The International Mediterranean Colors Festival, organized for the first time this year in Bodrum, will run in September with the aim of reasserting cultural values in the southwestern Turkish resort.
“Because of fast development in Bodrum and other factors over the last 30 years, cultural degeneration occurred in the historic town and resulted in a decrease in the quality of tourists visiting Bodrum,” said Necmi Cavlı, a musician and the chairman of the event’s organizer, the Bodrum Culture and Arts Group.
“The festival, which is drawing great interest from civil society organizations and various organizations, aims to revive Bodrum’s values with modernized cultural and artistic events,” Cavlı said during a promotional event earlier this week, adding that the festival would also help to increase the quality of life in the town.
Some 2,000 dancers from 30 countries are expected to attend the festival, which will run from Sept. 8 to 11.
A committee of 32 people is helping to organize what will be one of the largest festivals on the Mediterranean, Cavlı said, adding that people of all ages would be able to enjoy themselves 24 hours a day.
“With the participation of hundreds of national and international members of the press, the event will be viewed in even remote parts of the world,” said Cavlı.
One of the special events this year will be the “Bodrum Unchanged Values Photography Competition,” according to the festival organizer.
Joint festival for the first time
Bodrum Mayor Mehmet Kocadon said the festival would create a carnival-like atmosphere in the town.
“The town has a lot of treasures from entertainment to natural beauty and from blue voyages to the Mausoleum of King Mausolos, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, as well as the world’s most beautiful yachts and delicious mandarins,” he said. “But an organization that will promote and market all of these values together has not been organized so far. We will make sure this festival is recognized all around the world, just like the Rio carnival in Brazil. We have already started to promote the festival at international fairs.”
Kocadon, who is also the chairman of the Bodrum Peninsula Promotion Foundation, or BOYTAV, said the festival would reflect Bodrum’s global vision on culture, arts and history and increase the commercial potential of the town.
Artists from the neighboring Greek island of Kos will also support the festival, he said. “Another leg of the festival will also be organized every year on the neighboring island. It will be the first joint festival organized on both sides of the Aegean. We will do our best to organize an unforgettable event.”
The festival project is also being supported by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Bodrum Chamber of Commerce and Garanti Bank.
In addition to Kocadon, Bodrum Hotel Managers’ and Tourist Facilities’ Association, or BODER, Chairman Halil Özyurt, Bodrum Mariners’ Association Chairman Mustafa Demiröz, Gümüşlük Mayor Mehmet Tire, tourism managers and artists also attended the festival launch