A significant meeting on 'Tourism and Archaeology' was recently held at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), primarily aiming to bring Samsun's cultural values to the forefront.

The event saw the participation of Governor Orhan Tavlı, Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, Deputy Governor Şevket Cinbir, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Selim Eren, Prof. Dr. Sevim Alışır, Secretary-General Prof. Dr. İdris Varıcı, Deans of various faculties, advisors to the Rector, academics, and public representatives.

Governor Tavlı: "We are gathered to beautify Samsun further"

In his opening remarks, Governor Orhan Tavlı stated, "Samsun is a robust educational city with a history of hosting various civilizations since ancient times. We organized this meeting to beautify our city further. I hope to leave the meeting with fresh insights. We had the chance to exchange ideas on history, archaeology, and fine arts with expert professors. I extend my gratitude to the distinguished Rector, faculty deans, and all participants."

Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal added, "As a university, we organized this meeting to deliberate how we can contribute to the city's vision. We aim for inter-institutional collaboration and exchange of ideas and hope to undertake project works."

The meeting focused on showcasing archaeological artifacts from Samsun excavations in museums, increasing the number of archaeological studies in the area, and organizing related symposiums and congresses.

In History and Geography, the diverse geographical features of the Samsun region were discussed. A comprehensive study on earth sciences, soil types, and product diversity, leading to a detailed report, was proposed. It was also suggested to place or relocate unique cultural artifacts of the city to more visible locations.

Lastly, in the fields of Agriculture and Biology, establishing a biodiversity museum was discussed in anticipation of decreasing biological diversity. The creation of a botanical garden project as a tourism destination was considered. Additionally, infrastructural works to standardize Samsun's unique agricultural products were decided upon.

The meeting concluded with a commemorative photograph.