Ancient city project in Adana to redefine city

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Adana’s Misis district, currently an agricultural area, is also home to the ruins of an 8,000-year-old city. A new project known as “The infinite city: Misis,” will soon develop the area as a tourist center, and bring about change for local residents.

“We hope to make the ancient city in Misis a major tourist attraction in Adana,” Yüreğir municipality official Mahmut Çelikcan said, speaking to Anatolia news agency. “There are hidden treasures in the city that no one knows about.”

The city is an important part of the region’s cultural heritage, according to Çelikcan. “For many years people did not assign importance to this ancient city, which was very sad. Now we have to do [whatever we can to preserve] it.” The ancient city will be revealed in a thorough archaeological survey, and it is expected that many ancient artifacts and treasures will be excavated at the site, as well as the ruins of buildings, Çelikcan said.

Population supports project

The local population supports the project, and those settled in the immediate area of the archaeological site will be moved to another location, Çelikcan said. The overall development project includes the construction of a new housing project by The Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ). Agricultural activity will continue in the area, but not at the excavation site itself, and a set of incentives will be offered to local farmers by the Agriculture Ministry. This will allow life in Misis to continue in a more modern way, Çelikcan said.