English Translation

In 2022, in honor of the birthday of the Fisherman of Halicarnassus (Halikarnas Balıkçısı), April 17th was officially declared “Merhaba Day” (Hello Day) by the Mayor of Bodrum at the time, Ahmet Aras. Following this, the “International Merhaba Day Logo Competition” was organized in 2023, with the awards presented to their winners in 2024. As of 2025, efforts have been launched to celebrate Merhaba Day for the first time. The Bodrum Maritime Museum, operating under the Bodrum Municipality, is bringing this project to life with the special collection and archives of the Fisherman of Halicarnassus, continuing to preserve and promote his cultural legacy.

The Fisherman’s “merhaba”—reflecting his humanitarian stance toward the people of the world, animals, plants, and all living beings—deserves to be better known, commemorated, felt, and kept alive. Driven by this vision and under the leadership of the Bodrum Maritime Museum, April 17th, the birthday of the Fisherman, is celebrated as “Merhaba Day” with the goal of bringing his greeting to wider audiences.

While “World Hello Day” has been celebrated globally every November 21st since 1973, it was, in fact, a life motto that the Fisherman had adopted and strived to popularize long before. Although World Hello Day is celebrated independently of the Fisherman’s specific mission and vision, it may well have been a product of his international relations; while there is no definitive evidence yet, the fact that World Hello Day began the very year the Fisherman passed away presents a poignant irony.

Within the scope of the Merhaba Day celebrations, events will continue at Maison Magi on April 25-26. We invite everyone to be a part of this meaningful gathering, to feel and sustain the Fisherman’s “merhaba” together.