President Aydin: ‘We will extend the tourists’ accommodation period to 1 week in Osmangazi’

In the workshop organized jointly by Osmangazi Municipality and ÇEKÜL (Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of the Environment and Cultural Values), issues that will revive the historical texture of the district and contribute to urban tourism were discussed.

Wanting to give a different dimension to the efforts to revive the historical heritage in Osmangazi district and attract more tourists to Bursa, Osmangazi Municipality organized the workshop ‘From the Past to the Future of Osmangazi in the Second Century of the Republic’, which is the first step of these efforts.

At the workshop held at Osmangazi Municipality Council Hall, chaired by Vice President of ÇEKÜL Foundation, Chief Architect Mithat Kırayoğlu, Prof. Dr. Neslihan Dostoğlu, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Kültür University, Prof. Dr. Tülin Vural Aslan, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at Uludağ University, and Prof. Dr. Sibel Polat, Faculty Member of the Faculty of Architecture at Uludağ University, informed the municipal bureaucrats and staff about Bursa’s historical heritage that will be carried into the future.

In the workshop attended by Osmangazi Mayor Erkan Aydın,

It is aimed to increase the average stay of tourists in Osmangazi and Bursa from 1.8 days, as determined by an academic study, to 1 week by expropriating and opening up examples of civil architectural structures around the Tomb of Üftade Hazretleri on the Silk Road axis in Osmangazi district, Hisar İçi, Archaeopark, around Alaattin Mosque, Filiboz Mosque, and Archaeopark.

Aydın: ‘Bursa is Osmangazi’

Stating that Osmangazi has a history of 3,000 years, Mayor of Osmangazi Erkan Aydın said, ‘In our ancient city Bursa, which has been the capital of many civilizations, we have been saying ‘Bursa is Osmangazi; Osmangazi is Bursa’ as a motto for years. This statement needs to be realized. There have been very valuable works done so far. This is a process that has lasted for years. It is a process that should add new ones on top of what has been done before and continue with those who will come after us. It is necessary to manage this process correctly. It should be done together with stakeholders. It is necessary to transfer the knowledge and experience accumulated in science, at the university level, with common sense and science. We will also work with foreign stakeholders. We need to find support and funding from abroad for these projects. For this, you need to explain the added value of the project well. Most importantly, it needs to be sustainable. This is what the foreigner looks at, yes, there are billions of Euros available, within that source, your projects need to be sustainable, livable, and culture and history need to emerge. I always say. The Historical Inns Area, which is on the UNESCO list of history and heritage, is a great value for our Bursa. For example, the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is not on this heritage list, but the Grand Bazaar in Bursa is listed. Similarly, in Osmangazi, there are areas under Üftade Hazretleri on the Silk Road axis, Hisar İçi, Archaeopark, and civil architectural example structures. There are areas that need to be expropriated and opened up in the region, there are many areas that can attract tourists. With studies to be carried out with common sense, we need to increase the average stay of tourists from 1.8 days to 1 week. This is a job that will be done together. I thank our valuable professors, our dean, and the municipal staff who contributed to this important work.’

The academics who participated in the workshop thanked Osmangazi Mayor Erkan Aydın for bringing them together for a beautiful project aimed at preserving historical heritage.