|
www.zaman.com Turkey has begun to bear the fruits of advertising its cultural heritage. A boom in tourism is taking place in cities renowned for their historical heritage.
Turkish tourism, long restricted within the “sea-sun-beach†triangle, has begun to reap the fruits of advertising its historical and cultural heritage. The number of tourists who visited such cities as Sanliurfa, Mardin, Konya, and Trabzon renowned for their rich historical heritage is growing. The tourism boom in Mardin is particularly striking. The number of tourists that visited Mardin grew ten fold in four years to reach 400,000. Tradesmen in Mardin are pleased with the number of tourists that visited Mardin in the first half of 2005 that reached nearly 250,000. “It is very gratifying that faith and cultural tourism have gained popularity. If the deficiencies in the hosting and other facilities are corrected, faith and cultural tourism can generate as much revenue as coastal tourism,†say tourism sector officials. The growth in cultural tourism also directs tourism sector auxiliaries towards these cities.
Faith and cultural tourism have great potential in Turkey that already receives a great deal of income through coastal tourism, as local prices are considerably lower than European countries. Through promotional advertisements and cultural events, tourists are flocking to Anatolia that harbors a rich array of cultures and religions. According to figures released by the Turkish Tourism Ministry, the number of tourists coming to Turkey for culture and faith tourism grows exponentially. The other most important cities in faith tourism after Mardin are Sanliurfa, Konya, Adiyaman, and Trabzon.
The Sumela Monastery in Trabzon is a major pilgrimage destination for Christians. The cave where Prophet Abraham was born, Mevlid-i Halil Mosque, Prophet Eyyup’s Cave and Harran are the main tourist attractions in Sanliurfa. The city hosted 500,000 tourists in 2004 and 300,000 tourists in the first half of 2005. Mevlana Museum in Konya attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists. During 2004, Konya received 1,505,000 tourists. Among them are Norwegians Claudio Sandor and Halvor Bodin who came to Konya after reading books about Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi. They related that they were fascinated by Mevlana’s mystical atmosphere and that they were mostly awed by the spectacle of the Sama, a whirling dervish ceremony. “Rumi is a well known figure in our country. Many people admire him,†they say. Ahmet Yenikenli who came from Kastamonu to visit the Mevlana Museum for the second time relates that they come to Konya for a holiday whenever they find the time.
Besides European tourists, tourists from all around Turkey flock to Mardin on one-day tours as well. The number of tourists visiting 6,000-yearold Mardin exceeded one million over the last five years. Tourists enchanted by the historical and cultural nature of the city say: “The inns, baths, caravanserais, madrasahs and mansions are all magnificent. Walking in the 6,000 years old Deyrulzafaran monastery incites inexplicable feelings.â€Â
Kristen Moleyn from The Netherlands strongly affected by the mystical atmosphere of the city, says: “This is my second visit. It is amazing and beautiful to be in one of those rare cities where different religions and languages live together in peace. The kindness and the hospitality of the people attracts us here.†Helain Kristean from Germany, visiting Mardin for the second time in two years, noting that she has traveled much but she have never seen a city as beautiful as Mardin, says: “That different religions and languages peacefully shared this place sets an important example for us. I want to come here every year.†Maria Micheail, a writer from the US relating that she heard of Mardin last year after watching a television program on inter-religious clemency says: “I am particularly moved by the ancient madrasahs and the mosques. These are superb buildings. We are also gratified by the kindness and the hospitality of the local people.â€Â
Hotels in the city are now full due to huge influx of tourists. Hoteliers pleased with the situation consider new investment plans, as shop owners in the bazaars are also happy with the situation. A total of 11 hotels currently serve the city. Businessmen open “boutique hotelsâ€Â, from restored historic mansions and caravansaries to meet the tourist demand. Historic Erdoba Mansion with 30 rooms and 60 beds was opened in 2003. The Artuklu Caravansary with 43 rooms and 100-bed capacity and the Maria Mansion with nine rooms and 23-bed capacity were opened in 2005. Construction of a 400-bed capacity hotel with 200 rooms on the road to Diyarbakir is soon to be finished. It is said the “Symposium on Inter-Religious Tolerance†in 2004 made a considerable contribution to the tourism boom in the city. Mardin preparing to be included in the UNESCO’s “World Heritage List†aims to host one million tourists in 2005.
Mardin’s governor Mustafa Temel Kocaklar indicating activities held in 2004 promoted Mardin on the global scale says, “We currently organize promotion campaigns for more people to visit Mardin. We invite businessmen from Mardin to invest in their homeland.†Mardin’s proxy tourism director Alaaddin Aydin, on the other hand, notes mostly foreign and domestic day-trippers visit Mardin due to the insufficient accommodation capacity. Konya’s Culture and Tourism Association President Fevzi Halici informs that tourists coming to Konya mostly visit the Mevlana Museum. They do not leave the city without a visit to Rumi’s tomb. Hoteliers and Guest House Chamber President Mustafa Sarioglu urges more activities need to be conducted to encourage tourists to stay in the city longer. According to Sarioglu, both national and international tourists visit the city for sightseeing, but they do not stay longer. Another tourism boom erupted in Sanliurfa, one of Turkey’s cultural tourism centers and it is almost impossible to find an empty bed any of the hotels in the city with a 700-bed capacity. National and international tourists mostly show an interest in Balikligol, Dergah, the cave of Prophet Eyyub, his tomb in Eyyub Nebi village in Viransehir town, as well as Harran Township, which is famous for its cupola houses and the first university in history.
Adiyaman’s hotels are also full to capacity and even reservations for next year have already been made. Mount Nemrut with the 2000 year-old giant sculptures that are seen as the “8th Wonder of the World" is Adiyaman’s tourism magnet. Walking, paragliding and water sports held on Ataturk Dam Lake are the just some of the sports conducted in the region. Speleology, the exploration of caves, is also promoted in the region. Nemrut Volcanic Lake in the Tatvan town of Bitlis is the most popular place visited by foreign and domestic tourists. |
