Patron: President of Austria, Dr. Heinz Fischer

KCTOS: Knowledge, Creativity and
Transformations of Societies

Vienna, 6 to 9 December 2007

<<< The Effects of Natural and Cultural Values on Tourism

 

The Importance of Mevlana Celalettin Rumi on the Aspect of Cultural Tourism

Ufuk Karakuş (Ahi Evran University, Turkey) [BIO]

Email: karakusu@gazi.edu.tr

 


 

ABSTRACT:

With the industrialization and economical development, the amount of free time people have is also increasing. Daily working hours are shortening, weekly working hours are decreasing and the period of annual holidays are extending. Previously, decreasing working days and hours were being considered as the time of relaxation at home in order to remove exhaustion while in today’s world people want to have holidays in long vacations and to spend the free time of a day in outdoor activities. Tourism has developed so fast and become an economic sector with the growing wealth with the addition of the quick developments in transportation and communication especially in Western countries.

In parallel with social life’s continuously developing and changing, tourism which improves quickly as a need that can be achieved with the rise of prosperous, besides the economical incomes, improving human relations without discriminating international religion, language, race and country, therefore has important political functions on the aspect of global peace.

Cultural tourism is an important alternative among the actions for diversifying tourism in Turkey. Since the known history of Anatolia, its being on the immigration route on the direction of east and west, many civilizations’ leaving innumerable remainders and every civilization’s influence on the next one have ensured Anatolia to be a very significant location on cultural tourism aspect.

Cultural tourism can be regarded as a new type of tourism including all values that form culture and probably the most important activity that helps people understand each other in the world. On this phase, introduction of the works and doctrines of Mevlana Celalettin Rumi which could provide very important contributions to world common culture and peace is very important. “Come, Come again! Whatever you are...Whether you are infidel, idolater or fire worshipper. Whether you have broken your vows of repentance a hundred times This is not the gate of despair, this is the gate of hope. Come, come again...” Mevlana who puts forth his philosophy with these words is a philosopher and a reverend serving for common culture. Hundred thousands of native and foreign tourists wondering his doctrines come to Konya and Mevlana sepulcher in order to see where he lived. And for this thinking style, year 2007 which is his death anniversary has been announced as “World Mevlana Year” by UNSECO.

 


Patron: President of Austria, Dr. Heinz Fischer

KCTOS: Knowledge, Creativity and
Transformations of Societies

Vienna, 6 to 9 December 2007