- Title: TURKEY: Believers in the Mayan calendar prepare for the end of the world
- Date: 21st December 2012
- Summary: VARIOUS OF HOUSES
- Embargoed: 5th January 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Turkey
- City:
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA4KVOWOXCV9XZPUORXZBVX4A0L
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: More tourists arrived in the ancient Greek town of Sirince in western Turkey on Friday (December 21), believed to be one of the few places on earth not affected by doomsday and "the end of the world" allegedly outlined in the Mayan calendar.
Sirince is located in western Turkey near the ancient Ephesus ruins.
Most of the tourists said they chose to go to Sirince to have fun.
"They said that it is going to be the end of the world so we just thought that it is going to be a great opportunuty to have a party here. We thought that there are going to be a lot of people from all around the world so we thought it is going to be a great opportunity to meet with people so we are here. Just to have fun," a Turkish tourist Alp Ankircioglu said.
"We are here today for camping. Actually we are here for fun. We have hot water in our flasks, we brought herbal teas and we have food supplies for two days. We are here to have fun actually. We are here to observe what will happen," another Turkish tourist, Cagdas Yalciner said.
Infrastructure and security preparations are underway for doomsday.
However Turkish authorities were taking no chances, and safety and security precautions had been put in place in the village.
A field hospital was set up to attend to the injured and checkpoints were established at the village entry points to monitor people entering and leaving Sirince.
With numerous media organisations broadcasting from Sirince, and hundreds of police patrolling the streets - the number of people in the tiny village has swelled.
The end of the current Mayan calendar has sparked fears -almost entirely outside of Mexico and Central America - that it could spell the end of days, while others say it simply marks the start of a new cycle in the Mayan calendar.
The Mayan civilization thrived between 250 and 900 AD, and extended from modern day Honduras to central Mexico.
In May, a Reuters-Ipsos poll found that nearly 15 percent of people worldwide believe the world will end during their lifetime, while 10 percent think the Mayan calendar could signify that it will happen in 2012 - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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