Ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey rented out by local municipality for private organizations

Listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Centers, the ancient city of Ephesus located in Selçuk district of İzmir in Turkey has been allowed by the local governance to be rented out to public to be used as a venue for private organizations, such as weddings, seminars, etc.

According to report of Göksu Güncü from BirGün, the deputy director of culture and tourism directorate in İzmir, Kaan Erge, gave a statement about it as it was revealed through photos of a wedding at the site shared on social media. In his statement, Erge said the site – which is an ancient city with ruins dating back to 6000 B.C. – has indeed been rented out, time to time, for private organizations. These organizations had ‘touristic concepts’ and were held in hours after the official visiting times.

Recent photographs shared and received reaction on social media, however, reflected that the site was being allowed to be used for events not related to touristic activity. Furthermore, the kinds of activities held carry the risk of giving damage to the site, the people said in their criticism.

The official website of the Selçuk municipality, which is run by the ruling AKP (Justice and Development Party) also had a price list for renting the site for different kinds of activities, including weddings.

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/efes-harabeleri-sunnet-salonuna-cevrildi-167077.html