El valor de la comunicación en la sociedad mediática

The parks and open spaces examined in this section are Atatürk Culture Park, Atatürk Park, Karaalioğlu Park and Falez Park together with Cumhuriyet and Konyaaltı squares. The location of these parks and squares can be seen below:

Figure 28. Locations of main parks and open spaces

Atatürk Culture Park

Atatürk Culture Park is located to mid-west of the city between the Beach Park of Konyaaltı Beach and Yüzüncü Yıl and Dumlupınar Avenues. It is separated from the Beach Park with 40-50 m. rocky cliffs with Atatürk Culture Park being established on the cliffs. Opened in 1997, it is the largest public green space of Antalya with an area of 800.000 m².

Antalya Atatürk Culture Centre and Sabancı Glass Pyramid Congress and Expo Centre are in this park. International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival, International Piano and Jazz Festival as well as National Labour Film Festival, Landscape Expo and Jewellery Expo are important events that are held regularly in Atatürk Culture Park. There also other activities organised by professional chambers such as International Architecture Biennial, Machine Engineers Chambers and Civil Engineers Chambers Fair.

Facilities within the park are indoor exhibition area, meeting rooms, outdoor and indoor cafeterias. One of the most important landscape features in the park is a pond with a size of

12.000 m². Two open-air theatres of 3.500 and 1.000 people, two playgrounds, and two big parking lots are other facilities in the park (Saatcı, 2009).

Figure 29. Atatürk Culture Park, main entrance (left), main open air activity area (right)

Timing, purpose and density of the use of Atatürk Culture Park vary during the day and seasons. Inhabitants of neighbouring quarters come for jogging in the morning, in the late afternoon and at weekends. Cafes and green spaces in the park are used by inhabitants all around the city. Occasional festivals and exhibitions attract more people from the administrative districts of Antalya province and even from other provinces.

A unique combination of both native vegetation and ornamental plants make Atatürk Culture Park a living laboratory in terms of species diversity and natural structure of the landscape. Most typical Mediterranean plants in the park are Pinus brutia, Quercus coccifera, Olea

europea, Phillyrea latifolia, Pistacia lentiscus, Pistacia terebinthus, Ruscus aculeatus, Euphorbia paralias, Daphne seriacea, Daphne oleoides, Myrtus communis, Ceratonia siliqua, Smilax aspera.

As Atatürk Culture Park is home to many events, a great number of ornamental plants with their colourful flowers, foliage, barks, fruits and forms were widely used. Among the common trees are Phoenix canariensis, Washingtonia filifera, Ficus refusa-nitida, Eucalyptus

camaldulensis, Cupressus arizonica var glauca, Erythrina crista-galli and Jacaranda mimosifolia.

Some of the bird species observed in the park are Corvus corax, Streptopelia turtur,

Pycnonotus barbatus, Fringilla coelebs, Erithacus rubecula, Passer domesticus, Passer moabiticus, Petronia petronia, Motacilla cinerea, Motacilla alba, Pycnonotus barbatus.

Artificial pond in the park is home for many domestic ducks Anas platyrhynchos, Cairina

moschata and presumably some migratory birds during migration seasons.

Typical paving materials in the park are concrete parquet, slate, concrete slab and asphalt. Travertine stones were also used in the construction.

Figure 30. Pond (left) and an example from avifauna, Pycnonotus barbatus (right)

Atatürk Park

Located on the high coastal rocky cliffs at the centre of the city, Atatürk Park covers an area of 190.000 m2 (Ortaçeşme et al., 2001). Since Atatürk Park was established over natural vegetation by 1980’s, it is home to many native species.

The park has an undulated topography. In general, it is sloped from north to south and from east to west. In some sections, there are deep ditches, depressions and sudden topographical changes. The vegetation cover of the park consists of both natural and cultural species. Cultural species are seen in the designed parts, while maquis species are dominant in natural parts. The park is rich in woody species numbered to 100. In addition, there are many herbaceous and bulbous-rhizomatous species. Since it has partly conserved its natural characteristic, it has a rich fauna. Some 50 bird species were observed in fall and winter seasons (Sayan et al. 2003, Ortaçeşme et al. 2004).

The coastal cliffs on which the park was established were taken under protection in 1979 by the Higher Council for the Protection of Monuments and Antiquities. Later in 1998, all park area was given the status of Natural Heritage Site.

Figure 31. Undulated paths and a cafe in Atatürk Park

By a recent revision on the design project, more commercial facilities such as restaurants, cafes, clubs as well as more trails and viewpoints introduced to the park. Today, the park is characterized by restaurants and cafes. Inhabitants of the neighbouring quarters use the park for walking and jogging.

Karaalioğlu Park

Karaalioğlu Park is located in the heart of the city next to the Old Town. It stretches between the most stylish street of Antalya, namely Işıklar Street, and the Mediterranean Sea. It covers an area of 48.000 m² on 35-40 m high rocky sea cliffs. Antalya Metropolitan Municipality is within the park and Antalya City Stadium is next to the park.

Established as the very first public space in Antalya City by 1940’s, Karaalioğlu Park symbolises the Republic Period. Due to its historical, cultural and natural values, it was given the status of Natural Heritage Site in 1991. It is one of the symbols of Antalya and visited by people whoever comes to the city. Situated almost in the heart of city centre, Karaalioğlu Park provides an organic relation between the city and overlooking regional environment and adds to the city’s identity. Every year an International Sculpture Festival and local activities such as Ramadan Feasts are held in this park.

Karaalioğlu Park has a number of significance: it is an urban park with its big size and various activities; it is a coastal park with picturesque scenery of the Taurus mountains and the Mediterranean Sea; it is a historical park of 70 years old; and it is a diverse park with over 120 ornamental plants and many native plant species (Sayan et al., 2000).

Figure 33. A panoramic viewpoint (left) and a domesticated parrot (right) in Atatürk Park

Falez Park

Falez Park is located on the coastal rocky cliffs to the mid-east of Antalya City centre covering more than 5.000 m2. Divided by urban land uses, Falez Park has significance with picturesque sea and coastal scenery.

Common public uses in the park are morning walks, sightseeing from view points and picnic especially at weekends. There are playgrounds, cycling and walking trails, an artificial lake, an ornamental pool, sport grounds, a number of cafes and restaurants in the park. Plant cover is characterised by rocky vegetation on cliffs, macchia, reed beds and a great number of exotic species on the designed parts of the park.

Cumhuriyet Square

Cumhuriyet Square is oldest public square in Antalya City. It is a focal meeting point in the city centre and one of the strong symbols dedicated to Antalya City. Almost all national ceremonies, public activities are held in this square. National Rising Monument was placed in Cumhuriyet Square in 1965. With extension and revision of the square in 2006, total size increased to 1.500 m2. A two-storey car park for tourist buses and automobiles was constructed under the square. Water features were also added.

Figure 35. National Rising Monument in Cumhuriyet Square

Due to its location and accessibility, it is used by local inhabitants as well as by foreign and domestic tourists at any time of the day and year. Special lightening design and water features facilitate public use of the square at night. Situated at 35-40 meters high from the sea level, Cumhuriyet Square provides perfect scenery of the Old Town (Kaleiçi) and surroundings.

Figure 36. Views of some landmarks and the Old Town area from Cumhuriyet Square

Materials used on the pavement are different coloured andesite, travertine and granite (Aykurt, 2010). Due to its formal use, many ornamental plants, particularly shaped plants were used in Cumhuriyet Square.

Konyaaltı Square

Konyaaltı Square was established in an area of 27.500 m2 _{on Konyaaltı coastline in 2006. It}

is a combination of a public park and a square. The size of the square itself is around 10.000 m2. There are a great a number of cafes, restaurants and clubs around the square and, therefore, apart from some individual public ceremonies and festivals, it is used mainly by commercial activities. Public use in the square concentrates mainly in the evening.

Figure 37. Konyaaltı Square

Materials used on the pavement are sandstone, mosaic, natural stone, slate stone, granite and different colours of concrete.

Plant species are mainly newly introduced ornamental species, but some mature Plane trees (Platanus orientalis) dominate the park and square. Among other ornamental species are

Photonia fraseri, Pittosporum tobira, Ligustrum vulgare, Prunus cerasifera, Malvaviscus pendula, Pyracantha coccinea, Phoenix dactylifera, Nerium oleander, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Acacia cynaphylla, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Thuja orientalis.

Some of the bird species observed in the park were Corvus corax, Pycnonotus barbatus,

Erithacus rubecula, Passer domesticus, Passer moabiticus, Streptopelia decaocto, Petronia petronia, Motacilla cinerea, Motacilla alba.