A “Walk Through Tulipa Cypria and Maronite Culture” took place in Kormakitis (Kormacit) / Koruçam Village on Sunday, March 20, 2022, from 10:00 to 14:00. The event was organised within the scope of Healthy Lifestyle 4 All Campaign, carried out with the support of the European Commission.

The event was launched in Kormakitis (Kormacit) / Koruçam Village Square Amphitheatre with an informative presentation on “Tulipa Cypria / Medoş Tulip”, one of the endemic treasures of Cyprus, delivered by Hasan Sarpten, President of the Cyprus Turkish Biologists Association for Research and Protection of Nature. Followed by a 2 hour walk towards the tulip valley passing through the streets of Kormakitis (Kormacit) / Koruçam which reflect the Maronite culture. During the walk, the participants were provided with information on Tulipa Cypria/Medoş Tulip, the local flora and fauna, and the natural richness of the island was highlighted.

In his speech, Sarpten stated that Medoş tulip bulbs propagate every year in March-April. However, their biotope is narrowing down due to wrong agricultural practices, chemicals used for weed control purposes and plucking. He added that Tulipa Cypria/Medoş Tulip has been under protection since 1998. Thus, picking, plucking and selling this  tulip is prohibited.

The event was concluded with a presentation on Maronite culture and SANNA language by Antonis Skoullos, one of the representatives of the Kormakitis (Kormacit) / Koruçam Community Center. In his presentation, Skoullos expressed that the Sanna language, a mixture of Arabic and ancient Aramaic languages, is probably one of the oldest legacies of the Maronite culture. “We are trying to encourage the youth to learn this language in order to prevent its disappearance, we compose songs and write books in the Sanna language. Sanna is our legacy, our history and we cannot aspire a future without it," said Skoullos.

The walk was organised within the framework of "Healthy Lifestyle 4 All" campaign. The European Commission launched the campaign designed to promote a healthy lifestyle across generations and social groups in September 2021. Aiming at improving the health and well-being of Europeans, the Commission aims with this campaign to raise awareness about active, healthy lifestyle priorities which foster active ageing, build resilience, social inclusion and connect generations.

Healthy Lifestyle 4 All is a two-year campaign being also implemented at local level with a score of activities since October 2021 with the slogan "Now is the time for #HealthyLifestyle4All, Be Active Across Generations". For more information about the campaign please visit https://www.abbilgi.eu/tr/hl4all.html and follow facebook.com/ABBilgi page to be informed about the activities related to the campaign.