World’s wonders at sand sculpture festival in Antalya

ANTALYA – Anadolu Agency

AA photo

The International Antalya Sand Sculpture Festival is hosting 14 “wonders of the world,” as well as mythological heroes in its latest edition to the Mediterranean hotspot.

The 10th edition of the festival opened last week to visitors, presenting recreations of Rome’s Coliseum, Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, the Mayan Pyramids, the Taj Mahal and many others prominent sites from around the world.

This year the festival’s theme is “the 14 wonders of the world and mythology.”

Besides the well-known seven wonders of the world, the sand sculptures of artifacts that were determined with the votes of more than 100 million participants during a contest organized in 2007 by the Switzerland-based New 7 Wonders Foundation have also been made for the festival. 

For the sculptures, over 10,000 tons of special sand have been used, while the exhibition area covers an area of 10,000 square meters. 

Along with the seven ancient wonders of the world, including the Pyramid of Giza, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes and Lighthouse of Alexandria, sculptors have also created the Great Wall of China, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, Peru’s Machu Picchu, Mexico’s Chichen Itza Pyramid and India’s Taj Mahal. 

Taking inspiration from mythology, they have also included Thor, Aphrodite, the Trojan Horse and many others. 


A traditional festival

The event, one of the world’s biggest and oldest sand sculpture events, has become a tradition, becoming one of the most visited culture and art events in Antalya and Turkey, said festival director Cem Karaca.

Karaca said the festival, which is being organized on Lara Beach, had something for everyone. “Visitors learn about culture and arts while seeing the sculptures, which are made of sand and water only.” 

He said that due to great interest, they had decided to open the exhibition for 12 months of the year. 

“There is no other sand sculpture organization in the world that can be visited for 12 months. At first, the sculptures suffered damage or collapsed after two-three rains. But thanks to progress in our sand sculpture techniques and good weather conditions in the city, they are more durable. The exhibition is open even during rainy days. The number of visitors in those days is not low,” Karaca said. 


LED lightning system

A special LED lightning system is turned on to allow visitors to see the sculptures during the dark, while music suitable for the festival is also constantly played.

Visitors can also see a documentary featuring the phases in the construction of the sculptures.

In addition, children can attend workshops on building sand castles.

The exhibition is open every day between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m.