Antalya's conquest to be celebrated with sports

The 810th anniversary of Antalya's conquest by the Seljuks will be celebrated with various activities by the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, Antalya Governorate and other public institutions on March 4.

As part of the celebration, which will take place at Cumhuriyet Square, "a conqueror's march" will start off from Karalıoğlu Park. Following the march, there will be a Turkish Armed Forces' (TSK) airshow called SOLOTÜRK, and the Ottoman Army Band will give a performance for the people of Antalya.

Antalya Governor Münir Karalıoğlu held a press conference near the Yivli Minare Mosque - one of the well-known symbols of Antalya - offering insights about the importance of the conquest of Antalya and the celebration program.

He explained that Antalya was conquered by the Seljuks on March 5, 1207 and has been a part of the Turkish states and empires for the last 810 years. Governor Karalıoğlu said the celebrations this year will be quite different from previous ones. Explaining that people who do not know their history cannot build their future, Karalıoğlu said, "March 5 is as important for the people of Antalya as May 29, 1453 is for Istanbulites, and April 6, 1326 is for the people of Bursa."

Karalıoğlu further noted that the 12th Runatolia International Antalya Marathon - an event 8,000 athletes are set to race - will also take place on March 5. "This is an important organization for the brand value of our city. This year, the celebrations of Antalya's conquest by the Turks and the marathon will be held jointly," he added.

Esat Göyük, the deputy mayor of Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, stressed the importance of the celebrations, adding that this tradition should be passed down to future generations.