Natura May - June 2011 | Page 43

Bilgi/Info 1 ease in which it can be polished has also made Burdur’s Beige a favorite in decoration and construction sectors. Its most common uses are as tiles in marble floors and walls, bathroom and poolside tiles, and marble staircases in public settings such as hotels, conference centers and shopping centers. It also presents a wide array of creative options for interiors with high design standards because of its natural characteristics, its harmonious and convenient color tones from smooth beige to brown, and surface texture varieties from plain to an assortment of grains and patterns. ındusTrY GrowTh and ınTernaTıonal Trade According to the Natural Stones Industry Report prepared by BAKA (Turkish Western Mediterranean Development Agency), there has been significant growth in Burdur’s marble industry within the past 11 years including 70 mine excavation sites, 100 mineral processing plants and 7 mineral processing machinery production factories. This provides employment for 4,250 workers, around 2000 working in the quarries and 2250 in the factories and other related aspects of the industry. Predictions indicate that around at least 40 millions of tons of marble is still residing within the available reserves, available for excavation and production. This is a meaningful number for an area where almost every bit of the landscape produces this hidden treasure, Burdur Beige. Data shows that just in year 2009, 4 million square meters of Beige marble production has been quarried. Its geologically optimal location along the AlpineHimalayan belt enables Turkey to have such a wealth in underground marble reserves. Combined with efficiency of Turkish marble sector’s industrial and distribution systems, Burdur Beige is one of the success stories of the Turkish stone sector. We can add to this the sea shipping possiblities from the Turkish ports in the Mediterranean which is also a plus for speedy and economic export, and a reason for Turkey’s well known leading position in global stone markets. Currently 85% of the produced Beige marble is exported from Turkey and 15% is sold nationally. 50% of Burdur Beige exportation is processed stone, while 30% is sold as blocks, and 20