It has been an honor to award the City of Tarsus with Golden Apple. A lesser known but very fascinating city of Turkiye, located in the region of Mersin received the FIJET 2025 Golden Apple or “La Pomme d’Or” Award for an exceptional synergy of natural, historical and traditional heritage which greatly helps the destination for a sustainable tourism as well.
Tarsus, which has been the meeting point of civilizations, throughout history, is now once again on the world tourism stage. Tarsus is an ancient city with a history of 10 thousand years, a city that has hosted many civilizations and bears the traces of important personalities such as Saint Paul. 
Delal Atamdede, FIJET Türkiye – Aturjet president, on the floor.
FIJET World Federation of Travel Journalists and Writers has announced that the 2025 winner of the prestigious “Golden Apple” award will goes to Tarsus, an ancient city in Turkey’s Çukurova region. The Golden Apple – a modern prize worthy of ancient legend!
This honour, presented to destinations that make an outstanding contribution to global tourism understanding and peace, signals Tarsus’s rebirth as a world heritage site.
A ceremony to elevate the profile of Tarsus as a city internationally took place in the city from April 22nd to 24th, 2025. FIJET hosted this event with the support of the Turkish Association of Tourism Writers and Journalists (TYGD), thus garnering both national and international support.
A city steeped in antiquity, Tarsus has maintained the same name for over 2,500 years, making it one of the rare cities in the world with an uninterrupted historical identity. It is often referred to as a cradle of civilizations, having been ruled by Hittites, Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, and Ottomans—each leaving behind a deep cultural imprint. Legend even claims that Mark Antony and Cleopatra once met in Tarsus, on the banks of the Cydnus River, in a meeting that changed the course of ancient history. 
In addition to this mythic allure, Tarsus holds great relevance in Christian history as the birthplace of Saint Paul the Apostle, one of the most influential figures in early Christianity. This makes the city a vital stop for faith-based travellers and scholars from around the world.
