Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre, which was brought to the city by Konya Metropolitan Municipality in order to contribute to the promotion of Çatalhöyük, which is considered the oldest settlement in the world with its ten thousand years of history, has been flooded with visitors since the first day it was opened. Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay invites everyone who wants to travel to the past and be in touch with history to see Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre.

Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre, which was brought to the city by Konya Metropolitan Municipality with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, became one of the most frequented points of the city in a short time. Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay said that they built one of the largest promotion and welcome centres in Turkey to introduce Çatalhöyük, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in the best way and to pass it on to the next generations.

HE INVITES EVERYONE TO VIEW ÇATALHÖYÜK PROMOTION AND WELCOME CENTER

Reminding that they inaugurated the Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre at a ceremony attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, last November, Mayor Altay stated that “the centre has hosted tens of thousands of visitors since the day it was opened and said, “From the first day it was opened, it has become one of the most frequented points of our city.” The centre takes visitors on an unforgettable journey, taking them back approximately 10 thousand years. Visitors have the opportunity to explore Çatalhöyük’s ancient settlement, daily life and archaeological findings from that period. I would like to express my gratitude to our Minister of Culture and Tourism, who supported the construction of the centre that will add value to the cultural heritage of our city, and to Mevlana Development Agency, which provided financial support to the project. “I invite all our local and foreign guests who want to travel to the past and be in touch with history to see our Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre.”

PROUD OF THE CENTRE

In his speech at the opening of Çatalhötük Promotion and Welcome Centre, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy emphasized that Çatalhöyük, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, is one of the most important archaeological values of both Turkey and the world.

Minister Ersoy stated that, “as the Ministry, we have a visionary approach to art, culture and historical values. Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre is located within the third-degree archaeological site. It is located on an area of 26,500 square meters on the land belonging to Konya Metropolitan Municipality, in the area designated as a special project area in the zoning plan for conservation purposes. The work of the project, whose foundation was laid in 2021, continued uninterruptedly for 2 years, resulting in this very special centre that makes us all proud. Here, visitors are provided with basic information about the excavation sites in Çatalhöyük and its surroundings, and the themes of home, life and death of the period. Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre is made entirely of wood except for its roof and draws attention with its free architecture.”

MINISTER ERSOY EXEMPLIFIES KONYA METROPOLITAN TOURISM MASTER PLAN

In his speech, Minister Ersoy also thanked Konya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay. He stated that “The master plan we prepared as Konya Metropolitan Municipality and the ministry was a very detailed plan. Currently, we, as the ministry, recommend this master plan to our cities that want to undergo this transformation and say, ‘Go to Konya Metropolitan Municipality, if you follow the path they follow, you will get results very quickly, there is a very exemplary work there. We recommend it to all of you.’ As the Ministry, we provide the support we can, and we will continue to provide it increasingly from now on. Because Konya has become an example for us.”

TURKEY’S LARGEST WOODEN CONSTRUCTION PUBLIC BUILDING

Çatalhöyük Promotion and Welcome Centre, Turkey’s largest wooden construction public building, is located on a total area of 26,500 square meters and has a closed area of 4,500 square meters. The centre, which consists of 7 different sections and doubles as a museum, also includes offices, souvenir sales area, multi-purpose hall, observation tower, cafeteria areas, and a parking area with a capacity of 151 vehicles.