Türkiye will showcase Antalya’s traditional cuisine and Yörük culture at the U.N. climate summit COP31, offering international visitors an opportunity to experience the region’s cultural heritage alongside its well-known coastal attractions.
A two-story house that had remained unused for years has been renovated with support from sponsors and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and prepared for the summit under the name "Antalya House.”
The house has been decorated with objects reflecting the traditional lifestyle of the Yörüks, a Turkic nomadic community with a longstanding presence in the region. Its rooms feature items ranging from traditional clothing worn by Yörüks decades ago to lace curtains, household utensils and other objects associated with local life.
Visitors arriving in Antalya for COP31 will be able to take a break at the house, experience Yörük culture and sample regional dishes.
Ebru Şahin, project coordinator for the Antalya Blue Mediterranean Initiative, said that the project builds on the initiative’s previous work.
Şahin said the house had been unused for approximately 10 years and that considerable effort had gone into renovating it after it was handed over by the ministry.
"We worked hard to carry out the renovation and repairs after receiving the house from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. We cooperated with our sponsors to repair the damage and developed a plan to promote Antalya’s traditional cuisine and culture,” she said.
Traditional flavors and heritage
Şahin said an outdoor area would also be set up to introduce visitors to local foods, including gözleme, a traditional stuffed flatbread cooked on a griddle, bazlama, a thick traditional flatbread, and Antalya’s distinctive burnt ice cream.
She said the organizers hoped the house would continue to serve as a cultural venue under the Antalya Governor’s Office after the summit rather than fall into disuse again.
With support from Akseki, a district known for its traditional architecture, the rooms have been decorated to reflect Yörük culture, she added.
"We wanted our guests to experience not only Antalya’s sea, sand and sun but also its living and exceptionally rich Yörük culture and cuisine,” Şahin said, inviting visitors from around the world attending COP31 to visit the house.
The venue will also feature an exhibition area where visitors can scan QR codes to access information in English about regional products, cultural traditions and household objects, including their uses and how they are made.
Promoting cultural tourism
Şahin said the project also aimed to strengthen cultural tourism by highlighting aspects of Antalya beyond its established reputation as a seaside destination.
Visitors from around the world are expected to arrive for COP31, creating an opportunity to introduce Türkiye’s cultural heritage and culinary traditions to an international audience, she said.
"Antalya is often associated with tourism, but beyond its coastal attractions, it has an exceptionally rich cuisine and a vibrant cultural heritage that contributes to Turkish culture,” Şahin said.
She added that the initiative sought to share these traditions with both domestic and international visitors.