In the period 05-07.03.2021, in the town of Yambol (Bulgaria), the first international event under the project “TRIP ” was held, the main purpose of which was to promote the sustainable use of historical and cultural heritage and resources in the field of religions in the cross-border region Yambol, Bulgaria – Suloglu, Turkey.
Yambol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as a project partner from Bulgaria, hosted and organized the event, and the organization from Suloglu, Turkey, which is the leading project partner – Suloglu District Governorship, joined the project activity with a delegation of around 30 representatives from Turkey, working in the field of protection of cultural and historical heritage, in the field of religions, from the region of Suloglu-Edirne (Turkey), representatives of public institutions, cultural and spiritual organizations, representatives from the cross-border region, interested and working on the project topic.
The project event was a three-day event entitled “Listen, learn and explore religion, religious traditions and customs, in person, in photos and videos.” The first day of the visit was a seminar and exchange of good practices between representatives from Turkey and representatives from Bulgaria. The historical and cultural heritage and resources in the field of religions in the cross-border region of Yambol, Bulgaria and the opportunities for their development in the field of tourism were presented. The seminar was attended by 30 representatives from Yambol, Bulgaria – showing interest in religious cultural heritage and its attractive presentation to foreign visitors to the region.
The second day of the international activity began with the presentation of an exhibition and videos prepared under the project, presenting the most interesting religious sites, customs and traditions from Yambol, Bulgaria and Suloglu-Edirne, Turkey, part of the historical and cultural heritage and religions resources in the cross-border region. Photos and videos are also available on the project website.
The afternoon of the second day, as well as the third day of the program of the event, continued with an organized visit for the representatives of the Turkish delegation to several sites, examples of the invaluable wealth of religions from the region of Yambol, Bulgaria – three Christian churches, a mosque and a Bulgarian monastery. The combination of organized visits proves the diversity of the religious and cultural heritage of the cross-border region.
The event provoked the interest of a large group of people and the general public about the importance of cultural and religious heritage and its place in the tourism sector. The project envisages more international events by the end of March 2021, which will again provide an opportunity for discussions and proposals in this area. More information about the dates and how to conduct them can be found on the project website- https://trip.yccibg.com/.
