Big New Year surprise in Marmaris

The New Year Fest will start with a big surprise in Marmaris. The two cultures will be introduced to foreigners living in the town as well as visitors coming from Turkey and abroad through the figures of Santa Claus and Ayaz Ata to achieve cultural integration.

Turkey's tourism authorities have touched on the significance of the festival for tourism. They stressed that it would contribute not only to Marmaris but also to Turkey. Apart from hoteliers, everyone living in Marmaris should believe in this. The municipality of Marmaris is paving the way, and people in the tourism business will own this. Consequently, the Marmaris New Year Fest will contribute greatly to Turkey's winter tourism.

Marmaris Municipality Mayor Sedat Kirt said in his speech that they would hold the "Marmaris New Year Fest" between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31 to help sustain tourism in Marmaris and neighboring districts in December.

Kirt said preparations have been ongoing for two years now.

"We would like to spread the festival across Marmaris rather than use a certain place to keep tourism mobility alive in December and to create alternative open-air tourism spheres. The theme of the new year bazaar, which has attracted widespread interest in the last two years, will be the 'Meeting of Cultures,'" he said.

The mayor emphasized that the culture of Ayaz Ata has been kept alive through the New Year preparations in many countries, with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tatarstan at the top of the list.

"Ayaz Ata, who holds an important place in Turkish mythology, is a saint who appears on cold days in winter and helps the poor and homeless. It is believed that he helps those who are in need of help in the cold and gives them good fortune," he said.
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