Antalya sand sculpture festival invites visitors on journey through time, space

ANTALYA

The International Antalya Sand Sculpture Festival, one of Türkiye’s prominent cultural and artistic events, will open to visitors on May 1 with a new “Time Travel” concept added to its existing “Space Adventure” theme.

Held on the famous Lara Beach in the southern province, the festival spans approximately 7,000 square meters and features around 200 sand sculptures created from 10,000 tons of river sand.

This year, 25 professional sand artists from various countries contributed to the exhibition, including nearly 15 newly crafted pieces.

Festival coordinator Cem Karaca said the addition of the “Time Travel” theme aims to spark curiosity among visitors.

“Time travel is a subject that has always captivated people, sparking curiosity about whether it is truly possible. We wanted our visitors to perhaps find a few answers to this question here,” he noted.

Around 1,500 to 2,000 tons of sand were used specifically for the new sculptures.

Among the highlights is a sand sculpture designed with the help of artificial intelligence — an innovation introduced for the first time at the festival.

“Artificial intelligence is becoming part of our daily lives. This year, we experimented with having AI create a design inspired by time travel, which was then brought to life by one of our sculptors,” Karaca said.

The exhibition also features a piece titled “Architects of Time,” inspired by the work of renowned scientists such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

Other sculptures reference popular culture and historical milestones, including scenes from Back to the Future, the beloved literary character The Little Prince and the Orion spacecraft, which recently completed a deep-space mission.

Visitors can also see representations of Ham, the first chimpanzee sent into space by NASA, and Al-Farghani, a prominent Turkish-Islamic astronomer.

Additional works depict iconic elements such as the Vostok 1 spacecraft and the moment Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the Moon in 1969.

The festival also includes reimagined versions of earlier sculptures, such as the Egyptian pyramids and the Sphinx, now enhanced with figures like a pharaoh and a mummy.

A dedicated children’s area will offer hands-on workshops, allowing younger visitors to try sand sculpting themselves.

With an average annual attendance of 100,000 visitors, the festival has emerged as a significant cultural, artistic and tourist destination in Antalya.

This year’s event will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., with illuminated displays available in the evening.