the value of all components that make up the cultural heritage at a macro level, and its innovative approach to the protection and promotion of the heritage. With this point of view, heritage, rather than a single monument, historical site or natural heritage, creates a systematic unity of the cultural components that make up the heritage and gains meaning with this unity. At the same time, heritage with the cultural route concept, can be included in an international conservation program, starting from local. Aim of the study is offering a model which is aiming proposal for the preservation, promotion of the rich and original sufism heritage it belongs to İstanbul and its integration into today's global culture and tourism world. The model is built on being presented to the world as a certified European Cultural Route through the concepts of culture, heritage and tourism. Key Words: Istanbul, Sufism, Culture, Heritage, Route