Off-roaders to travel Turkey, show magic of Erzurum

By Yunus Hocaoglu

ERZURUM, Turkey (AA) - In a 40-day trip across Turkey, off-road enthusiasts will drive thousands of miles to promote their ancient hometown in their country with ruins dating back 7,000 years.

Members of the Erzurum Adventure Off-Road Outdoor Sports Club will travel 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles) and set up promotional kiosks about the eastern Turkish province in city squares across Turkey.

"We designed a project to service the motto 'Target: 1 Million Tourists'," Lokman Toptas, head of the club, told Anadolu Agency.

"We will continue our journey for 40 days and meet domestic and foreign tourists with the target of 15,000 kilometers of travel," Toptas added.

Members of the club will distribute leaflets written in 8 different languages about Erzurum’s natural and cultural heritage.

With its centuries-old written history, Erzurum's historical monuments, natural beauty and mystical texture receive substantial tourist attention. The province boasts seven famous lakes and a waterfall in Tortum and Uzundere, as well as the snow-covered Palandoken Mountain, Cifte Minareli (Double Minaret) Madrasa, Osvank Church and historical houses and tombs.

"Erzurum has an undiscovered nature," Topbas said, adding: "We want to show this both to the Turkish people and foreign tourists."

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur