The festival starts with a magnificent gala 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 gala was hosted by Mayor Ümit Uysal and his wife Ümran Uysal. TRNC Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture, Youth and Environment Fikri Ataoğlu and Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin, as well as delegations from 40 foreign cities and Antalya guests who came to Antalya for the festival. Many names from the world of business, art and politics attended.
At the night, Mayor Ümit Uysal said that with the festival held for the 8th time this year, a tourism movement has developed with cities that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list and also have very qualified ancient cities. Stating that Kaleiçi has become open 24 hours a day, 12 months a week, constantly producing jobs and food, Mayor Uysal said:
“We now have an ancient city that produces culture and engages in tourism. These relationships continue throughout the year. We meet like this once a year. Another great festival. This year, we integrated our festival with the 100th anniversary of our Republic. We will now explain the values of our Republic to them. What did the Republic bring to the world? Is the Republic of Turkey similar to any other republic in the world or not, what have we changed? We will share them too.”
Filippo Gasperi, Mayor of Gradara, Italy, one of the guest cities of the festival, said, "The number of people we communicate with increases every time we come," while Dietmar Spath, Mayor of Baden Baden, Germany, said that he was very happy to be in Kaleiçi, Antalya.
Kaleiçi became colorful with the festival 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.
Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, initiated by Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal to share the story of Kaleiçi with the world, which bears traces of the civilizations that have lived on it since the 4th century BC, continues in the streets and squares of the historical city. Antalya's historical city center had an unforgettable night with the traditional cortege of the festival, which also hosted the 100th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Republic of Turkey this year.
Delegations from 40 cities from different countries of the world, Antalya residents, came together for the festival at Karaailoğlu Park, one of the entrance points of Kaleiçi. While the streets where the cortege passed were decorated with red and white flags for the 100th anniversary of the Republic, the cortege's passage, which started with the accompaniment of a band, was met with great interest. The performances of dance shows, jugglers and other show groups received great applause.
Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal attended the cortege with his wife Ümran Uysal. Mayor Uysal said, “We share Kaleiçi as a cultural asset with the whole world. We produce tourism and food for 12 months. We also share the magnificent values of our republic with the whole world. We tell them and make them feel. "It's a great day," he said.
Uysal, who also celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Republic, said:
“Our republic, our republican revolution, the modern Republic of Turkey is a republic that has brought to its geography a state based on human rights and science, equality of rights between men and women, and peace with the world in every field. Our republic has no other example. Our Republic is a cultural heritage. “Happy 100th anniversary of our Republic, may we celebrate many more centuries.”
Following the cortege, the second day of the festival continued with dance shows and the Yaşlı Amca concert held in the historical Hadrian's Gate.
The endless promotion 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.
The 'Kaleiçi Forum', organized within the scope of the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, organized for the 8th time this year by Muratpaşa Municipality in Antalya with the participation of 40 cities from 26 countries, was held at the Türkan Şoray Cultural Center.
At the forum held under the title of Participatory Cultural Heritage Management in Living Historical Cities, Mayor Uysal said that 'participation' concerns and affects everyone and the cities. President Uysal said:
“But today, it is possible to consult the will of all people on all kinds of issues and get their opinions. Today, thanks to technological opportunities, everyone and all voters can directly participate in all decision-making mechanisms. We think that this, as a rights-based approach, will be highly demanded by people around the world in the next century. And we have put this into service as a software infrastructure in Muratpaşa. "We are discussing our budget and the critical decisions you will make."
Stating that this model is also an opportunity for historical and cultural heritage areas, Mayor Uysal said, "Technological participation opportunities are an opportunity to explain the attraction and responsibility of cultural heritage to the public and to further collect the management complexity on a single management platform."
Stating that they aim to ensure that historical and cultural heritage sites receive a greater share of tourism and attract attention, Mayor Uysal said, “Tourism for entertainment purposes takes precedence over tourism for cultural purposes. "We need to be in solidarity with each other," he said. Stating that they proposed a new concept at this point, President Uysal said, “Brotherhoods continue. We also have sister city relations. But there is also a need for a different form of relationship, a form of solidarity. Let's create a signboard or a digital billboard in our cities around a concept called 'ancient cities friendship', make each other visible for 365 days, wherever it has a visual impact. A city-based solidarity chain. We will do this in Muratpaşa this year. You will be here 365 days.”
After Mayor Uysal's speech, participating cities made their presentations. Following the presentations, the declaration of Participatory Cultural Heritage Management in Living Historical Cities was announced and submitted for signature. With the declaration signed in Muratpaşa, the cities participating in the festival accepted the preservation of historical and cultural heritage and monumental structures and their transfer to future generations in a sustainable manner as a city right. In the 11-item declaration, which underlines the importance of participatory cooperation between institutions in the management of these areas, it was stated that a conservation approach that excludes people, sees cultural assets only as spectacular works, and does not allow to act in a conservation-use balance is restrictive.
In the declaration stating that local governments should be more active in developing participatory conservation policies based on citizen participation, it was stated that "Taking into account the possibilities of the age, remembering the importance of the responsibility of participants at all levels in conservation, what everyone can do in the process of preserving the historical and cultural heritage should be constantly reviewed."
Magnificent celebration in Antalya 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".
In Antalya, the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye started with events organized by Muratpaşa Municipality at Muratpaşa Atatürk City Square. The people of Antalya crowded the city square to celebrate the birthday of the republic. Delegations from 40 cities from 26 countries, who came to the city for the 8th International Kaleiçi Old Town Festival organized by Muratpaşa Municipality, also attended the celebrations. Foreign guests of Muratpaşa shared the enthusiasm for the republic with Turkish flags in their hands.
Italian mayor cooks piyaz (Traditional Turkish Food) 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.
Delegations from 40 cities from 26 countries, who were in Antalya for the International Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, visited the ancient city of Perge, which is the capital of Pamphylia, on the last day. While Perge, which was considered one of the richest and most beautiful cities in the ancient world during the Hellenistic period, aroused great admiration, the guests did not forget to take many souvenir photos.
After the tour, this time the route turned to the center of Aksu district to try Antalya's traditional flavor duo, meatballs and blarney. At the restaurant, Amelia Mayor Laura Pernezza from Italy took over the counter. Pernezza first took the tongs in her hand and turned the barbecued meatballs one by one, then started to prepare her own piyaz. Pernezza listened with great attention to how the Antalya piyaz, which also received a geographically registered mark, was made with its sauce prepared with tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and garlic, and did not forget to pour the tarator onto her own plate.
Monika Wolf from Heusenstamm Municipality, Germany, stated that she attended the festival for the third time and said that she recommended the piano she had tried before to everyone. Stating that they had a full festival, Wolf said, “It was very nice. "There was always a different event every day".
Participating Cities of the 8th Kaleiçi Old Town Festival:- Cork, Ireland
- Baden Baden, Germany
- Katowice, Poland
- Voorne aan Zee, Netherlands
- Semarang, Indonesia
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Kaunas, Lithuania
- Sibiu, Romania
- Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Daugavpils, Latvia
- Kranj, Slovenia
- Pristina, Kosovo
- Radom, Poland
- Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine
- Gradara, Italy
- Zigetvar, Hungary
- Vranje, Serbia
- Bar, Montenegro
- Biograd na Moru, Croatia
- Vake (Tbilisi), Georgia
- Gostivar, North Macedonia
- Amelia, Italy
- Pogradec, Albania
- Pribor, Czechia
- Nicosia, TRNC
- Kyrenia, TRNC
- Famagusta, TRNC
- Lomza, Poland
- Bender, Transnistria
- Heusenstamm, Germany
- Prizren, Kosovo
- Ukmerge, Lithuania
- Association of Municipalities of Malta
- Malta Southern District Council
- Malta Eastern District Council
- Malta Western Regional Council
- Malta Port District Council
- Kocani, North Macedonia
- Telavi, Georgia
- Ternopil, Ukraine
