Fable island to bring children back through the centuries

KÜTAHYA - Anadolu Agency

For the fable island, the organizers settled for building types from the Phrygian era as they constructed their park on a 17,000-square-meter area. AA photo

Aesop’s fables, the world-famous moral tales from ancient Greece, will soon come to life in a theme park that is under construction in the Aegean province of Kütahya. 

The park is the first of its kind in Turkey and will recreate 13 works by Aesop, who was born in the area, with squash- and mushroom-shaped houses from the Phrygian period, as well as castles, windmills and animal mockups. 

The owner of the construction company set to carry out the project, Kamil Yurtalan, said works started on May 20 in the city’s Akkent neighborhood and would be finished soon. 

He said building and road construction would be finished in two weeks, after which human and animal mockups will be placed in the park. “The park will open to visitors after the environmental arrangements are complete.”

He said the themed structures, children’s play groups, viewing platforms, buildings and some parts of the roads in the project belonged to their firm.

“This is a different project, which does not exist in Turkey. The main theme here is the Aesop Fable Island. It aims to project the animation of Aesop’s fables. People will be able to see the story of the tortoise and the hare or listen to the story of the grasshopper and the ant. When the works of sculptors are finished, visitors will be able to vividly imagine Aesop’s legendary fables in their minds. We are working with 50 people on buildings, roads and installments,” he said.

He said buildings that people did not see in their daily lives were being constructed in the park and were being styled manually. “For example, there are structures carved into rocks like inns or viewing platforms in the shape of a castle.”

Yurtalan said the structures in the park were very strong and would be able to stand for many years with only minor restorations necessary every 10-15 years. “The park can also be used as a space for children’s films,” he added. 

Objects from 13 fables 

The Aesop Fable Island has been designed to include talking animals and their houses, created by Aesop, who lived around Kütahya in 500 B.C. and still draws great interest from children around the world. The houses from the period, as well as animals like the grasshopper, ant, fox, lion, mouse, and others, will take children back to a time set approximately 2,500 years ago. 

The park’s illustrations and drawings were completed by Dumlupınar University Fine Arts Professor Adem Dönmez, while the human and animal mockups were created by sculptor Mustafa Kemal Altınsoy. 

For the fable island, the organizers settled for building types from the Phrygian era as they constructed their park on a 17,000-square-meter area. Dresses, daily objects, architectural structures, hair and beard styles, music and agricultural tools of this period were also designed in such a way as to remain true to their original form. 

The best known fables of Aesop, such as “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” “The Fox and the Grapes,” “The Fox and the Crow,” “The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse” and “The Two Pots” will also be featured in the park.