Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Memduh Büyükkılıç stated that they were deemed worthy of an award by the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB) for the project named 'The Land of Faiths Kayseri' and said, “Kayseri is a really important and meaningful city in terms of faith tourism.” Fatma Şahin, President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, thanked Büyükkılıç by saying, “Memduh Mayor is our elder brother, we are asking everything.”
Faith tourism is defined as the evaluation of touristic trips made by people in order to realize their religious beliefs and to see the centers of attraction, apart from the places where they constantly reside, work and meet their usual needs, within the concept of tourism.
In this context, the Union of Municipalities of Turkey organized competitions to raise awareness at the level of municipalities on issues highlighted by international organizations and the central government. In this context, "Idea and Project Contest for Supporting Faith Tourism in Cities" was organized.
78 municipalities, including Metropolitan Municipality, Provincial Municipality, Metropolitan District Municipality, District Municipality and Town Municipality, applied to the competition with 84 projects.
THE JURY CONSISTS OF DISTINGUISHED COMMITTEE
Deputy Chairman of the Presidency Local Government Policies Board Prof. Dr. The jury meeting under the chairmanship of Şükrü Karatepe determined the winners in the competition. Chairman of the jury delegation, Deputy Chairman of the Presidency Local Government Policies Board Prof. Dr. While Şükrü Karatepe, Presidential Culture and Art Policy Board Member Fecir Alptekin, Ministry of Culture and Tourism Promotion General Manager Timuçin Güler, Presidency Directorate of Religious Affairs General Manager of Hajj and Umrah Services Remzi Bircan, Presidency Local Government Policy Board Member General Secretary of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey Dr. Hayri Baraçlı, Karabuk University Safranbolu Tourism Faculty Lecturer Assoc. Dr. Nurettin Ayaz and Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency Product Marketing Director Ceylan Şensoy took part as jury members.
KAYSERİ METROPOLITAN WINS AWARD WITH THE PROJECT TITLED 'THE LAND OF FAITH KAYSERİ'
Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality participated in the competition with its project named 'The Land of Faiths Kayseri'. The project was deemed worthy of an award as the project that will enable the revival of faith tourism in Kayseri by introducing St.
With the Metropolitan Municipality Faiths Land Kayseri project, which was awarded among the 11 projects of the 12 Metropolitan Municipalities participating in the competition, attracting foreign tourists to Güzelöz village of Yeşilhisar, to give them a spiritual climate, to introduce the value of faith tourism and cultural riches in the city, to promote the city with an intense winter tourism. It aims to contribute to the economy of the region in particular and the country in general by spreading the tourism potential of Kayseri throughout the year.
Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Memduh Büyükkılıç attended the Idea and Project Competition Award Ceremony for Supporting Faith Tourism in Cities held in Ankara by the Union of Municipalities of Turkey.
The award was given to Deputy Chairman of the Presidency Local Government Policies Board, who is also a member of the jury. Dr. President Büyükkılıç, who took Şükrü Karatepe's hand, congratulated Fatma Şahin, the President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey, for the competition, in his speech at the ceremony, and said, “I congratulate the esteemed president and team of the Union of Municipalities for the work done in an area that concerns our entire world. I wish the work to be done will be beneficial.”
Stating that each city has its own value, Büyükkılıç said, “Works are carried out everywhere with the logic of believing, holding on and expecting something from it, as a requirement of our belief, culture and human nature. Kayseri is also a very important and meaningful city in terms of faith tourism. Every city has value, but our spiritual architect and leader, Seyyid Burhanettin, is a must for us. It is important for our city. A Somuncu Baba is as important for our Kayseri as it is for Aksaray, as it is for our Malatya. Ahi Evran is as valuable for our Kayseri as it is for our Ankara, for our Kırşehir.”
KAYSERİ, THE CENTER OF DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS
President Büyükkılıç underlined that Kayseri is a city that has hosted different civilizations and continued his speech as follows:
“We are a city that lives these riches in Anatolia. Of course, it is important for us to implement these works within the logic of respecting every field of belief, as there are also works brought by these riches. For example, when we say a Church of the Virgin Mary, of course, it is important for us, its restoration was carried out and it gained a beautiful function. Currently, our puppies are reading books and serving as a library. A man of faith known as St. George came from Latin America and came from England and the church in that area of our Yeşilhisar is important in the Cappadocia region, where they are pilgrims, and is located within the borders of Kayseri. Of course, it is not our luxury to deprive our city of all these riches from faith tourism, on the contrary, we have a feeling of owning it. The city of Mimar Sinan, the city of Sayyid Burhaneddin, the city of Hunat Hatun, of course, the city of Gevher Nesibe Sultan, the city of Mehmet Melikgazi are not counted. The stone and soil of our country provide spiritual richness. I state that it befits us as local administrators to protect them. I would like to express my congratulations and respect again for such a work.”
ŞAHİN: “OUR MEMDUH PRESIDENT, OUR BROTHER, ALWAYS KNOWS SOMETHING”
Expressing that they reward and support green-friendly, youth-friendly, animal-friendly cities, Fatma Şahin, President of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey and Mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, emphasized that cities have a soul together with their spiritual heirs and that they should be made more livable.
Noting that they aim to carry these treasures in the cities thematically to the future by reviving faith tourism, and that they are trying to strengthen the infrastructure in faith tourism by sharing that they will introduce these values to the young people, Şahin said, “I would like to thank my dear Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Memduh Mayor, who is always with us today. Indeed, he is our brother, we ask everything, when we say what to do, brother, he always has something to say," he said.
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