The opening gala of the International Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, organized for the 8th time this year by Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya, took place at Türkan Şoray Cultural Center.

The traditional cortege of the 8th International Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, organized by Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya, continued from Atatürk Street along the walls of the historical city to the streets of Kaleiçi.

Muratpaşa Mayor in Antalya, Ümit Uysal, invited cities with historical and cultural heritage areas to come together under the 'Ancient Cities Friendship' at the forum organized within the scope of the 8th International Kaleiçi Old Town Festival. Uysal pointed out that this solidarity will spread the promotion of their cities throughout the year.

Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Republic with anthems sung by the Republic Choir of 2023 people. At the celebrations where Sertab Erener took the stage, Mayor Ümit Uysal said, “Our republic is the brightest victory of science and enlightenment in the world. "It is the brightest victory in world history," he said.

On the last day of the 8th International Kaleiçi Old Town Festival organized by Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality, foreign city delegations first visited the ancient city of Perge, then made and tasted Antalya's registered taste, piyaz.

Antalya Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal stated that the China-ASEAN Mayors Forum, to which he was invited on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of sister city relations with Gulin Municipality, was very productive and added: ""In addition to our mass tourism, which is rising with the struggles of our tourists, we continue to promote and integrate with the world on every platform so that our Muratpaşa and Antalya city centre can receive tourists."

Kaleiçi, the historical city centre of Antalya, is now being promoted in China. Promotional films of the ancient city will be shown throughout the year on the Guilin-Muratpaşa Friendship Bus, which was created for the 10th anniversary of Muratpaşa Municipality's becoming a sister city with Guilin, one of the most important tourism cities of the country.

Matjaz Rakovec, Mayor of Kranj, one of the well-preserved medieval cities of Slovenia, said that he came to Antalya as a tourist after the Kaleiçi Oldtown Festival he attended in 2021. Rakovec said, “The festival helped me meet Antalya and Turkey.”

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal said that the 8th Kaleiçi Oldtown Festival will be held on October 26-29. Mayor Uysal said, “The guest cities and tens of thousands who will meet in Kaleiçi for the festival will celebrate the 100th anniversary of our Republic in Antalya, the bright face of the Republic.”

Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality and Szigetvar Municipality of Hungary, where Suleiman the Magnificent made his last expedition, became 'sister cities'. The protocol was signed between the mayors Ümit Uysal and Peter Vass during the Zrinyi Days.

The second stage of the "Memory Places and Cultural Heritage - Antalya Kaleiçi Houses" project, in which Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya took the history of Kaleiçi's daily life out of the chests and brought it to the present, was completed. In the project where the history of Kaleiçi mansions is told through their experiences, the QR codes of the documentaries prepared in 4 languages of 40 new houses were placed at the entrances of the houses.

Muratpaşa Municipality introduced the Environmentalist Neighbor Card Project at the forum titled “Integrated Transformation for Sustainable Development” held in Kutaisi, Georgia.

Antalya Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal, in an interview with Qatar-based international news organization Al Jazeera about Blue Flag beaches, pointed out that a country with a coastline is not sufficient for sustainable coastal management, and that it requires cooperation between neighboring countries with coastal extensions.

In Antalya, Muratpaşa Municipality will work with European cities, including Barcelona, under the title of 'well-being' for the elderly, for whom the pandemic has caused a feeling of loneliness and forgetfulness.

Muratpaşa Municipality was awarded the title of "Partner Organization of the Year" within the scope of the 2022-European Local Democracy Week events held with the theme of "Protecting the Environment: Local Communities Take Action".

Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality will attend ITB Berlin, one of the world's largest tourism fairs, to be physically held at Messe Berlin after 3 years, with the concept of 'Kaleiçi'. This year's slogan of Muratpaşa is "Ancient looks of Kaleiçi".

Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya is unearthing the remains of the historical Kaleiçi city walls, which survived until the beginning of the 20th century. After the expropriation of Mescit Sokak, a part of the inner walls of Kaleiçi became visible.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal introduced Antalya and Kaleiçi to mayors from all over the Balkans at the 'City Day' event he attended in Biograd na Moru, Croatia. During Mayor Uysal's speech, the Antalyaspor flag drew attention, along with the Turkish flag reflected on the screen on the stage.

Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya is implementing the G-Old Town Quality Standard Certificate Program, which covers hotels, hostels, restaurants and cafe bars in historical Kaleiçi. With the project, all details of which will be announced soon, it is aimed to increase the competitiveness of Kaleiçi in all areas.

New Year's Market was opened in Muratpaşa Atatürk City Square. The City Square was decorated for the new year. The square, where 14-meter new year's trees with more than 250 LED lights and giant gift packages with red ribbons, were highly appreciated.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal stated that the tourism developing in the city center of Antalya is pleasing at the international conference held in Lomza, Poland, and said, “Do not sell passports, do tourism”.

Antalya Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal was the guest of the BBC's podcast and radio program titled 'People Fixing the World' with his award-winning recycling project Environmentally Friendly Neighbour Card.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal congratulated Lula da Silva, who won the presidential elections in Brazil, at the opening of the 11th Antalya International Guitar Festival. “I believe that the Amazon forests, the lungs of the world, will be preserved in the best possible way. Hoping everything is going to be allright for Turkey as well,” said Uysal, and concluded his speech with the words “Viva da Silva”.

Muratpaşa Municipality took part in the 4th Antalya Tourism Fair (ATF22), which hosted more than 10 thousand domestic and foreign tourism professionals in Antalya, with its stand where the living ancient city Kaleiçi was introduced. At the fair, Mayor Uysal told the tourism professionals about the change that the historical city center has undergone in 8 years.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal signed the 4th sister city protocol in the last 1 month with the signatures at the 7th Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, attended by 52 cities from 27 countries. With the signed protocols, Muratpaşa and Kaleiçi, from Czechia to Tunisia, meet the world, while tourism spreads to 12 months.

With the call of Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality, 52 cities from 27 countries, which came together for Kaleiçi Old Town Forum-2022, signed the declaration titled “Environmentally Friendly Municipal Practices for Sustainable Tourism in Living Old Towns”.

Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality took the history of daily life in Kaleiçi out of the ballot boxes and brought it to the present with a special documentary work. Spaces of Memory and Cultural Heritage-Antalya Kaleiçi Houses project, the work in which the history of the houses in the living old town is explained, was introduced at the 7th Kaleiçi Old Town Festival.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal, in accepting the guest city delegations in Antalya for the 7th Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, said, “There is a great need for such non-political spaces. Kaleiçi Old Town Festival is a demonstration of unity and solidarity for our future generations.”

Muratpaşa Municipality became a sister city with Prague 6 Municipality of Czech Republic, with which it signed the 'goodwill declaration' in 2015. Mr. Egemen Bağış, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Prague, also attended the sister city protocol signing ceremony held in Prague.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal paid a return visit to Tunisia's La Goulette city, which participated in the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival twice. As part of the visit, Mayor Uysal met with the mayors, including the Metropolitan Mayor of Tunisia, Souad Abderrahim, and invited them to the festival, which will be held for the 7th time this year.

Muratpaşa Municipality delegation completed their contacts with the guests of Gradara, Italy, one of the permanent participants of Kaleiçi Old Town Festival. The delegation of 3 people came together with the mayors of Gradara and Rimini and visited the University of Urbino.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal stated that the historical city center of Antalya will meet once again the world with the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, which will be held for the 7th time this year, and that they have been invited to 3 city festivals only for September. Mayor Uysal said, “These relations should increasingly continue. This is the only way Kaleiçi can meet the world. When the cities come to you and you go to them, tourism can always survive despite all the bad events happening all over the world.”

The Human Rights-Based Approach Advanced Level International Training Program, hosted by Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya and attended by 7 cities from 4 countries, ended with the closing workshop.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal at the 6th Regions and Colors Festival that continues with the Neighboring Countries Night, “Our Antalya is a place where many different cultures live together in peace, brotherhood and solidarity, under the glorious flag of Turkey” said.

Muratpaşa Municipality Council Members attended the International Festival of Humor and Satire, one of the most rooted festivals in the country, at the invitation of the Bulgarian city of Gabrovo.

Antalya Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal invited the ancient cities of the world to the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, which will be held for the seventh time this year between 13-16 October.

Organized by Antalya Muratpaşa Municipality, Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, which brings together all the ancient cities in the world, is held for the seventh time between 13-16 October.

In Antalya, with the tour organized by Muratpaşa Municipality, children and teenagers explored Kaleiçi, where narrow streets, huge gates and historical monuments dating back centuries arouse their sense of curiosity. Zeynep Nil Korkusuz, 11, one of the children who toured the historical city center in the company of professional guides, said that she came to Kaleiçi for the second time.

In Antalya, the Shirazi Turkish Iranian Friendship Park of Muratpaşa Municipality was inaugurated with a ceremony. At the inauguration ceremony attended by Iranians who were in Antalya for the Nowruz Holiday holiday, Mayor Ümit Uysal said: “We should provide the conditions for cultural diversity to live together. Otherwise, our work will not be as productive as necessary and capable of producing as much cultural, economic and social wealth as desired.”

In Antalya, where nearly 140 thousand foreigners from 90 countries of the world live, Muratpaşa Municipality is adding a new one to its cultural and friendship parks in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania. Shirazi Turkish-Iranian Friendship Park opens in Çağlayan Mahallesi on Wednesday at 11:00.

Muratpaşa Municipality Mayor Ümit Uysal said at the opening of the Lithuanian Culture Park, "We strive to make Antalya a place where different cultures can feel comfortable, as if they are at home, and we continue this mission."

In Antalya, where 136,946 foreigners from 90 countries live, Muratpaşa Municipality is adding a new one to its cultural and friendship parks in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Ukraine. Lithuanian Culture Park opens in Fener Mahallesi on Saturday at 13.00.

Participating in the Runtalya International Antalya Marathon with T-shirts with the inscription "Donate blood save lives", Muratpaşa Foreigners' Advisory Board organizes a blood donation campaign on Saturday. The donation campaign to be organized with the Turkish Red Crescent at Abdullah Sevimçok Civil Society and Innovation Centers (ASSİM) will be held between 11:00 and 18:00.

The local tarhana, which Muratpaşa Municipality distributes from house to house in Antalya, has exceeded the borders and is cooked in Mexico. Mahmut Güngör and Semra Demirağ, who took the tarhana distributed by the municipality in their bags for their trip to Mexico, cooked the tarhana in their house on the Atlantic coast. Tarhana on its smoke brought all the guests in the house together at the table.

In Antalya, Muratpaşa Municipality received the title of "partner organization" this year as part of the European Local Democracy Week events, in which more than 200 municipalities from 15 countries participated, with the theme "Protecting the Environment: Local Communities Take Action".

Konstantinos Polychronidis, one of the young people who came together with Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal in Antalya, where they came for project writing training within the framework of the student exchange program, said that he encountered a very clean city, especially Kaleiçi. Polychronidis asked Mayor Uysal, "How do you achieve this?"

In Antalya, the Foreigners' Advisory Board of Muratpaşa Municipality held the first meeting of the long break due to the pandemic at Abdullah Sevimçok Civil Society and Innovation Centers (ASSİM). At the meeting, it was decided to carry out the duty of the speaker of the parliament in quarterly periods.

Muratpaşa Municipality will participate in the workshop to be held in Sweden in the third phase of the international education program, where the Council of the Elderly, Foreigners' Advisory Board, the digital democracy application komsumeclisi.com and its work for disadvantaged segments of society were accepted. Muratpaşa Municipality will share its Antalya experiences at the workshop.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal, who was in quarantine at home due to the covid-19 he was caught, was connected by phone to the opening of the world-famous Kyrgyz writer Cengiz Aytmatov statue. Mayor Uysal said, “Our Antalya, Muratpaşa is a place where world cultures meet. It will continue to be so,” he said.

In Antalya, Muratpaşa Municipality Türkan Şoray Cultural Center hosted the celebrations of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's independence. Nurgisa Tiendiyev Art Academy artists Maya İsmailova, Erlan Kokeev and Ayjan Girl Dance Ensemble took the stage at the night.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal paid a return visit to Rostov-on-Don, Russia, which participated in the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival since 2018. Mayor Uysal met with Rostov-on-Don Mayor Alexey Valentinovich Logvinenko.

Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal attended the festival held in the name of Bender Castle, the last border castle of the Ottoman Empire, in the Transnistrian Autonomous Republic of Moldova, which took place in the last three years of the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival.

15 mayors from 10 countries participating in the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, which was held for the 6th time this year by the Muratpaşa Municipality, stated that they had a wonderful four days in the historical city center of Antalya in the messages they sent and said, “We must help each other to find common solutions to common problems”.

For the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, arranged for the 6th time by Muratpaşa Municipality this year, the visiting country delegations came together at the dinner hosted by Mayor Ümit Uysal and his wife Ümran Uysal. District Governor of Muratpaşa Orhan Burhan also attended the dinner.  

Muratpaşa Municipality compiled the information that has remained at the borders of archaeology, from Attalos's Attelia to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's Antalya, and transformed it into a narrative form in the book " From Sarpedon to Keykubad: Once Upon a Time Antalya". Mayor Ümit Uysal introduced the book, which was published in Turkish and English, at the panel "Old cities tell their stories", held as part of the 6th Kaleiçi Old Town Festival.

In Antalya, 36 cities from 21 countries participating in the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, organized by the Muratpaşa Municipality, accepted the declaration "Preservation of cultural heritage within the framework of human rights" opened for signature by Mayor Ümit Uysal. City representatives signed the text of the declaration at the end of the panel held at the historical Kaleiçi Marina.

Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, which was held by Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya, started with a cortege from Atatürk Street, which runs along the walls of the living ancient city, and continuing on the streets of that living ancient city. The opening of the festival, which was attended by 36 cities from 21 countries, was the scene of colorful images.

Our festival, which has a great mission to introduce Kaleiçi to the world, to bring together living ancient cities and to protect historical and cultural heritage and transfer it to future generations, is meeting with our people again this year. See you at the festival on October 14-17…