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A nature festival: Kemaliye
[See more on this subject by visiting the pages
selected for you by Anita Donohoe: http://www.turkradio.us/k/kemaliye/ ] x0x A nature festival: Kemaliye By MELIH USLU Kemaliye, a candidate for one of Turkey's leading centers of eco-tourism, is up and ready for the 2nd Nature Sports Festival, starting on 14 May. How about you? Anatolia possesses a number of regions which are ideal for nature sports owing to their geographical structure and plant cover but whose touristic attractions are insufficiently well-known. And Kemaliye, the southernmost township of Erzincan province, is one of them. The Kemaliye Valley, formed by erosion over billions of years of the limestone rock of the Karasu, one of two branches of the Euphrates, harbors a rich diversity of habitat and climate due to a sharp rise in altitude over a short distance. While the over 1000-meter-high mountain steppes exhibit an Alpine ecology based on a harsh land climate, a Mediterranean climate reigns along the length of the valley. What's more, owing to its location on the Silk Road which joins Anatolia and Central Asia, the township boasts not only a rich history but a long-standing traditional of hospitality. With its profusion of rare wildlife, it is a candidate for soon becoming one of Turkey's leading centers of ecological tourism and nature sports. CITY OF TERRACES Inspired by Ataturk, whose middle name was Kemal, the new name of the township, which had been a small town by the name of 'Egin' in the Ottoman period, was conferred in 1922 by a decision of parliament. Guidebooks for the region refer to it as the 'city of terraces', which were leveled out by the local people to make more productive use of their very limited farmland. Turks, Armenians and Greeks who built houses on the terraces exhibiting the architectural features of their own cultures, formed a highly multi-cultural community here where they lived together in harmony for centuries. The door knockers with vegetal motifs that adorn Kemaliye's traditional houses are among the township's unique treasures. In a tradition going back to the Ottomans, each of the door knockers, which are forged from red-hot iron, is decorated by the home owner with his favorite floral motif. Today Kemaliye is one of seven settled areas in Anatolia that have been proposed as world cultural heritage sites by the Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Values (CEKUL). NINE FULL DAYS The late Erzincan governor Recep Yazicioglu worked hard to open up the region for tourism in the 1990s and was a pioneer of nature sports in the township. The Kemaliye Nature Sports Festival is being held 14-22 May with the purpose of acknowledging a debt of gratitude to, and honoring the memory of, this governor, who won the hearts of the local people with his successful policies. At the first festival, which was held last year, this township of normally two thousand people swelled to four thousand with an influx of sportsmen, musicians, photographers, journalists, scientists, folklore ensembles and nature lovers from all over Turkey. Anticipating even greater interest in this year's festival, the people of Kemaliye started their preparations weeks in advance. The frequency of bus and minibus connections from Malatya, the township's nearest airport, has been increased, the final touches have been put on the restaurants, hotels and bed&breakfasts, and posters have been hung at the entrance to the village declaring visitors 'Welcome to the 2nd Kemaliye Nature Sports Festival'. ON THE GROUND OR IN THE SKY, YOUR CHOICE The festival, which will run for exactly nine days, will begin with picking of the region's unique morel mushrooms on the mountain slopes. A mountain bike race then follows the opening of a joint photography exhibition. The first stop on the walking tours that will be organized throughout the festival to around 20 neighboring villages that preserve the traditional architectural texture is Apcaga. This village, which provided the inspiration for the poem, later set to music, entitled 'The Village in the Distance' by Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, one of the masters of early Republican literature, has a large panel at its entrance with lines from the poem: "Over there in the distance is a village That village is none other than our own. Even if we never go for a visit Our village it always will remain." In the village, which receives visitors in its library, social room, printshop and guesthouse, there is also a small rustic coffeehouse lurking in the shade of the walnut and mulberry trees overlooking Kemaliye Valley. The first day of the festival culminates in a traditional 'henna night'. But the program is full to the brim on the other days as well. The 15-km-long, 500-m wide Karanlik Canyon, whose steep walls of rock narrow to 10 meters at the bottom, is ideal for boating safaris, canoeing, water skiing, and speed boating. The Kirkpinarli Kirkgoz area, reminiscent of an eagle's nest with a view of Kemaliye Valley, is a favorite with hang gliding buffs.Over a hundred bikers are expected to take part in the 17-km mountain bike race to be held in separate men's and women's categories by the Bicycle Federation of Turkey. Spectators may also enjoy the 'jereed' competitions, organized by riding clubs from various regions of Turkey. The 8-km-long Tasyolu Tunnels, which were hollowed out over a period of exactly 135 years from the mountain slope that runs parallel to Karanlik Canyon, has matchless trails for jeep safaris, motocross, mountain biking and trekking. Among the hundreds of hiking trails in the township, the experienced local guides recommend especially the stream known as Sorak. An approximately four-hour hike awaits sports enthusiasts here at Sorak, where you can see the Kocan waterfall, the village of Venk, Davar Yatagi cave, and the Sorak church and castle as well as an historic fountain and graveyards along the forested trail that follows the streambed. EVERYTHING FROM SPORTS TO HISTORY Surrounded by mountains up to 4000 meters high, the Kemaliye Valley with its slopes of varying degrees of difficulty, its limestone rock structure, its opportunities for camping, and its rich nature and wildlife is also suitable for mountaineering and rock climbing. The aged forest ecosystem that covers the Munzur Mountains where Kemaliye nestles is a perfect place for observing the indigenous wildlife as well. In addition to sports events, the festival has been further enriched by cultural activities. The hundred-year-old school building at the township center, which has been converted into the Ataturk Culture Center, will host photograph and documentary showings, exhibitions, theater plays and panel discussions throughout the festival. But the township's touristic treasures are of course not limited to these. Others include the historic Armenian church at the entrance, which has been modified as an ethnographic museum and cafeteria; Zincirlikaya in the district of Tasdibi, a massive rock that was chained to the slope in Ottoman times to prevent it from crashing down over the town; the 150-m-high waterfall at Kocan; and the Tasdibi mosque at Kirkgoz, an Ottoman structure built in 1635. Not to mention some ten other Ottoman mosques just waiting to be discovered in the township. Whether it's adventure you're seeking or simple peace and quiet, Kemaliye promises visitors both, with its adrenaline-pumping sports festival, its unique historic sites, its natural beauty and its warm, friendly people. ----- |
#2
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A nature festival: Kemaliye
Wow someone has selected some pages for me !
....and the poster apparently cannot decide if Turkey is in Asia or Europe, so let's happily crosspost ! "T.R.H." a écrit dans le message de ... [See more on this subject by visiting the pages selected for you by Anita Donohoe: http://www.turkradio.us/k/kemaliye/ ] x0x A nature festival: Kemaliye By MELIH USLU Kemaliye, a candidate for one of Turkey's leading centers of eco-tourism, is up and ready for the 2nd Nature Sports Festival, starting on 14 May. How about you? Anatolia possesses a number of regions which are ideal for nature sports owing to their geographical structure and plant cover but whose touristic attractions are insufficiently well-known. And Kemaliye, the southernmost township of Erzincan province, is one of them. The Kemaliye Valley, formed by erosion over billions of years of the limestone rock of the Karasu, one of two branches of the Euphrates, harbors a rich diversity of habitat and climate due to a sharp rise in altitude over a short distance. While the over 1000-meter-high mountain steppes exhibit an Alpine ecology based on a harsh land climate, a Mediterranean climate reigns along the length of the valley. What's more, owing to its location on the Silk Road which joins Anatolia and Central Asia, the township boasts not only a rich history but a long-standing traditional of hospitality. With its profusion of rare wildlife, it is a candidate for soon becoming one of Turkey's leading centers of ecological tourism and nature sports. CITY OF TERRACES Inspired by Ataturk, whose middle name was Kemal, the new name of the township, which had been a small town by the name of 'Egin' in the Ottoman period, was conferred in 1922 by a decision of parliament. Guidebooks for the region refer to it as the 'city of terraces', which were leveled out by the local people to make more productive use of their very limited farmland. Turks, Armenians and Greeks who built houses on the terraces exhibiting the architectural features of their own cultures, formed a highly multi-cultural community here where they lived together in harmony for centuries. The door knockers with vegetal motifs that adorn Kemaliye's traditional houses are among the township's unique treasures. In a tradition going back to the Ottomans, each of the door knockers, which are forged from red-hot iron, is decorated by the home owner with his favorite floral motif. Today Kemaliye is one of seven settled areas in Anatolia that have been proposed as world cultural heritage sites by the Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Values (CEKUL). NINE FULL DAYS The late Erzincan governor Recep Yazicioglu worked hard to open up the region for tourism in the 1990s and was a pioneer of nature sports in the township. The Kemaliye Nature Sports Festival is being held 14-22 May with the purpose of acknowledging a debt of gratitude to, and honoring the memory of, this governor, who won the hearts of the local people with his successful policies. At the first festival, which was held last year, this township of normally two thousand people swelled to four thousand with an influx of sportsmen, musicians, photographers, journalists, scientists, folklore ensembles and nature lovers from all over Turkey. Anticipating even greater interest in this year's festival, the people of Kemaliye started their preparations weeks in advance. The frequency of bus and minibus connections from Malatya, the township's nearest airport, has been increased, the final touches have been put on the restaurants, hotels and bed&breakfasts, and posters have been hung at the entrance to the village declaring visitors 'Welcome to the 2nd Kemaliye Nature Sports Festival'. ON THE GROUND OR IN THE SKY, YOUR CHOICE The festival, which will run for exactly nine days, will begin with picking of the region's unique morel mushrooms on the mountain slopes. A mountain bike race then follows the opening of a joint photography exhibition. The first stop on the walking tours that will be organized throughout the festival to around 20 neighboring villages that preserve the traditional architectural texture is Apcaga. This village, which provided the inspiration for the poem, later set to music, entitled 'The Village in the Distance' by Ahmet Kutsi Tecer, one of the masters of early Republican literature, has a large panel at its entrance with lines from the poem: "Over there in the distance is a village That village is none other than our own. Even if we never go for a visit Our village it always will remain." In the village, which receives visitors in its library, social room, printshop and guesthouse, there is also a small rustic coffeehouse lurking in the shade of the walnut and mulberry trees overlooking Kemaliye Valley. The first day of the festival culminates in a traditional 'henna night'. But the program is full to the brim on the other days as well. The 15-km-long, 500-m wide Karanlik Canyon, whose steep walls of rock narrow to 10 meters at the bottom, is ideal for boating safaris, canoeing, water skiing, and speed boating. The Kirkpinarli Kirkgoz area, reminiscent of an eagle's nest with a view of Kemaliye Valley, is a favorite with hang gliding buffs.Over a hundred bikers are expected to take part in the 17-km mountain bike race to be held in separate men's and women's categories by the Bicycle Federation of Turkey. Spectators may also enjoy the 'jereed' competitions, organized by riding clubs from various regions of Turkey. The 8-km-long Tasyolu Tunnels, which were hollowed out over a period of exactly 135 years from the mountain slope that runs parallel to Karanlik Canyon, has matchless trails for jeep safaris, motocross, mountain biking and trekking. Among the hundreds of hiking trails in the township, the experienced local guides recommend especially the stream known as Sorak. An approximately four-hour hike awaits sports enthusiasts here at Sorak, where you can see the Kocan waterfall, the village of Venk, Davar Yatagi cave, and the Sorak church and castle as well as an historic fountain and graveyards along the forested trail that follows the streambed. EVERYTHING FROM SPORTS TO HISTORY Surrounded by mountains up to 4000 meters high, the Kemaliye Valley with its slopes of varying degrees of difficulty, its limestone rock structure, its opportunities for camping, and its rich nature and wildlife is also suitable for mountaineering and rock climbing. The aged forest ecosystem that covers the Munzur Mountains where Kemaliye nestles is a perfect place for observing the indigenous wildlife as well. In addition to sports events, the festival has been further enriched by cultural activities. The hundred-year-old school building at the township center, which has been converted into the Ataturk Culture Center, will host photograph and documentary showings, exhibitions, theater plays and panel discussions throughout the festival. But the township's touristic treasures are of course not limited to these. Others include the historic Armenian church at the entrance, which has been modified as an ethnographic museum and cafeteria; Zincirlikaya in the district of Tasdibi, a massive rock that was chained to the slope in Ottoman times to prevent it from crashing down over the town; the 150-m-high waterfall at Kocan; and the Tasdibi mosque at Kirkgoz, an Ottoman structure built in 1635. Not to mention some ten other Ottoman mosques just waiting to be discovered in the township. Whether it's adventure you're seeking or simple peace and quiet, Kemaliye promises visitors both, with its adrenaline-pumping sports festival, its unique historic sites, its natural beauty and its warm, friendly people. ----- |
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