EDITORIAL
“The most beatiful spring of the world comes Antalya” Our Antalya, which says “hello” to spring and the new tourism season with bitter orange flowers, enjoys the spring sun on the shore that stretches along 642 kilometres from Gazipaşa to Kaş. While the Taurus Mountains, which hold every colour of the rainbow, embrace our Antalya from all aspects, the history is resuscitated from Lycia to Pamphylia, from Pamphylia to Cilicia with spring. You see, “Spring for Three Seasons, Summer for One Season” starts in Antalya… While the Nawruz, which is one of the most important festivals of the Anatolian culture, embraces the whole city with the new day and new hopes, our city also experiences the excitement of the celebrations of the Libraries Week, Tourism Week and Museums Week in the new tourism season. Having welcomed 734 thousand 707 hundreds tourists in the first quarter of 2011, Antalya has proven to the whole world that it is successful and a vision holder at the International Berlin Tourism Exchange Market (ITB) and MITT Moscow Fair that were organised last month, once again. Our magazine, which introduces a district of our Antalya in every issue, has opened its pages to Alanya, “the Meeting Centre of the World” in the fifth issue. Being one of the most important trademarks of Antalya in tourism, Alanya has achieved to be a popular city in every period of history. In the winter capital of the Seljukians, the spring has come with a shining sun to Alaeddin
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ANTALYA
Nisan - Mayıs / April - May 2011
Castle, with the enthusiasm of the melting snow to Sapadere Canyon and with almond flowers to Alara Castle. In our pages, where we have given place to the people who are aware of the historical and natural beauties of Alanya and try to develop the vision of the city in this direction, you will frequently encounter the emphasis of “Tourism for Everyone” and “An Unobstructed Tourism”. These entrepreneurs, who state that many firsts have been implemented in the region for the tourism introduction of Alanya, cooperate and continue to work for enabling the historical Alanya Castle to be included in the World Cultural Heritage List of UNESCO. The Ancient City of Selinus, which is the sacred city of the Romans, was following the spring falling on the Mediterranean with the solemnity of the first day. Nature lovers welcomed the warmth falling on the ground on the Lycian Way. While Mevlevi Lodge, which has been located in the centre of the city since the 13th century, was opening its doors to the whole humanity in the warmth of the spring morning, Antalya Folk Songs were rising with the merry melodies of the “New Day”. While the spring was strolling in the historical Kaleiçi with all its idleness, Madame Gürkaynak was saying, “Kaleiçi Should Be Experienced.” We thank to those who have contributed and supported; wish success for the tourism enterprisers in the new tourism season.