Recent research by Professor Donna Landry (Professor of English Literature at the University of Kent) and other members of the Evliya Ҫelebi project team has inspired the creation of a new UNESCO Cultural Route, the Evliya Ҫelebi Way, a riding, walking, and cycling route. For four years the project team has followed in the hoofprints of Evliya Çelebi, the 17th century Ottoman writer, traveller and historian. In 2009 the team re-enacted on horseback a section of this great traveller’s 1671 journey to Mecca, and, in doing so, sought to re-connect Turkey with its illustrious history of equestrian traditions. The project continues to further understanding of such Ottoman legacies while promoting sustainable tourism.
The official launch of the UNESCO Cultural Route, the Evliya Ҫelebi Way, took place in Babasultan, near Bursa, Turkey on 11 October 2013 and was attended by the mayor of Bursa and other local dignitaries, Turkey’s UNESCO Committee member Dr Mehmet Kalpaklı, who cut the ribbon, the muhtar of Babasultan, Evliya team members Ercihan Dilari of the Akhal-Teke Horse Centre of Cappadocia, Dr Caroline Finkel, and Professor Gerald MacLean of the University of Exeter, and all the horses, riders, and support staff of the 2013 Evliya Ҫelebi Great Anatolian Ride, led by Dilari.
Professor Donna Landry commented: ‘The official launch of Turkey’s first UNESCO equestrian Cultural Route marks the beginning of what we hope will be a new enthusiasm for exploring the beauty of the Turkish countryside and traces of the Ottoman past on horseback. A warm welcome awaits you in the villages and towns along the route.’
An accompanying guidebook to the Evliya Ҫelebi Way is now available. Further information about the Evliya Ҫelebi Way tourist route can be found here.