x0x Turkeys first and only miniature town Miniaturk

[See photographs at:
        http://2004gezi.tripod.com/id11.html
        http://www.pbase.com/civilman/miniaturk ]

x0x Turkeys first and only miniature town Miniaturk

By EMEL ÇELEBI


An ancient legend about the creation of the Golden
Horn, whose shining waters justify its name at sunset,
relates that Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with
Io, daughter of King Inachos of Argos. Hearing of this
Zeus's wife Hera determined to take her revenge, and to
protect Io from the wrath of Hera, Zeus turned Io into
a white heifer. Hera then sent a gadfly to torment her
rival, and Io ran distractedly all over the world,
causing deep cracks in the earth as she shook her head
to rid herself of the gadfly. One of these cracks was
the Golden Horn. The horn-shaped estuary was known as
Khrysokeras (Golden Horn) in antiquity, and this name
has passed into western languages in translated form.
The Arabs and Ottoman Turks, on the other hand, called
it Halic-i Konstantiniyye (Estuary of Constantinople).
This perfect natural harbour, large and deep enough to
shelter both the merchant and naval shipping fleets, is
one of the most beautiful parts of Istanbul, with many
historical buildings along its shores.

Over recent years numerous cultural institutions have
been established here, such as the Rahmi Koç Museum,
housed in the old anchor factory, and the Feshane or
former fez factory, which now hosts fairs and cultural
events. Soon to be added to their number are Sütlüce
Cultural Centre and Sadabad Park. These are all part of
the endeavour to transform the Golden Horn to its
former splendour, the latest step in this direction
being Miniaturk, Turkey's first and only miniature
town. Miniaturk opened on 23 April, as part of the
Children's Day celebrations, at Sütlüce on the northern
shore. Established by Istanbul Municipality, it is the
largest of its kind in the world, covering an area of
60,000 square metres, and comprising 105 famous
buildings that reflect our cultural heritage. While
most of these are situated in Turkey, some are in other
countries of the region. The buildings have been
reconstructed here on a scale of 1:25. The selection
was made by two leading Turkish historians, Prof Dr
Ilber Ortayli and Associate Professor Dr Haluk Dursun.

Inspired by Madurodam in Holland, the man behind this
project is Cengiz Özdemir, well-known for many other
imaginative events and institutions that have become an
integral part of Istanbul's cultural life. Özdemir's
objective was to reflect Turkey's rich historical and
multicultural heritage. He explains that creating such
cultural recreational facilities is one of the rising
trends in the world today, and expects Miniaturk to
attract large numbers of foreign as well as local
tourists. Not only can Istanbul's most famous monuments
be seen in miniature here, such as Haghia Sophia,
Rumeli Fortress, Galata Tower, Süleymaniye Mosque,
Sadullah Pasa House, the Bosphorus Bridge and the
Fountain of Ahmed III, but also Ýnce Minareli Medrese,
the houses of Safranbolu, Sümela Monastery, the ancient
sanctuary on the summit of Mount Nemrut, Aspendos
Theatre, Bursa Ulu Mosque and Atatürk's Mausoleum; and
from outside Turkey, the Dome of the Rock, Aqsa Mosque,
and Mostar Bridge, to name but a few.

Each of these spectacular monuments reflects the
technology and culture of their age. They have survived
in a land which has seen countless invasions and wars
over the millennia, yet here successive civilisations
have not destroyed but preserved the achievements of
their predecessors. A visit to Miniaturk is a
marvellous opportunity to see celebrated works of
architecture scattered in towns and cities that many of
us may never get the opportunity to visit.  Moreover,
the models provide a unique bird's eye view of
buildings that in reality tower over us, such as the
Byzantine masterpiece of Haghia Sophia, whose dome
soars to 55 metres above the ground, the Galata Tower
built by the Genoese, and Selimiye Mosque, the 16th
century masterpiece of the Ottoman architect Sinan.

The models have been built to a high standard so as to
withstand weather conditions of all kinds, and were
produced by craftsmen at thirteen ateliers abroad and
ten in Turkey. Consultant for the project were
executives of the Dutch Madurodam miniature town, and
they were so impressed by the high-quality, accuracy
and attention to detail of the models produced in
Turkey, that they have now decided to work with Turkish
craftsmen. The high cost of the project has been met by
sponsors, whose names and logos are given on signs next
to each model. An enchanting atmosphere is created by
the music specially composed by Fahir Atakoglu. A visit
to the Park is not only fascinating and fun, but also
educational, particularly for children and young
people. Miniaturk is a member of the Association of
Miniature Towns, which provides a platform for cultural
exchange by arranging temporary loans of models from
different countries.

This new open-air museum that looks out over the Golden
Horn to the historical district of Eyüp on the opposite
shore gives a vivid glimpse into 3000 years of history,
from antiquity to the Byzantines, and the Seljuks to
Ottomans. Here, in imagination you travel in space as
well as time, from Istanbul to Pamukkale and Jerusalem
to Bosnia.