63rd Troia Festival opens amid the ruins of Troy

ÇANAKKALE

Mayor Muharrem Erkek presents the ‘Homer Science, Culture and Art Award’ to Turkish artist and writer Zülfü Livaneli (L). (AA photo)

The 63rd International Troia Festival has officially kicked off amid the legendary ruins of Troy, brought to life by the Çanakkale Municipality.

Speaking at the ceremony, Çanakkale Mayor Muharrem Erkek said the city was not merely a city but the shared memory of humanity.

“On these lands, Homer is heard and felt more than he is read because Troy is not made up of stones. Troy is the first great stage on which humanity told its own story. Perhaps this is why we still feel so close to Troy. Thousands of years have passed, yet the human being on the stage has hardly changed,” Erkek said.

He highlighted how Çanakkale, celebrated today as a “city of peace,” renewed its festival tradition at the ancient Odeon of Troy while broadcasting a timeless call to the world: “Let peace be our culture.”

“Today also marks the 111th anniversary of the Anafartalar Victory. May it be celebrated. Just as the Trojan War took place thousands of years ago, Anatolia was being defended on these lands 111 years ago. Those who fought and faced one another both in the Trojan War and on the Çanakkale Front now lie side by side on these lands. They tell us a great deal,” he said.

“Atatürk and Çanakkale can never be separated from one another. Çanakkale symbolizes the resilience of these lands and this geography. Atatürk, meanwhile, symbolizes a great will that, through its resilience, transformed into a modern republic,” Erkek added.

Following his speech, Mayor Erkek presented the “Homer Science, Culture and Art Award” to Turkish artist and writer Zülfü Livaneli.

Livaneli said he was very happy to receive the prestigious award at such an important site and said the award would be displayed at the Livaneli Museum in Istanbul’s Ortaköy district.

Professor Rüstem Aslan, head of the excavation team at the ancient city of Troy, presented Livaneli with his book titled “Çanakkale in the Footsteps of Travelers.”