OPET, continuing to stake a claim on the history of the region with the "Respect for History Project" it has been continuing at Çanakkale Gallipoli Peninsula for 12 years, completes the rehabilitation and restoration works in Tevfikiye Village that is located in the Trojan Region and emerges to the forefront by its mythological, cultural and natural beauties, in “2018 International Trojan Year". Tevfikiye Village is evolving into an archeo-village with an atmosphere, buildings and figures that reflect the Trojan period and its history and mythological values, with the studies carried out by OPET.
OPET, supporting the culture and tourism move initiated at the international scale in order to introduce Troy to the world as the archaic value of Anatolia, aims to transform Tevfikiye Village into an archeo-village that qualifies as an outdoor museum and make the region a bigger center of attraction.
“The World Knows Troy Better Than Us”
OPET Board of Directors' Founder Member Nurten Öztürk, who noted that they were proud to append their signature under the studies intended to carry Troy and Tevfikiye Village, posing as an important cultural treasure by their history, mythological, cultural and natural beauties, over the future generations, gave the following information regarding the project: “Troy is a region that has inspired great leaders who have steered the world and changed the course of history from Alexander the Great to Julius Caesar, from Mehmet the Conqueror to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. We intend to raise the living quality in Tevfikiye Village with local economic development by ensuring that the available tourism potential of Troy is increased.”
Öztürk continued as: “We have volunteered to work with all our institutions and organizations in order to evaluate the Antique City of Troy that houses all elements for the improvement and economic development of Çanakkale and the local community with respect to history, culture and tourism. The visitors who will go to our culture treasure of the world, Trojan Archaeological Site and Museum, will pass from the entrance road to this village. The fact that Tevfikiye Village was most closely located to the Trojan Museum that will be opened in the coming days and the Trojan Archeological Site was influential in our decision to start our studies with this village. The interest and desire of the village people for the project and their ambition to work also pushed us to work in this village. The village community had stated that they were ready to provide all support that is necessary for their village to flourish, reflect the historical and cultural structure of the Trojan Historical National Park region, and they did. We started courses on different subject as aimed for the village people, while restoration was continued in Tevfikiye Village, and increase the quality of social life in the region. We want to transform Tevfikiye Village into a village that houses motifs from Trojan history and offers the best services to domestic and foreign visitors coming to the region, in order for the visitors to take a break, tour, shop for organic vegetables-fruits and souvenirs, and thus sets an example to its surroundings. Tevfikiye Village will take on a historical and mythological meaning by its buildings and figures that conserve the Trojan period when all our studies are completed. As OPET, we are proud to undertake the necessary studies to carry Troy and Tevfikiye Village, an important cultural treasure with respect to historical, cultural and natural beauties, over to the future generations.”
What are Made in the Village by Opet?
- The entrance road to the village and the surroundings are being organized.
- Architectural restoration studies are carried out at the village coffee shop, wedding hall and health center, according to the concept of the “Troy 6” period.
- The wedding hall at the village square is being transformed into a museum and culture and arts center.
- The historical village mosque, which had been built in 1895 by a Greek craftsman from İntepe/ Erenköy, completely using the stones picked from the Trojan Archeological Site, is once more restored as faithful to the original with the natural stones of the Trojan period.
- The square located at a spot that has a command over the vast Trojan plain and called the Trojan Square is being organized as a viewing area.
- The building in the garden of the village coffee shop is being restored with a Trojan house concept in order to be used as a restaurant.
- Landscaping is being made in the vacant area between the Trojan Square and the mosque and a miniature waterfall is being formed.
- The old village school, which is located in the village and is no longer used, is being transformed into a guest house.
- Landscaping is being made in the village square and the general surroundings. 14 thousand 800 plants in total, donated to the region by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Tree and Landscaping Corp. and composed of acacia, cypress, oleander, juniper, sycamore, redbud, rose, honeysuckle, jasmine and geranium varieties, are being planted.
- The toilets in the village coffee shop and wedding hall are being renewed in compliance with the OPET standards.
- Paint support is provided to the buildings in the village to ensure that the property owners maintain and paint their homes as compatible with the patterns, colors and motifs determined so as to match with the 'Trojan spirit'.
- Images that damage aesthetics are being corrected; the perimeters of the houses are decorated with flowers and trees.
- The sales stands at the village entrance are being renewed.
- Urban furniture such as water dispensers, banks and trash cans are being placed in the village.
- Signboards that introduce and give directions to the village are being put up at the appropriate spots on the roadsides.
- Idle and unused houses in the village are being overhauled and transformed into workshops.
- Courses are organized as aimed for the people of Tevfikiye Village, in collaboration with Çanakkale Public Education Center Directorate. The first stage of these courses has been completed. 964 hours of training were given in total, as 5 hours every weeknight, and 8 hours during the day on two weekdays, within the scope of the course schedule that started in February. 70 individuals in total, as 6 men and 64 women, attended the courses organized on Clean Toilet and Hygiene, Entrepreneurship, Occupational Health and Safety, Elocution, Communication in Business and Social Life, Personal Development, Professional Ethics, English, Touristic Souvenir Production, Rural Tourism Events, Silver Silk Knitting, Tragacanth Gum Doll Production. Furthermore, guesthouse operation course was started with the support of the Ministry of Culture Provincial Culture Directorate, for the village people who want to operate guesthouses.
- Potable water and sewage infrastructure works, works to take the telephone lines and the electrical lines underground, paving the roads in the village with natural granite stones and landscaping and square arrangement works are being carried out by Çanakkale Governorship. The arrangements of the perimeter roads are also being continued.
About Opet Respect for History Project
OPET carries out rehabilitation and restoration studies in the region where Çanakkale Wars were fought, since 2006 within the scope of the "Respect for History" project, in order for the Gallipoli Peninsula to acquire a contemporary outlook, by maintaining the natural texture. Alçıtepe, Seddülbahir, Bigalı, Kilitbahir, Büyük and Küçük Anafarta, Kocadere, Behramlı villages and Eceabat district have acquired a brand new appearance. Modern sales sections were formed in the project where the village squares and the facades of homes were restored. Greening was made in the villages and the available museums were restored. New museums and culture centers were built in villages that did not have museums. A park, qualifying as an outdoor museum, was built in Eceabat within the scope of the project where trainings were give as aimed for English, computer, guesthouse operation and personal development, in collaboration with Public Education Centers. The park named as the “Respect for History Park” was decorated so as to display all details of the Çanakkale War. The sculptures, in animation form, in the park were included in the "25 Most Interesting Sculptures of the World" list. The 57th Regiment Martyrs' Cemetery was restored as faithful to the original within the scope of the project and the Akbaş Martyrs' Cemetery, which is one of the two largest hospital martyrs' cemeteries of the Gallipoli Peninsula, was built. A new and modern school was constructed in place of the Elementary School that was non-functional in Eceabat and offered to the education and teaching life. A research conducted by Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University determined that the project increased the quality of social life, instilled a history awareness, enriched cultural life, and increased the economic level by improving the management culture in the region.
