The “Samsun Kurtuluş Yolu” (Independence Road) project, coordinated by Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), has once again been awarded support for the third time under the TÜBİTAK 2237-A Scientific Education Activities Support Program.
Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Cevdet Yılmaz, Head of the Geography Education Department at OMU’s Faculty of Education, the project brings together 20 participants—students and faculty members from geography, history, and social studies departments of 10 universities—for a five-day educational program.
Speaking at the program held at Samsun Teachers’ Guesthouse, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz emphasized that the “Kurtuluş Yolu” is a valuable element of cultural heritage that plays a significant role in fostering national consciousness. He stressed that this historical route should be actively integrated into extracurricular educational activities to instill patriotism and a sense of national identity in younger generations.
Prof. Dr. Yılmaz also noted that “Kurtuluş Yolu” has been included in Samsun’s tourism master plan and stated that, with effective promotion, the route could become a major tourism destination for the city.
On the first day of the program, participants received a series of theoretical lessons.
• Prof. Dr. Nedim İpek from the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, gave a lecture on the factors leading up to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s arrival in Samsun and the state of the Ottoman Empire during that period.
• Following that, Prof. Dr. Cevdet Yılmaz delivered a lecture titled “The Geographical Location and Features of the City of Samsun,” discussing the geographical motivations behind Atatürk’s choice of Samsun.
• Prof. Dr. Ali Uzun, Chair of OMU’s Geography Department, shared insights into the morphological features of the Kurtuluş Yolu and the Samsun coastline.
• The final session of the day was led by Dr. Ercan Yalçın, Vice Chair of OMU’s Common Courses Department, who presented on the intelligence operations conducted by Mustafa Kemal Pasha in Samsun.
As part of the educational program, participants will conduct fieldwork at several historically significant locations in Samsun, including:
• Tobacco Pier (Tütün İskelesi)
• İlkadım Monument
• Panorama Museum
• Gazi Museum
• Bandırma Ferry Museum
• Statue of Honor (Onur Anıtı)
• City Museum
On the third day, the program will feature lessons on how the Kurtuluş Yolu can be utilized in both extracurricular education and tourism. On the fourth day, a commemorative journey will be held, following a historically significant route including:
• Tobacco Pier
• Kazancı Site
• Çakallı Taşhan (Çakallı Stone Inn)
• Kurtköprü
• Üçhanlar (Three Inns)
• Havza Atatürk House
• Eight-Arched Flour Mill (Sekiz Göz Un Değirmeni)
LISTEN