Sunday shift in historical bazaars in Istanbul

As soon as Istanbul was selected as the 2010 European Culture Capital there were some changes made in the city. One of the early and proper decisions is the Sunday shift for the historical bazaars in Istanbul.

The tourists are so interested in Turkish bazaars though they never had the chance to visit them on the last day of the week.

The Grand Bazaar, one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, the Spices Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, the Sahaflar Bazaar, and the second hand book bazaar will be open 7 days a week after April 8. The decision was made in a meeting at the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Building, where the trade people association of Grand Bazaar, Istanbul Jeweler's Chamber and the related confederations met under the presidency of Eminönü Mayor Nevzat Er. The shops will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. But because the date coincides with the Easter Holiday, the first shift in practice for the shops will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Besides, if the number of tourists visiting is very large the shops might be open longer. According to Er, Sundays will be the days for retail sales. ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

Turkey, a heaven of national parks

Turkey is full of natural wonders including Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Lake Van, Lake Tuz, Nemrut Volcano and Konya's Karapınar, which are all among the most important potential national park sites in the country. Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, UNESCO Turkish National Commission Geological Committee and the Turkish Geological Heritage Protection Association (JEMIRKO) Chairman Nizamettin Kazancı said Turkey had big potential for the establishment of national parks like the ones in the United States and could get very good tourism income from them. Noting that national parks were places rich in geosits (geographical situations) and geological heritage, Kazancı said Turkey should protect its rich geological potential by establishing such parks. He said the basic goal of the establishment of national parks was to inform people about the earth they live in and to protect natural and geological places.

Tourism may move to hinterland areas from the coasts:
Kazancı noted that thanks to the national parks, coastal tourism would be able to move to hinterland places in the country and the whole country would take advantage of alternative types of tourism. He gave the Grand Canyon in the United States as a national park example, adding that Mut, Kula, Pamukkale, Cappadocia, Van Lake, Nemrut Volcano, Salt Lake and Konya's Karapınar were among the areas that could be turned into national parks, and that those areas were introduced by JEMIRKO in many international scientific meetings. Kazancı stated that some legal arrangements should be made for the establishment of national parks that would ensure the protection of geological heritage. “The tourism revenue that will come from the national parks will contribute to social development. Such an investment will also make a great contribution to employment,” said Kazancı. Kazancı added that the establishment of national parks would also prevent the destruction of land.

Renovation project for historic Gallipoli Peninsula

Within a project implemented by the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Enviroment and Forestry Ministry, the Gallipoli Peninsula National Park is undergoing renovation.

The historic Gelibolu Peninsula, which became a legend with the heroism of Turkish soldiers during the War of Çanakkale (Dardanelle) 92 years ago, is undergoing a renovation with a project called the “Gallipoli Peninsula Historic National Park Long-Term Development Plan,” reported the Anatolia news agency. State Minister Beşir Atalay, Environment and Forestry Minister Osman Pepe and Culture and Tourism Minister Atilla Koç have been implementing the project.

Within the scope of the $50 million project, which is regarded as the “honor” of the Turkish Republic, a couple of contributory projects will be completed and be ready by the 92nd Anniversary Ceremonies of the Çanakkale Victory. During the ceremonies, the opening of 1,670 symbolic slabs, on which 60,000 Turkish martyrs' names are written, the Namazgah Citadel in Kilitbahir village and the roads that were completed in Alçıtepe village will be made.

Planning process of the National Park project:

An “International Opinion and Design” competition was held in 1994 for the preparation of the project. The winner of the competition, attended by 120 domestic and foreign projects, was the Norwegian “Brögger&Reine Arkitektur AS Project.”

The preparation process started in 1999 with a protocol signed by the Middle East Technical University (METU) and the Environment and Forestry Ministry. The process was completed at the end of 2003 and implemented under the name, the “Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park Long-Term Development Plan.”

Within this development plan, four projects titled “Gallipoli Peninsula Historical National Park Directorate,” “Martyrs List,” “Martyrs Museum” and “Martyrs' Geography” was also prepared. The fields of combat, Turkish monuments and symbolic monuments were rearranged within the Martyrs' Geography project.

The field, which was established 15 years ago in memory of 500 martyrs and turned into a car park later, was reorganized. The names of 60,000 soldiers, who died during the War of Çanakkale, were written on 1,670 symbolic slabs stretching over an area of 8,000 square meters. Cypress trees were also planted to give the field a natural appearance.

Namazgah Citadel:

The Namazgah Citadel, which is located in Kilitbahir village in Gelibolu and a significant historical heritage from the Ottoman era, was turned into an open-air museum. Within the project, implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, all citadels were completely renewed. When the restoration and environmental arrangement works that started on Dec. 17, 2006 end, the citadels will become one of the most important places to visit in the Gallipoli Peninsula Historic National Park.

Project implementation consultant Ömer Yörükoğlu said the construction of the Namazgah citadels started in 1840 and were used to defend the straits during the War of Çanakkale in 1915. He said the citadels were abandoned after 1960. ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News