Although modern life responds quickly to our needs and makes our lives easier, it can sometimes be tiring. Especially recently, everything has accelerated with the effect of globalization, which has actually turned into a disadvantage for us. Factors such as a fast work pace, fast consumption, air pollution, crowded and noisy environments, and getting away from nature make it more difficult to live in metropolitan areas with each passing day. In addition to those who can never give up on this pace, people who want to get closer to nature and slow down are increasing as well lately.
As someone who lives in a big city, I often go on this quest. Fortunately, I live in a district that is a little far from the central places of Istanbul. I try to live a slow and calm life in my own little environment, without getting caught up in the speed of globalization and consumerism, avoiding noisy, crowded environments and traffic. Of course, sometimes this may not be enough. For some of us, we dream of immersing ourselves in nature and living in an even smaller, less populated place, to earn our livelihood from natural resources. For all this and more, we often dream of living in one of the slow cities, a Cittaslow, that we have heard so much about recently.
So what is this Cittaslow? The Cittaslow concept is the combination of the Italian word "citta," meaning city, and the English word "slow." With the opening of the first McDonald's restaurant in Rome in 1982, the Cittaslow movement, which is a part of the slow food movement against fast food, aims to prevent rapidly globalizing cities from becoming similar to each other.
This association, which was founded in Italy in 1999, also aims to create cities where tradespeople, greengrocers and grocery stores are utilized, traditions and customs, crafts are protected, and a stress-free, healthy and peaceful life is maintained instead of simply opening more generic shopping malls.
The fact that a city receives the title of Cittaslow depends on meeting these criteria. The city needs to change its environmental and infrastructure policies, give importance to local production, agriculture, tradespeople, craftspeople, historical and natural artifacts, recycling, raise awareness of the people about historical and natural artifacts, adapt to slow food activities, and most importantly, the population should be less than 50,000.
While we dream of living in a place with all these criteria, we think that life flows more slowly in these self-sufficient places, which are a city that produces rather than consumes, and that life can be truly enjoyed.
For those who want to live a life in this way, I must say that 287 cities from 33 countries in the world have received the title of "Cittaslow" by complying with exactly 72 criteria. Twenty-one of them are in Türkiye, which has a completely different geography with its historical, natural beauties and assets on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and places quite suitable for the concept of a quiet city. Here are the slow cities located in different regions for those who want to live in Türkiye.
Mudurnu is a quiet city in the western Black Sea region. Mudurnu, which has been declared an "Urban Protected Area" due to the historical houses, mosques, fountains and baths it contains, also draws attention with its proximity to many nature parks. Lake Abant Nature Park, Lake Sülüklü Nature Park, Sarot Thermal Spring and the Mudurnu Historical Houses should definitely be added to your list of places to see. While you are in Mudurnu, which is connected to the province of Bolu, you can also visit Göynük, the other quiet city in this province. You can buy needlework from Mudurnu bazaars and handicrafts from the blacksmiths' bazaar. You should not return from Mudurnu without trying Mudurnu Palace Halva, which we know as regret-iye.
This charming district of Bolu is actually a typical Ottoman town. Here, traditional values are being kept alive in addition to the calmness and slowness of life in Göynük, which has managed to preserve the artifacts from the Ottoman Empire. You will be amazed by the architectural texture of Göynük, which has a history of almost 700 years. Göynük is home to untouched natural beauty like Lake Sünnet and the Çubuk Lakes as well as the art of fabric weaving and wood carving, which are still going strong. Declared an Urban Protected Area in 1987, Göynük also draws attention to its history, culture, nature, faith and thermal tourism.
Located in Sinop, Türkiye's happiest province, Gerze is almost like a fishing town in the Black Sea. You can come to Gerze and be one of the happiest people in the world. In Gerze, the farmers market set up on Fridays offers completely natural and organic products for sale. Don't leave this small fishing town with a deep blue sea and quaint coves without seeing Büyük Gerze Beach, the Fire Houses, Inaltı Cave and Istefan Harbor.
A slow and touristic city of the Black Sea region, Perşembe is home to many natural formations and historical structures. Do not return from this town, which is geographically a natural harbor, without seeing Hoynat Island, Yason Cape, the Yason Church and Çaka Beach. It is a favorite of those who want to slow down time with its countless and uniquely beautiful beaches, fresh fish and friendly residents in and around its center.
One of the smallest districts of Ankara, Güdül was named Türkiye's 18th slow city. Besides calmness and peace, you will admire nature and architecture in Güdül. The Inönü Caves, Sorgun Pond and Kirmir Valley are natural beauties you should see. Famous for its chickpeas, this slow city also has a deep-rooted history. It is said that the bath unearthed in the town of Çağa in this district is located on the pilgrim route from Europe to Jerusalem. Those who visit in the summer can come across the cherry festival in June and the Kapama Festival in July. You can try delicious local dishes at the Kapama Festival.
Lining the shores of Lake Van, this quiet city has hosted many different civilizations over the years. Ahlat, which offers a charming atmosphere in the eastern Anatolia region with its lakeside beaches, also attracts attention with its historical texture. While enjoying a quiet life in Ahlat, you can explore the Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery, which has been described as the "Orkhon Monuments of Anatolia" and is the world's largest Turkish-Islamic Cemetery on the UNESCO World Cultural Tentative List.
In addition to being a historical region, Halfeti draws attention with its mysterious underwater areas. Rumkale, Old Halfeti, Savaşan Village and the Suspension Bridge should definitely be on your list of things to see in this beautiful town. Halfeti's unique nature and canyons, home to endemic plant and insect species, including the dazzling black rose, are sure to fascinate you. You can also experience local dishes in a completely different atmosphere at the floating restaurants on the Euphrates River.
Uzundere, Türkiye's 11th Cittaslow city, is home to Tortum Waterfall, which is a candidate for UNESCO's World Heritage List and is the tallest waterfall in Türkiye. At the same time, you can experience a visual feast here by visiting Türkiye's longest and widest glass terrace. In the town, natural and historical landmarks, as well as a rich biodiversity, many endemic plants and butterfly species intermingle to create a wonderfully peaceful town.
Arapgir, which is home to many historical buildings, is a slow city in Malatya province. Arapgir Center, Eskişehir Valley and the neighborhood of Serge should definitely be on your list of things to see in Arapgir. Arapgir is also a gastronomic city, where you can find local flavors that have received geographical indications.
One of the cities on the Cittaslow Türkiye list that I recommend you to visit is Şavşat, a town in the eastern province of Artvin. Şavşat, which received the title of slow city in 2015, is a wonder of nature. There are many glacial lakes in Şavşat, which are very rich in terms of rivers. You can camp alone with nature in Sahara Karagöl National Park, located in Şavşat, which attracts the attention of nature lovers especially because of the presence of Karagöl Lake here.
Kemaliye, Türkiye's 21st Cittaslow, is a slow city in the eastern province of Erzincan. Kemaliye, located on the historical Silk Road route, has hosted many civilizations in the past. Kemaliye, which attaches great importance to the protection of cultural heritage and where you can see examples of Anatolia's cultural heritage, is also on UNESCO's Tentative World Heritage List.
Türkiye is like a Cittaslow paradise with its geographical conditions, natural beauty, deep-rooted history and people trying to protect all these.
