Monday, January 8, 2007

About TheTurkish Friends

Society of Turkish Friends of Çatalhöyük was founded in 1995. The mission was to support Çatalhöyük and other related neolithic excavations in Turkey.
Currently, Turkish Friends concentrate their activities on the promotion of tourism at Catalhoyuk. At a program organized during the summer of 2003, tour guides were provided with detailed information on Catalhoyuk. An activity to introduce Catalhoyuk to travel agencies is planned for the summer of 2005. Scholars interested in the Goddess will come together with the members of Catalhoyuk team at a conference to be organized during the summer of 2005.
Most important activity of the Turkish Friends was the press visit realized in September 1995. The visit brought thirty seven distinguished members of the Turkish press to Catalhoyuk. This press visit, organized with the support and help of MEPTUR Travel Company and MPR Public Relations, constituted the seeds of the media interest in Catalhoyuk, which had started to wane forty years after the halting of the excavations. The media interest has been growing ever since.
The tent which was purchased through the contributions of more than forty friends was erected at the site during the excavation season in 1997. The tent helped to protect part of the excavations from the elements.
In 1998, MEPTUR Travel Agency which supported the Turkish Friends from the beginning, made a contribution toward the construction of a replica hut.
Other than these main activities Turkish Friends organized visits to the site, conferences , a fashion show , a concert and an art exhibit. Turkish friends also provided support for the neolithic excavations at Asikli and to the renovation of the prehistory laboratory of Istanbul University and scholarships for the Turkish students of archaeology working at Catalhoyuk and at Asikli.
Most interesting trip organized by Turkish Friends was no doubt the 1998 visit to the site which was accompanied by James Mellaart. In 1997, Bahar Korçan staged the fashion show "Women of a Different Time". In 2002, Tuluyhan Ugurlu , made the initial performance of his composition entitled Catalhoyuk at Bogazici University. In 2003, Turkish Friends organized an art exhibit entitled "History in Art". Ten distinguished Turkish sculptors and painters participated in this exhibit, which took place at the Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall in Istanbul.

1 comment:

jasonq said...

Hello,
I'm the webmaster of the Catalhoyuk website, and I'm wondering what is going on with this blog? I see you've copied content from our website and forum. Are you affiliated with the project in any way?