Thousands of local and foreign tourists recently flocked to the Cappadocia region in central Turkey to attend the seventh edition of the Cappadocia International Balloon Festival, organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and held in the Anatolian province of Nevşehir between 31 July and 2 August.
The festival featured 30 hot-air balloons from 10 countries, including Türkiye, the United States, France, England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Slovakia, Austria and Poland. Among them were original designs in the shape of a Turkish flag, a whale, an owl, a chick, a wolf, a duck, an octopus, a rocket, a heart, a planet and a clown, as well as a balloon whose basket was wrapped in the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh, according to the Turkish news agency Anatolia.
The balloons filled the skies over Cappadocia with a multitude of shapes and colours, attracting the attention of tourists and onlookers. During the event, a whale-shaped balloon also took to the skies for the first time; it was designed by a Turkish Year 6 pupil named Bengi Serra Kaya, who was awarded the jury prize in the “Design the Balloon of My Dreams” competition, held amongst primary and secondary school pupils in Nevşehir.
A place where history, nature and the legacy of civilisations meet
“In our region, there are 359 hot-air balloons operated by 30 companies. We have 37 female pilots. This year, approximately 316,000 visitors took part in balloon tours. On average, 750,000 people enjoy this experience every year,” said the governor of Nevşehir, Hüseyin Kök.
“If we look at the average number of flights, this activity takes place 224 days a year, although this varies depending on weather conditions. It gives us great pleasure to welcome our visitors to this unique natural beauty, where history, nature and a legacy spanning from the Seljuks to the Ottomans and from the Hittites to the Romans come together,” emphasised the governor.
“Everyone should come to this place”
Abdussamet Aygün, a tourist who arrived in the area at first light to watch the hot-air balloons, explained that he was trying to capture the best photograph of the landscape created by the hot-air balloon spectacle. “The festival offers a very beautiful sight with balloons of different shapes. We came as a family and we’re very happy,” he said.
“Everyone should come here,” said Özge Şenmerdan, another tourist who travelled from Ankara to attend the Cappadocia International Balloon Festival. “I’ve been to many places before, but I’ve never seen such a beautiful place. I came specifically to see the balloons and their unique shapes. The atmosphere here really impressed me,” she said excitedly.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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