THE FIRST ARCHAEO-VILLAGE OF THE WORLD TEVFİKİYE

Tevfikiye, in a sense the homeland of the last Trojans had lived now is an outdoor museum.

Anatolia, the heir of the groundbreaking civilizations that changed the course of history, has always attracted all eyes with its multilayered cultural riches. One of these, the ancient city of Troyin Çanakkale, on the Gelibolu Peninsula,is admitted on the World Heritage List with the approximate 20-year support of UNESCO.Troyhas become a huge international success thanks to all the dedicated effortsand Turkey has made us proud by writing history as the first country to declare the “International Year of Troy.” Known for the famous Trojan Horse, which has been the subject matter of movies, books, and even paintings,the ancient city of Troy is distinguished from all other ancient cities in the world as an archaeological site boasting 50 layers -all of which date back to a different period. This magnificent city located within the borders of Çanakkale district ranks at the top of the holiday destinations of thousands of people coming from all around the world to witness its mythological, historical, and cultural riches.

An Open-Air Museum on the Road to Troy:Tevfikiye Village

Located to the west of the village of Tevfikiye, Çanakkale, on the hill called Hisarlık, theancient city of Troywas first founded on the fertile shores of a cove, where Karamendes and Dümrek Brooksdisembogued. With the passage of time,the alluvial deposits of the River Karamendes turned it into an inland area.With wars, natural disasters, and its distance from the seataking their toll, people started to migrate and eventually it was completely deserted, leading to the centuries-old historical riches being preserved. In time,turning out to be one of the most important vestiges of Trojan history, Tevfikiyevillage has managed to draw attention. Over the years and with great effort, petroleum company OPET Chairman Nurten Öztürk

and her team of professionals, who are all experts in their fields, turned this village into an archaeo-village.Finally, Tevfikiye was promoted to the whole world at the International Year of Year of Troy conference held in Paris last year.

Tevfikiye, The Groundbreaking ArchaeoVillage Project

Giving details at length about the project at the

2018 International Year of Troy Conference,Nurten Öztürkspoke about the changes the village underwent and its repercussions that they are still experiencing. “As a result of the endeavors we have been studiously undertaking for a long while, we have turned

Tevfikiye, which bears the surmounting vestiges of the legendary ancient city of Troy,into a groundbreaking archaeo-village, a first in the world. It was our dream to turn Tevfikiye, in a sense the homeland of the last Trojans, which boasts a 5,000-yearold culture, into an outdoor museum that reflects the past Today, we made this dream come true. As a country, we are glad to break ground with such a first in the world.” With its atmosphere that safekeeps the Trojan era, its buildings, and historical figures that make history come live, Tevfikiyeis the world’s first archaeovillage. It is also the stomping grounds of all the local and foreign guests visiting Troy. You can’t but be impressed

by the village which reminds one of the movie set of Troy. Following its promotion at the UNESCO conference, the interest shown in Tevfikiye by foreign enthusiasts is increasing every day.”

When asked what kind of preliminary studywascarried out before turning Tevfikiyeinto an archaeo-village, Nurten Öztürk says that they spent long hours with the villagers and set to work after finding out what they needed.

Many projects, one more valuable than the other,were brought to life so that the villagers can enjoy a happier existence here – a location that is turning out to be the rising star of tourism. Thanks to the new work areasand the special occupational coursesthat were offered, a visible change and improvement has come to bear.Before the start of the project, a survey was conducted regarding the locals’ expectations. Socioeconomic and demographic data was collected and a road map was devised. Nurten Öztürk says that their greatest motivators were the villagers of Tevfikiye and adds, “We based our project on their opinions and on education Our aim was to raise the villagers’ awareness, to get them to take up jobs, and increase the quality of social living.”As Tevfikiye was beingturned into an archaeovillage, its inhabitants were given training on various subjects such asjewelry design, courses in English, training on health regulations and the running of B&B operations. Conferences were held to share with the villagers the importance and value of their land so that they can recount it to their children. After the completion of the courses on running restaurants and B&Bs, preparing coffee, and growing organic produce,which were organized to help the locals set up businesses, stalls were set up.

A Restoration That Sustains Trojan Architecture

When you look at Tevfikiye in general, all that mystery

of history seems to stand before you in flesh and bone.Setting out from the archaeological heritage of Troy, the whole village was arrayedin accordance with the architecture of the Trojan era. The exiting buildings were restored with visuals arrangement that carries traces of the Trojan past. Those who come to visit the villageset out on a journey in time in an environmentof architectural congruence and go back thousands of years.

Trojan Culinary Culture in Tevfikiye

When we ask Nurten

Öztürk, the leader of

OPET’s Social Responsibility Projects, which other points they took into regard in transformingTevfikiye into an archaeo-village, we stumble upon out an interesting fact. Apparently, the people who visit ancient cities are most curious about what people used to eat in the past. And this encouraged them to preparea special menu by studying theTrojan culinary culture. Featuring the food of the era, they come up with the “Trojan Menu.”When you visit the village,you can find tasty delights at restaurants prepared with original recipes dating back to the Trojan era. Tevfikiye,with its history, mythology, and natural beauties thatbear the deep traces of the Trojan region,settled for 5,000 years,has taken its current shape after almost two years of efforts.

The groundbreaking archaeovillage project of our country, which has a 30 percent share of the World Heritage List, awaits you as an important site that is visited by more and more people every year. To feel that you are walking through the impressive streets of Troy youtruly must visitthe archaeo-village of Tevfikiye.