AEGEAN'S UNDERWATER BEAUTIES TO BE SHOWN TO WORLD

Famous Japanese photographer Masakazu Akagi, who is serving as a private photographer for Japanese Prince Tohomito, has been in Turkey for 50 days to photograph underwater beauties around the Aegean town of Muğla. His videos will be aired on Japanese national television and photos will be published in various international magazines

World-renowned Japanese photographer Masakazu Akagi has photographed the 2,400-year-old underwater cultural treasures in the Aegean towns of Bodrum and Datça.
Akagi, 50, arrived in Turkey 50 days ago upon the invitation of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, and the Bodrum Culture and Arts Foundation, or BOSAV. Accompanied by BOSAV Chairman Tufan Turanlı, Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum Director Yaşar Yıldız and diver Ceren Yıldız, Akagi dove into a 2,400-year-old sunken ship. He also took pictures of the ancient cities of Turgutreis Yassıada, Myndos Port, Datça Knidos, İskender Cape, Fener Cape and Tavşan Cape in Gökova.
Akagi went on 45 dives into 30-80 meters of water in just 10 days, and spent a total of 12 hours making video footage, while taking nearly 4,000 photos. The shootings will be aired on the Japanese national TV station NHK in four separate episodes, and the photos will be published in National Geographic, Nature, Bay Nature and Geographic Magazine for two months.
Akagi, who is also working as a private photographer for Japanese Prince Tohomito, said the people of Japan and Turkey would come closer together, as a result of 2010 being the Japan Year in Turkey.
“I have dove into the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul, which sank off the coast of southern Japan 100 years ago, 400 times, saıd Akagi.”
“When I learned there were wreckages 2,000-3,000 years old in the Bodrum-Datça region, I accepted the invitation and came to Turkey. I have shown the underwater beauties of many countries, but I’ve never seen such cultural beauty as this. If these cultural and natural beauties are promoted well, many tourists who are interested in cultural tourism will rush to this region.”
Work will start next year
BOSAV Chairman Turanlı evaluated the films of the Japanese photographer, and said the work would be initiated next year to promote the underwater treasures of the Bodrum and Datça regions to the world. He said Akagi, by taking underwater photos of Ertuğrul Frigate in Japan for three years, has made a great contribution.
“Thanks to his photos and films, our historical values that have been hiding underwater for thousands of years will be displayed, and Bodrum and Gökova will be used in Japan for Turkey’s promotion,” Turanlı said.
Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum Director Yıldız said Turkey’s underwater cultural treasures drew great international interest from documentary filmmakers and many tourism agencies. He said the Culture Ministry invited the Japanese photographer to Bodrum in an attempt to show Turkey’s underwater beauties to the world.
“Celebrities like Paul Allen, Roman Abramovich and Pamela Anderson can see these riches with special permission,” saıd Yıldız. “With the projects we are preparing with the ministry, we will mark en era by opening these places to diving tourism. Since it will be too costly to unearth these wreckages and display them, we want to show them in their own natural environment. We don’t have the right to hide these historical sites. We have to share them with the world.”
HURRYET DAILY NEWS