The “Cultural Heritage Bridge from Göbeklitepe to Mostar” Project has been successfully implemented.
The project was carried out with the participation of 35 youth workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Türkiye, Spain, Italy, and Germany. Participants met in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to explore shared cultural heritage from the perspective of their diverse cultural backgrounds. For the purposes of the project, it was essential that youth workers possess both knowledge of and interest in cultural heritage. To promote learning to learn, experiential learning methods were employed throughout the project, including icebreaker activities, group work, cultural heritage tours, and cultural heritage presentations. In this way, all participants actively engaged in the activities through experiential learning techniques. Additionally, the project prioritized disadvantaged individuals and included components that promoted diversity and social inclusion.
The primary aim of the workshop was to enable participants to update their knowledge of cultural heritage and to acquire new insights through research. In this regard, the project encompassed a variety of activities. First, under the heading “Let’s Recognize and Protect Our Cultural Heritage,” participants were asked to produce short films. The completed films were shared on social media platforms and websites, allowing the project to reach a wider audience and fulfill its objectives.
As part of the project, a panel titled “Bosnia from Past to Present: History, War, and Social Traumas” was held at the International University of Sarajevo under the moderation of Prof. Dr. Emel Topçu. During the panel, experts in their fields delivered presentations related to the themes of the project. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Almasa Mulalić presented “Bosnia: A Perspective on History and Culture,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selvira Draganović presented “War and Post-War Traumas in Bosnia,” and Dr. Serap Fiso delivered a presentation on “Identity Construction of Forcibly Displaced Persons in the Post-War Context.” These presentations received considerable appreciation.
Ensuring the protection of cultural heritage and fostering awareness of this responsibility among individuals were of significant importance to the project. In this context, a presentation titled “The Sociology of Göbeklitepe” was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Gülerce, and a workshop on “Protecting Cultural Heritage in Times of Crisis” was conducted under the leadership of young participant Amr Mustafa Alhasan.
Furthermore, participating youth workers were divided into groups to prepare policy documents. Young participants were actively involved in this process and delivered presentations. During our visit to the Yunus Emre Institute’s Mostar Branch, which plays an important role in promoting Türkiye’s cultural heritage worldwide, an interview was held with Consul General Yaşar Ergün. Through the project, participants had the opportunity to explore the rich cultural heritage of Mostar. In addition, during the cultural fair, which brought together all partner countries, participants were able to present their own cultural traditions while also discovering those of others.