The question about the reason of the existence of the living has always been a question of deep philosophical significance, not to ask, would mean to escape reality. Man as a thinking being can understand the reasons for the existence of the natural life through precise inspection and observation. Were you aware that the colourful butterflies are divided into two groups, the true butterflies and the moth-butterflies? And that butterflies can have an extremely fine sense of smell and taste and that a male butterfly may smell a female butterfly over a distance of five kilometres? I did not know it, but now I know, that there is much more to discover ...
Colourful, seemingly weightless and elegant as they are, universally butterflies are considered as a symbol of beauty and freedom. For kids, butterflies are a kind of flying visualization of joy. For artists, they are a symbol of purity. Therefore, in our book we would like to present also a painting of Orhan Coplu, an artist from Antalya. His works, which often show butterflies, are exhibited in museums and art galleries around the world.
In Antalya you can observe butterflies almost throughout the year, because here three seasons are spring and the other is summer. Even in comparison to European countries only the Antalya region is remarkably rich in endemic plants and flowers. Another wealth of Antalya is the species diversity of butterflies. In total, we recorded 183 species, three of which are endemic. With this Antalya exceeds in species richness many European countries.
Prof. Olcay Yegin, head of the small group of Amateur Butterfly Researchers of the Antalya region, has inspired us with his reports to the publication of this book. It is the mission of our Foundation to research, document and protect the cultural and natural values of our region. Under the title "Homeland Antalya" we have gathered already information about the local cuisine, the typical Döşemealtı nomadic carpets and our endemic flowers and plants. Of course it is not sufficient to document Antalya’s butterflies only scientifically, or to just report on this wealth of nature. Their protection is also of great importance. The protection of our natural values and the sensitivity about it, have to be considered as a challenge for all of us.
We may esteem butterflies as a kind of environmental barometer - and diminishing butterfly populations as an indicator of lessen environmental values in a region. The protection and preservation of our natural values are a prerequisite for sustainable tourism.
