All the flavors and colors of the sea are at this festival

A festival full of flavor has begun in Marmaris, the pearl of the Aegean. The 2nd Marmaris Seafood Festival, organized under the leadership of the Marmaris Municipality, has kicked off in the district's tourist neighborhood of Selimiye. The three-day festival brings together seafood, gastronomy, culture, and music.

On the first day of the festival, which aims to highlight Marmaris's maritime culture and gastronomic richness, live cooking demonstrations, food presentations, tastings, dance shows, and musical performances were held.

In addition to the various delicacies prepared with seafood at the stands set up in the festival area, Marmaris's local products and handmade goods were also presented to visitors.

LOCAL TRADESPEOPLE AT THE HEART OF THE FESTIVAL

The stands set up along the Selimiye promenade attracted great interest from visitors throughout the day. Marmaris tradespeople were also key stakeholders in the festival, showcasing colorful products and various dishes prepared with seafood at their stands.

Organized with the contributions of local businesses, the festival not only promotes Marmaris's culinary culture but also contributes to local tradespeople and the city's economy. A large number of visitors from Marmaris as well as neighboring provinces and districts were hosted in the festival area.

The festival was attended by Marmaris Mayor Acar Ünlü, Ankara Trilye Restaurant owner and gourmet writer Süreyya Üzmez, Cultural and Tourism Attaché of the People's Republic of China in Turkey Meifen Zhou, Prof. Dr. Barış Doster, GETOB President Cengiz Aygün, MTO President Mutlu Ayhan, Selimiye Neighborhood Headman (Muhtar) Kıvanç Akgül, and many citizens.

WE ARE RETURNING TO OUR ROOTS WITH THIS FESTIVAL

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Selimiye Muhtar Kıvanç Akgül expressed his great happiness in hosting the festival and pointed out that Selimiye is essentially a sea and fishing town. Akgül said, “We are returning to our roots with this festival. On behalf of our entire neighborhood, I would like to thank everyone who contributed.”

Gourmet writer Süreyya Üzmez drew attention to Turkey's richness in terms of sea and fish, stating that the festival would increase awareness in this area. Üzmez remarked, “This festival will raise awareness regarding Turkey's maritime culture and wealth.”

WE WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR CUISINE TO THE WORLD

Stating that they are happy to bring Marmaris's culture of living in harmony with the sea and its local values together with citizens once again, Marmaris Mayor Acar Ünlü said the festival is important for promoting the region's gastronomic values.

Mayor Ünlü emphasized that the cuisine of Marmaris and its surroundings is of world-class quality, stating, “We wanted to introduce to the world how high-quality our local cuisine is and that it belongs in the competitive category globally.

Our goal is to show that this region's cuisine and gastronomy are of a beauty and quality that can compete with the world. This festival will continue to grow stronger,” he said.

Pointing out that Marmaris's natural beauties must be protected, Ünlü added, “We have a region that is like paradise. We are the blue cruise capital of the world. But we must protect these bays and the Hisarönü Gulf. For this, the zoning plan must be issued as soon as possible.”

LIVE COOKING PRESENTATIONS BY CHEFS

Within the scope of the festival, live cooking presentations were performed by well-known Marmaris chefs Ramazan Narman, Tufan Keser, Medet Erbaş, Oğuzhan Çolak, and Croatian chef Dada Margiç.

Various seafood dishes prepared by the chefs were presented to visitors in the festival area.

Throughout the day, in addition to gastronomic events, music and dance shows added color to the festival. While the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality City Orchestra gave a concert, students from the Milas Municipality Sports Club performed a zeybek dance. The folk dance performance by the Tazelenme University folk dance team and DJ Nilüfer's performances also attracted interest from the audience.

Students from the Marmaris Municipality Culture and Art House took the stage under the direction of Deniz Ersin Avcı, providing a musical feast for the festival area. Later in the night, Serkan Oktay, one of Marmaris's well-known artists, performed with a “Tarkan” concept.

THE SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT FROM MAYOR ÜNLÜ

The surprise of the day at the festival came from Marmaris Mayor Acar Ünlü.

Mayor Ünlü sang the songs “Gari” by Moğollar and “Deniz Üstü Köpürür” by Cem Karaca together with Deniz Ersin Avcı. The guests accompanied Ünlü with applause.

News Source: 12punto