Istanbul’s bustling Beyoglu district, which has long been the center of the city’s dynamic cultural and artistic scene, is hosting the Beyoglu Culture Route Festival, which will be the largest cultural event in Turkey.
The two-week festival kicks off today on Turkey’s national holiday, Republic Day, with the opening ceremony of the newly built Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM) on Taksim Square and will run until November 14th.
The large-scale event will take place in different places: from the newly built Galataport (large-scale urban development project in the historic passenger port area of Karakoy), the historic Tophane building, the Galata Tower, various cultural centers, museums and AKM. This will be a nearly 3.5-kilometer route dotted with historical and cultural events.
More than 1,000 artists will take part in the festival, in 64 places, with 40 exhibitions and special projects, 75 concerts, 45 workshops and 25 artistic and literary talks. A special mobile application has been developed for the festival, where users can receive information about upcoming events, find those closest to them, receive information about places, directions, the latest art news and updates on social networks.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the festival is planned to be held twice a year in the autumn and spring.
The organizers are trying to turn the festival into an international brand for Istanbul and Turkey. The main goal is to double the number of venues, artists and events for the festival next spring, Ersoy said.
The Minister also expressed hope that the festival will serve as an important stage in the return to the normalization of events in the field of culture and arts after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ersoy said the festival’s route includes various projects undertaken by the ministry, municipalities and private participants. The ministry alone has invested more than 2.5 billion pounds ($ 260 million) in five historic projects along the route, Ersoy said.
The largest project in the festival is that of the Galata Tower. After the restoration of the iconic 14th-century building, which is now a museum, the number of visitors has quadrupled, coinciding with the number of visitors to Topkapi Palace, the minister said.
Undoubtedly the most impressive and curious object will be the AKM complex. Istanbul’s Performing Arts Center is finally opening its doors to visitors today after a 13-year hiatus for its complete refurbishment. Ersoy said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked for a special new stage to be composed to mark the opening, the Sinan opera, based on the life of a 16th-century architectural genius. It will be performed in front of the audience for the first time tonight. President Erdogan will be among the guests.
