The legend of Birkan Uzun, who waved the flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the 5 highest summits of the world, has been immortalized with an acrylic painting on canvas by Kazakh artist Rakhat Saparalieva. The artwork is now exhibited to the public at the Walled City Museum.

When the photograph of Birkan Uzun waving the flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus on the summit of Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, appeared on the media, a big smile appeared on the faces of all Turkish Cypriots due to the great pride they had with the achievement of Birkan Uzun. Birkan Uzun, who passed away on January 1, 2022, when he was only 23 years old, decided to fly his country’s flag on the 7 highest summits of the world in 2016, and started from Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania walking towards this goal step by step in 5 years. When he climbed the summit of Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, on December 16, 2021, he had only two highest summits left to reach his goal. He planned to climb the Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia this year and finally to climb Everest in 2023.

We closed 2021 with the achievements of Birkan Uzun at his young age and the pride of his legendary climbs to shout out the name of his country to the whole world. On the first day of 2022, we received the news that we lost Birkan Uzun, who left us in indescribable pain.

The legend of Birkan Uzun, who showed the awareness and courage to announce the existence of the TRNC to the whole world by waving the flag of his country at the highest summits of the world at his young age, will live in the Walled City Museum. Kazakh artist Rakhat Saparalieva immortalized this great victory by reflecting the moment when Birkan Uzun recently erected the TRNC flag on the summit of Mount Vinson, the highest point in Antarctica, with acrylic paint on canvas. The work, which is now exhibited at the Walled City Museum, aims to immortalize the courage Birkan Uzun showed at his young age, and to continue to inspire Turkish Cypriot youth.