C5 Mobility TÜRKİYE

The fifth mobility of the project took place in Manisa, Türkiye, from May 8Th-14Th, 2022. The activities planned and developed by the students on traditional sports and history of democracy were presented in Türkiye.

Minutes of the meeting

9^th May 2022

9:00-12:30 The teams were greeted by the school director Mr İlhan Kurban and welcome speeches were delivered. Then, all the groups had a meeting with Mr.Sadık Özkasap, head of Manisa Commodity Exchange. The head of Manisa Commodity Exchange delivered his welcome speech. As our coordinator Mrs. Birute Sinkeviciene gave a speech about our project. She gave information about the planning, management and implementation of the project. She also talked about how many students, parents and teachers participated in the mobilities, how they benefited from the activities. After her speech Carmen Gonzales Palomares from Spain made a speech on behalf of guest students. She thanked the Head of Commodity Exchange and she said she was very happy to be a part of this project. Livanur Ergin from Turkey talked on behalf of the host country and she said she had the chance to go to Italy within the scope of this project and she was happy to meet friends from different countries. The groups were presented small gifts in the memory of their visit to the Manisa Commodity Exchange. The group had lunch together which was organized by Manisa Commodity Exchange.

13:30- 16:30 The groups were taken on a tour around Manisa to learn about its historical past, uniqueness and cultural heritage. First of all the groups were taken to Şifahane (Hospital and medical school which was founded in 16^th century). They learnt the history of this medicine school and they had the chance to see the medical equipment which was used in those times. They also saw some wax statues reenacting scenes from different surgeries. Later they were taken to Manisa Mevlevihanesi. They learnt about dervishes and Mevlevi doctrine and mysticism there. Next they visited the Ottoman Museum. They learnt about the Ottoman Sultans who were raised and educated in Manisa and traditional life and clothes of people living in Manisa during 19^th century. They were given information about Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and other national Independence War heroes in this museum. At 16.30 the students had free time to spend with Turkish students and families. The teachers had dinner in İzmir together.

10^th May 2022

8:30-17:30 The groups travelled to Sardes. Sardis was the capital of the Lydian kingdom of the 7th century BCE and was the first city where gold and silver coins were minted. From about 560 to about 546 Sardis was ruled by Croesus, who was renowned for his great wealth and was the last king of Lydia. They had the chance to see some ruins of the Temple of Artemis and one of the seven important ancient churches. Then they visited the Gymnasium and the other ruins from Lydian period. The groups proceeded to Denizli. After lunch, the groups were taken to Pamukkale and Hierapolis ancient city. Hierapolis was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988. They saw the wonderful theater and the remains of the ancient city of Hierapolis. Pamukkale, which is translated into English as "Cotton Castle," is located in the southwestern province of Denizli standing over the ruins of Hierapolis. This magical place is especially famous for its white limestone travertines shaped by calcium-rich hot springs

and has been used as a thermal treatment center for millennia. The group came back to Manisa at 19:00. The teachers had free time and the students spent time with Turkish students and families.

11^th May 2022

9:00- 18:00 The groups went to Çeşme, which is a city by the Aegean Sea. All the participants walked through the ancient streets of Çeşme and reached Çeşme Castle. It was built by Ottoman Sultan II. Bayezid to protect the city against the attacks coming from the Aegean Sea. The castle which was originally a coastal fortress, is located inland today due to the filling of the sea. After lunch the groups were taken to Alaçatı, which is a famous tourist attraction. They had the chance to see the old,traditional windmills and beautiful narrow streets of Alaçatı. The groups proceeded to Ilıca beach and they had a relaxing time there. The groups came back to Manisa at 20:00.

12^th May 2022

8:30-17:30:The groups were taken to Ephesus, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. They had a guided tour in Ephesus. They had the chance to see the Library of Celsus, the temple of Hadrian and the Great Theatre. They saw breathtaking friezes and sculptures and they listened to their stories. After lunch the group proceeded to Şirince by bus. Şirince is a famous traditional town in Şelçuk,İzmir. The participants saw the wonderful, traditional Şirince houses which are a mixture of Greek and Turkish style. They visited the city museum which used to be a Greek school. After Şirince, the group visited Kuşadası, which is by the Aegean Sea. They had free time here. The group came back to Manisa at 19:00.

13^th May 2022

9:00-13:30 All the groups met at the school hall. Then, the students presented their power point presentations about the history of democracy in their countries and traditional sports. Videos prepared by the students were also shown in the morning session. After the presentations and videos, all the groups planted olive trees in the school garden representing peace and democracy. Then all the students and teachers were presented their attendance certificates. After the certificate ceremony, all the students and teachers were served Turkish traditional food prepared by the Turkish families at lunch. Later the teachers had an evaluation meeting and the activities ended. Teachers had farewell dinner and the students spent time together.