More than 5,000 costumed folk dancers performed the traditional Black Sea horon dance simultaneously in Istanbul on June 28, earning a place in the Guinness World Records.
The record attempt, organized by the Turkish Folk Dance Federation in the Maltepe district, brought together participants from across the country under the slogan “Horon is ours.”
Before the performance, Guinness World Records’ Türkiye representative Şeyda Subaşı outlined the official rules for the attempt.
Addressing the crowd, Istanbul Governor Davut Gül described the gathering as one of the country’s “most beautiful scenes,” stressing the importance of preserving and passing on Türkiye’s cultural traditions to future generations.
“Horon is ours, halay is ours and everything that belongs to these lands is ours,” he said, adding that he conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s congratulations and appreciation to the participants.
At the sound of the starting signal given by Gül, 5,000 performers dressed in traditional costumes formed a massive dance circle and performed the energetic horon continuously for approximately three minutes before awaiting the judges’ decision.
Following the evaluation, Subaşı announced that the Turkish Folk Dance Federation had successfully secured a new Guinness World Record in the Turkish Folk Dance category, prompting celebrations as participants resumed dancing.
Federation President Hüseyin Güler hailed the event as a landmark cultural gathering that showcased national unity and commitment to preserving traditional folk dances. He also announced plans to pursue another record next year by bringing together 15,000 participants in the western province of İzmir to perform the traditional zeybek dance simultaneously.
Maltepe Mayor Esin Köymen, who said she has roots in the Black Sea province of Rize, expressed confidence that the record attempt would succeed and welcomed the opportunity for the district to host the historic event.
