site.btaGraffiti Wall in Turkiye Bids for Guinness World Records

A graffiti wall in the town of Samandağ, Turkiye, an initiative led by local authorities, was nominated for the Guinness World Records. This initiative comes as part of the town's recovery after it suffered the tragic earthquakes on February 6, 2023. With Samandağ as the epicentre, the earthquakes caused devastating destruction across more than 11 districts in Southeastern Turkiye, resulting in over 50,000 fatalities.

Two years following the disasters, the residents of the town are once again drawing attention as they aim to secure a record in the Guinness World Records. Local authorities, in collaboration with the Hatay municipality and the coast guard headquarters, have transformed a 515-meter-long seawall at the local fishing pier into a vibrant mural. The artwork features iconic figures and beloved actors from the 1970s Yesilçam era. The mural also showcases various cartoon characters and marine life.

Information posted on the Hatay municipality website reveals that a team of artists from the municipality's Environmental Protection and Control Department took nine months to complete the mural. The municipality has submitted an application for the mural to be recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records for its unique size and content. The project is designed to boost tourism in the region.

The Samandağ beach, while not widely renowned, holds the distinction of being the world's longest sandy beach at 14 km and is also the longest public beach in Turkiye. Another lesser-known fact is that this is one of the few beaches in the eastern Mediterranean where the endangered loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) lay their eggs.