OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOURISM AND DIALOGUE BETWEEN CIVILISATIONS: Rums' Religious Fairs on the Islands of Gokceada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos), Turkey

This study concerns religious fairs that, in Turkey, are mainly limited to the islands of Gokceada and Bozcaada. Continued by the resident Greek minorities (Rums), these traditional fairs attract the interest of not only off-island Rum communities but also of the Turkish public in general. Recently, the fairs' religious, social, and cultural aspects have developed economic and political dimensions. Besides providing new opportunities for faith tourism in these small-economy islands, the fairs also prepare the ground for cultural and economic partnerships between Greece and Turkey. The cultural characteristics of Gokceada and Bozcaada could set a global example for developing dialogue between civilizations. The centuries-old Greek Orthodox tradition of island fairs could function as a bridge between neighbouring civilizations today. These two Turkish islands in the North Aegean await the world's interest and continue to contribute to positive relations between Greece and Turkey.