Olive Route Project
Olive Road Project was carried out within the scope of the SIGHTSEEING ROUTES http://rota.yarimadaizmir.com/tr/
project of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
In the Ephesus – Mimas Road Culture Route Project carried out by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality in 2015, she voluntarily worked on the creation of the “Olive Road” under the coordination of Prof. Dr. R. Funda Barbaros and Ertan İplikçi from Zeytince, and contributed to the formation of the olive inventory of the Peninsula Region. During the field studies carried out in 75 villages in Selçuk, Seferihisar, Güzelbahçe, Urla, Çeşme and Karaburun districts, ancient olive trees, traditional olive oil workshops and ancient mills were identified. For Zeytince, who sees herself as the current heirs of ancient societies, this study also allowed the “human-nature” relationship to be questioned again. For the members of Zeytince Ecological Life Support Association, getting to know the ancient olive tree, olives, traditional and modern production techniques and being in their story has been a learning process in itself.
Olive is the common denominator of life in the Mediterranean basin. It has been in the life of the Mediterranean people since prehistoric times; it is the most characteristic product of the Izmir Peninsula with its culture, taste, and economic value. So much so that the first modern olive oil workshop in the world is in the ancient city of Klazomenai in Urla. This is why the journey of the olive on the Peninsula constitutes one of our thematic itineraries.
The route, which passes through Güzelbahçe, Çeşme, Seferihisar, Menderes and Selçuk districts, was created as a result of the work done by the representatives of the Zeytince Association. Monumental olive trees, olive oil workshops, water sources, olive oil factories, landscape/viewing terraces, olive crushing places, stones used in olive oil production, campsites, wells, windmills, and watermills were identified on the route. 68 olive trees, aged between 300 and 2000, became one of the most important indicators of the ancient olive culture of the Peninsula.
The route, which consists of 7 stages and brings olive passengers together with producers, connects to the “World Gourmet Cities Network” (DELICE), of which Izmir is a member. With the membership, which was realized in January 2015 with the partnership of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and Izmir Chamber of Commerce, Izmir, and therefore the Peninsula region was included in the gastronomic tourism route.
Olive Road Project was carried out within the scope of the SIGHTSEEING ROUTES rota.yarimadaizmir.com project of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality.
