Şirince, Bugarach ready for Armaggedon

ISTANBUL

Bugarach is believed to be safe today but authorities have pleaded with spiritualists, sightseers and media crews not to converge on the village. AA photo

Nervous excitement is increasing in İzmir’s Şirince village as news agencies and New Age spiritualists flock to the region, convinced that the town is the only safe haven from the impending apocalypse today, foretold by certain interpretations of Mayan hieroglyphs.

In the village, special wines, Turkish delight, perfume and T-shirts have been produced for Armageddon, while it was also announced that there would be psychological and psychiatric support for people who do not feel comfortable in the village, Doğan news agency reported. As part of preparations in the village, 1,500 officials, civil and otherwise, will provide security and a 15-person civil defense and health team will be ready in the village throughout the day.

Five parking lots and a helicopter field were also created in the village. GSM companies established movable base stations and some banks placed ATM machines at special locations for the special day. It was reported that vehicles without permission would not be able to enter the village and that visitors would be transported to the village at certain times of the day by Selçuk Municipality buses.

Noting that hotels and rooms had been strictly inspected over the last one month, District Gov. Ayhan Boyacı said the people of Şirince were used to seeing such crowds. “We see 20,000 people during festival times,” he added.

Speaking to Anatolia news agency, İzmir Gov. Cahit Kıraç said they saw this day as an opportunity to promote İzmir and Şirince to the world.

“All hotels and rooms are full and we estimate 15,000 to 20,000 more people will come to Şirince [today]. We have taken additional measures. We will also work to prevent the misuse of this dense interest in the village. Officials will inspect hygiene and prices in the village [today].”

Access to French village blocked

The French village of Bugarach is another place that New Age spiritualists believe will be safe when the world ends today, but French authorities have pleaded with spiritualists, sightseers and media crews not to converge on the village, according to Agence France-Presse.

“I am making an appeal to the world: do not come to Bugarach,” said Mayor Jean-Pierre Delord.
Police blocked access to the southwestern village of 200 residents on Dec. 19. Routes were also blocked to the nearby Pic de Bugarach, a mountain where, according to rumors, the hilltop will open today and aliens will emerge with spaceships to save nearby humans. Around 150 police officers will be on duty today to turn away visitors to Bugarach, which has also seen an influx of journalists from around the world.

The France 24 news team entered Bugarach on the evening of Dec. 18, where the talk of the town focused on “hippy cults” and mass suicides. “You haven’t seen the hippies yet, but they’re all around us!” said a local, named André.

“One of my friends recently went hunting in the forest near Bugarach and he suddenly came across a man with very long hair… definitely a guy waiting for the end of the world. Pity my friend didn’t shoot him,” said André.