The 17th International Tourism Cartoon Competition, held under the theme “Şanlıurfa: A Century at Every Step, a Secret in Every Century,” has announced its winners. The competition attracted 570 works by 337 artists from 48 countries. Hamid Ghalijari of Iran won first prize in the adult category, while Elif Kıyak of Türkiye took the top award in the youth category.

Organised by Anatolia Tourism Academy and the Türkiye Tourism Encyclopedia, with Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality as the main sponsor, the competition brought the city’s historical, cultural and gastronomic heritage to an international audience through cartoon art.

Artists explored subjects including Göbeklitepe, Balıklıgöl, Harran, Halfeti, Şanlıurfa’s musical traditions and its local cuisine. Their works interpreted the city’s tourism attractions through humour and visual storytelling, bringing together perspectives from different countries and cultures.

Following assessments by the preliminary and final juries, Hamid Ghalijari received first prize in the adult category, Oleksiy Kustovsky of Ukraine placed second, and Nahid Maghsoudi of Iran placed third. The Professor Atila Özer Special Award went to Iranian artist Ali Rastroo.

In the youth category, Turkish artists Elif Kıyak, Oğuz Doğan and Defne Demirci received first, second and third prizes, respectively. The youth category was open to artists aged 16 and under, while participants aged 17 and above competed in the adult category.

First held in 2009, the International Tourism Cartoon Competition explores a different tourism-related theme each year. Previous editions have addressed tourism and peace, travel memories, airports, tourism workers, women in tourism, space tourism, and relationships between visitors and local communities.

According to figures shared by the organisers, the competition received 12,445 works from 5,755 artists representing more than 60 countries during its first 16 years. During that period, 226 jury members from different countries contributed to the selection process, and more than 100 award-winning artists were welcomed to Türkiye.

Winning and finalist works reach audiences through printed and online albums, as well as exhibitions. To date, the competition has organised 97 exhibitions, encompassing physical venues and online presentations. Exhibition locations have included educational institutions, airports, hotels, arts centres and public spaces.

Competition Coordinator Professor Nazmi Kozak said the city-focused theme contributed to the international promotion of Şanlıurfa and Türkiye through art. He emphasised that works by artists from different parts of the world highlighted intercultural dialogue and shared human experiences.

Further information is available on the official International Tourism Cartoon Competition website.