President Uysal: “The past of humanity should illuminate the future of humanity”

Antalya Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal stated during the opening dinner of the 9th Kaleiçi Old Town Festival that if humanity does not take care of cultural assets and cultural heritage, peace and aesthetics in the world will decrease.

The Kaleiçi Old Town Festival, organized by the Muratpaşa Municipality in the historical city center of Antalya, which opens to the endless blue of the Mediterranean on one side and is surrounded by mansions and bougainvillea-lined streets and squares on the other, has begun. This year, the festival features 23 cities from 18 countries, with the gala dinner taking place at Akra Antalya. The night, hosted by Mayor Ümit Uysal and his wife Ümran Uysal, was attended by Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin, Muratpaşa District Governor İhsan Kara, and their wives.

“The past should illuminate the future”
Mayor Uysal, in his speech during the evening, stated that the purpose of the festival is to make cultural assets visible, to take care of and preserve cultural heritage. He expressed that if humanity does not take care of cultural assets and cultural heritage, peace and aesthetics in the world will diminish. He said, “No matter how advanced technology becomes, and no matter how fast life changes, humanity’s past should illuminate humanity’s future, and humanity should not repeat the mistakes it made in the past.”

“We need unity”
Mayor Uysal mentioned that the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival is also an awareness-raising effort and stated that while strengthening friendships with different countries and cities, they also seek joint solutions to common problems. Thanking everyone who contributed, Mayor Uysal said, “We must continue to work together; both the world and our cities need this.”

“Serving peace through tourism”
Governor Şahin emphasized in his speech that conflicts arise due to a lack of dialogue and prejudices, stating: “Kaleiçi is one of the most important and oldest ancient ports in world history. Just as this port served peace in the past, today, Antalya, which is growing around the port with tourism and trade, contributes to peace, mutual understanding, and leaving a better world for the future. The Kaleiçi Old Town Festival also lays the foundations for working towards a better world.”