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OVERVIEW

In 1993 the Kerkenes Project was inaugurated to study the Iron Age capital that had once stood on the Kerkenes Dağ which overshadows the Village of Sahmuratlı. From the outset the Project Directors were conscious that this international research project would have a positive impact on the village and the local area, and that it also had potential at regional and inter-regional level. A central concern was, and continues to be, that any impact, social, cultural and economic, should be for the benefit of the village and the region while also ensuring that the Cultural Heritage of the ancient city was not only preserved but also presented in meaningful ways to contemporary and future generations. Rising awareness of the importance of Kerkenes as a Cultural heritage resource is reflected in the growing number of tourists visit the site.

The Kerkenes Eco-Center Project was initiated in 2002 through the Australian Embassy Direct Aid Program. By 2003 it had grown into the concept of an Eco-Center devoted to research into and promotion of sustainable village life. The aim is to halt, and even reverse, migration from rural areas to urban centres. Advocating an environmentally friendly approach to the development and improvement of rural settlements, the project works closely with the Şahmuratlı Village and Kerkenes Association for Public Relations, Prosperity, Help and Support established to promote the welfare of the village. Official recognition of the Village Association was another significant milestone opening up more avenues for the implementation of future programmes.
 
 
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