Hasandağı Mountain prepares to host paragliders

AKSARAY - Anatolia News Agency

One of Turkey’s winter sports centers, Hasandağı Mountain will host paragliders from around world.

The Central Anatolian province of Aksaray’s Hasandağı Mountain, which is considered one of the most important paragliding fields in the world, is preparing to host professional paragliders from Turkey and around the world this year. 

Preparations on the paragliding field have begun for the Traditional Hasandağı Paragliding Festival, which is being held by the Aksaray Culture and Tourism Directorate, Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports and Special Provincial Administration. 

Speaking about the event, the Special Provincial Deputy Director Mustafa Doğan said work was underway on a field at an elevation of 1,980 meters. He said that when the field reached international standards, a very nice event would be organized on the mountain. 

“We will invite Turkey’s and the world’s leading paragliders to the province for the Traditional Hasandağı Paragliding Festival, which we plan to organize in 2013. We will show them the potential of Hasandağı Mountain for such international activities,” he said. 

Winter sports center
Doğan said Hasandağı had been marketed as a ski center by the Culture and Tourism Ministry. “Since the mountain was marketed as a winter sports center, we have not seen the progress we aspire to. But we think we can arrange for both activities here. As the area is a winter sports center, I hope that investors will come here and this will develop the region. The Paragliding Festival will also be a good opportunity for the promotion of the city. Paragliding has been done here for some time, and we will develop it. Moreover, we plan to revive tableland tourism by building bungalow-style houses on the mountain and also ecotourism in the forests at the foot of the mountain.” 

Arısoy said sports and sport tourism made a great contribution to cities and countries. He said they were working to create a 2,000-meter high field for a paragliding area. “Many people come to the area to do this sport. This is why we have prepared projects to make the use of Hasandağı and contribute to the city’s and country’s economy. We think that these projects will bear fruit within a short time.”

Hasandağı, with a height of 3,253 meters, is the second highest mountain in Central Anatolia. It takes nearly six hours to climb to the top of the mountain from the highest point accessible by car. The summit offers a fabulous view of the Central Anatolian plateau, including distant Cappadocia.