Melons competed in Karabağlar Plateau, where culture and nature met.

The Karabağlar Plateau Festival, held in the Menteşe district of Muğla, attracted great interest with the melon competition and plateau activities held in Narlı Kahvesi. The festival was filled with colorful moments featuring photo exhibitions, folk dance performances, and local artist Hamdi Demirtaş’s folk songs.

The most notable event of the festival, the melon competition, saw Hayriye Arımbag take first place with melon number 21, Mehmet Durac secure second place with melon number 8, and Büşra Taş and Şükrü Yavaş finishing third with melons number 17 and 14, respectively. Halil Taş took fifth place with melon number 16. The prizes for the winners were presented by Menteşe Mayor Gonca Köksal.

In her speech at the festival, Menteşe Mayor Gonca Köksal emphasized the importance of Karabağlar Plateau for Muğla’s culture, stating, “Welcome to our Karabağlar Plateau, where Pıtraklı melons and çoturaklı tomatoes grow, and which hosts every shade of green and every type of living being. This plateau is the only one in Turkey that people can inhabit. It is our duty to protect this plateau that Evliya Çelebi and Kanuni Sultan Süleyman admired.”

Mayor Köksal also noted that the value given to agriculture and nature is at the center of the festival, saying, “This melon competition shows how valuable our farmers’ efforts are. As the people of this land, we always prioritize respect for agriculture and nature with the responsibility of preserving our culture.”

The festival continued with tastings of local dishes, educational activities for children, folk dances, and folk songs. Participants enjoyed various activities throughout the day.