The event brought together many participants, including 40 athletes from the Muratpaşa Municipality Sports Club. Delegations visiting Antalya from all around the world for the festival also showed great interest in the race. Participants demonstrated their navigation skills in the course set up across Kaleiçi using maps and compasses.
At the starting point, competitors were given special maps showing the streets of Kaleiçi, marked with control points they needed to reach in sequence. As participants located each checkpoint, they scanned the electronic control device worn on their fingers at the stations, allowing real-time tracking of their progress and times. The race, filled with colorful scenes, saw competitors engage in a spirited contest while also discovering the enchanting history of Kaleiçi. Winners were awarded prizes at the end of the event.
Muratpaşa Municipality Orienteering Instructor İrem Halat noted that, in addition to the public event, 14 young athletes represented Muratpaşa Municipality in the U14 Turkish Orienteering Championship held in Antalya. One of the participants, Melis Evrim Atasoy, said she started this sport at a young age, adding, “It’s both physically engaging and mentally stimulating. Orienteering has improved my sense of direction and helped strengthen my memory.”
Meanwhile, Antalya hosted the U14 Turkish Orienteering Championship, organized by the Turkish Orienteering Federation. Awards for the top athletes in the first-stage races were presented by Antalya Governor Hulusi Şahin and Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal at the iconic Hadrian’s Gate (Üç Kapılar).
Congratulating all athletes who achieved success and devoted themselves to orienteering, Mayor Uysal said:
“There has been a remarkable restoration achievement in Kaleiçi. Our duty is to share it with the world — to produce more culture, more tourism, more work, and more passion. Our goal is to make Kaleiçi the most beneficial ancient city in our country. To achieve this, we’ve added sports activities to our Kaleiçi Old Town Festival this year. Orienteering is a developing, broad-based sport, and we aim to bring it up to international standards in the coming years. Each year, we will continue increasing our contributions to national sports, tourism, and trade, working tirelessly to elevate our city.”
Governor Hulusi Şahin also highlighted that Antalya is not only a city of tourism but also a city of sports, adding:
“Hopefully, we will make orienteering one of the most important sports in Türkiye.”
Following the award ceremony, Mayor Uysal visited the festival team performing their art at Hadrian’s Gate as part of the Kaleiçi Old Town Festival.
