University Students Discover Bornova’s History

Bornova Municipality organized an award-winning historical discovery competition, consisting of nine stops and accompanied by guides, to help university students visiting İzmir for the first time get to know the city. In this exciting race, which began at Abide-i Hürriyet Square and ended at the municipal building, students followed clues by communicating with local residents instead of using smartphones. After the event, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki welcomed the young participants to his office and said: “Through this competition, we enabled our young people who have recently arrived in our city to explore the streets of Bornova in detail and discover our historical heritage firsthand in an enjoyable way.”

Bornova Municipality organized a unique event to bring together young people who had moved to the city after being admitted to universities in İzmir for the first time this year, while also introducing them to the district’s rich history in an entertaining way. Twelve young people enrolled in university preparatory and first-year programs and benefiting from the Gülşah Durbay Youth Center competed fiercely against the clock in four teams in the “In Pursuit of Clues: Bornova” competition. As they solved clues and searched for nine historical landmarks, the teams experienced exciting moments throughout Bornova’s streets.

Mayor Gives the Starting Signal: No Mobile Phones, Communication with Residents Encouraged

The competition, held on October 23, 2026, at 14:00, attracted considerable interest and began at the historic Abide-i Hürriyet Square. Contestants received their first envelopes from Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki, and the historical discovery journey began with the sound of the whistle blown by the Mayor himself.

The competition rules were particularly noteworthy: teams had a total of seven minutes to answer the question at each stop. During the first five minutes, participants were prohibited from using mobile phones or artificial intelligence applications. Instead, they had to speak with local shopkeepers and Bornova residents to solve the clues and find the correct answers. Digital assistance was permitted only during the final two minutes.

A Nine-Stop Historical Marathon Through Bornova

The teams, identified by the colors Yellow, Red, Black and Orange, completed their routes by solving clues leading to these nine landmarks that form part of Bornova’s collective memory:

1. Abide-i Hürriyet Square

2. September 9 Martyrs’ Cemetery

3. Football Player Statue

4. Literature Museum Library

5. Arkas Art Bornova

6. Dramalılar Mansion

7. Atatürk Library

8. Governor Kazım Dirik Statue

9. Bornova Municipality Service Building

Photo Finish Determines the Winner: Thermos Mugs and Nutuk as Prizes

The Yellow and Red teams, both striving to complete the route in the shortest time with the fewest penalty points, finished with identical scores based on time and answer evaluations. However, the Yellow Team, which reached the municipal building and submitted its answers first, secured victory by a matter of milliseconds.

At the end of the competition, Mayor Ömer Eşki welcomed all participants to his office and presented thermos mugs to the members of the winning Yellow Team. All students who took part in the competition and explored Bornova’s history were also given a copy of Nutuk (The Great Speech), the immortal work of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, along with a special notebook and a calendar.

Mayor Eşki: “We Strengthen Young People’s Sense of Belonging to the City Through Culture and Entertainment”

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki, who personally gave the starting signal and later welcomed the winning teams to his office, highlighted the importance of the project:

“Bornova is a city of culture and universities, with a history spanning thousands of years. We did not want the young people setting foot in our city for the first time to see it as nothing more than university lecture halls. Through this competition, they explored our streets in detail, discovered our historical heritage firsthand, and took their first steps toward becoming part of our city by engaging directly with the people of Bornova. We will continue to expand these youth-focused activities, where culture, entertainment and solidarity come together.”