The Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Regional Development Administration will illuminate major historic sites in the region using solar energy and smart automation systems to boost tourism.
Lighting works completed this year at Hasankeyf Castle in Batman have set an example for other heavily visited historic sites in the region. In this context, lighting projects are ongoing across a 75,000-square-meter area at the Balıklıgöl complex and the historic castle zone in Şanlıurfa.
The aim is to ensure that popular historic sites remain attractive not only during the day but also at night.
GAP Regional Development Administration President Hasan Maral said the institution seeks to support regional development in every field as an umbrella organization.
Stressing that the Hasankeyf Castle lighting project is highly functional, Maral said, “In the Hasankeyf Castle Lighting Project, we also involved the private sector. In projects with low energy consumption requirements, we implement solutions that include solar renewable energy elements."
Maral noted that the project did not rely on conventional lighting methods. “We effectively implemented a green energy project, which has attracted significant interest. The energy project in Hasankeyf delivered nearly 50 percent energy savings. We are maintaining the same approach at the Balıklıgöl plateau,” he added.
The projects are based on analytical studies, Maral said, adding that pilot implementations would continue at other high-traffic sites where energy consumption is substantial. Planned locations include Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır, the Dereiçi neighborhood in Savur, Mardin and Ravanda Castle in Kilis.
Müslüm Çoban, a member of the audit board of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies’ tourist guides, said the lighting of landmark sites has made a positive contribution to tourism.
Noting that lighting systems create a distinctive atmosphere at each location, Çoban said visitors who struggle to tour sites during the daytime heat in July and August can enjoy cooler and more pleasant night visits. He added that travelers who lack time during the day also gain the opportunity to see major sites in the evening.
