30/01/2010
Casa Asia augurs the spirit of Marco Polo and would like to invite young people from Spain to venture in the lands of Asia using the vehicle of word, and for this the Marco Polo Award was created. Casa Asia, within the framework of the Observatory of Central Asia and in collaboration and sponsorship of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Madrid, calls for the Marco Polo literary contest for the best essay about Kazakhstan as a bridge between Europe and Asia, addressed to students of 3rd and 4th year of Obligatory Secondary Education (ESO).
The award consists of a trip to Kazakhstan for a student, accompanied by their parents. The best essays will be published at Virtual Casa Asia and at the website of the Observatory of Central Asia (www.asiacentral.es). The purpose of the award is to awaken the interest for the Asian continent and to raise awareness among students of the importance this continent could be in their future.
Kazakhstan: Between Europe and Asia
Casa Asia has chosen Kazakhstan for the second edition of the Marco Polo Award for being one of the youngest countries of Asia and, at the same time, for being heir of a great historical and cultural heritage unknown in Spain.
Geographically, Kazakhstan adjacents to the Caucasian Europe, Russia, China and with the majority of Central Asian lands. For this reason, from time immemorial, in its lands paths of communications, civilizations, religions and ideologies converge. This way, Kazakhstan is a passing by place and meeting point of Asia and Europe and of the East and the West. In the different stages of its history, in the land of Kazakhstan stages with genuine cultural history have been shaped and developed, heir of the nomad traditions of the Central Asian steppes present in oral transmission literature, in cooking and traditional art.
Currently, its capital is Astana; placed to the north of the country. Astana is a young city, created in 1997, which includes buildings through for some of the most acknowledged international architects. Almaty, in the south, is the former capital and is still the centre of business of the country par excellence. Around Almaty, anciently 'Alma Ata' (translated from Kazak language as 'Father of Apples'), camels went through the silk routes that merchants traced between the Far East to our Mediterranean Sea in the ancient times and probably one of the points of the Marco Polo route in its discovery of the Far East.
The date for presenting originals begins on the 30th of January and ends on the 30th of April 2010. All the essays that are received after those dates will not enter the contest.
The originals will be sent in three copies to:
Premio Marco Polo
Casa Asia
Programas Educativos
Av. Diagonal, 373
08008 Barcelona
> Complete requirements of the call (PDF format)