Şanlıurfa will be the first stop of the Türkiye Cultural Route Festival, organized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
The festival will begin on April 25 and will bring a wide range of content from concerts and exhibitions to gastronomy and children’s events to the people of Şanlıurfa.
Hosting the Türkiye Culture Route Festival for the third time, Şanlıurfa will offer visitors a multi-layered cultural and arts experience with its historical heritage, cultural fabric and rich cuisine throughout the festival.
The “Hane” exhibition, prepared with inspiration from the “Year of the Family” theme determined last year, will meet visitors at the Temporary Exhibition Hall of the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum. The exhibition will include 13 calligraphy works, 17 ceramic calligraphy pieces, 12 illumination works, six historical calligraphy works, digital works, lamps made of geometric patterns and a marble-crafted celî sülüs work.
Another exhibition to be opened at the Temporary Exhibition Hall will be “Sacred Relics of the Ottomans,” which will present sacred relics and historical heritage from the Ottoman period. Prepared by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, the exhibition will display 57 works consisting of calligraphy panels, Kaaba coverings, items belonging to surre processions and copies of the Quran selected from important museum collections in Istanbul.
The “Living Heritage: Şanlıurfa Exhibition” at the museum will bring together many elements of art and craft such as calligraphy, illumination, miniature, paper cutting, tile, bookbinding, ceramics, porcelain, marbling, wood, mother-of-pearl, metal and weaving works, embroidery, carpets, kilims, rosaries, stone printing, meerschaum, stone works, cloth dolls and instrument making.
At the Mehmet Akif İnan Conference and Exhibition Hall, the exhibition titled “From Pastel to History: Reinterpretation of the Neolithic Period of Şanlıurfa through Art” will present figures created by high school students inspired by findings from centers such as Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe and Nevali Çori.
Concerts and stage performances to be held at different points of the city within the scope of the festival will offer a rich program to music lovers.
With the “Taste Stop” project implemented within the scope of the festival, visitors will be offered the opportunity to directly experience the gastronomic identity of the city. The Taste Stop selection will be determined by an advisory board consisting of leading chefs and opinion leaders in Türkiye in the field of gastronomy.
The 33 restaurants included in the selection in Şanlıurfa will offer a comprehensive gastronomy route reflecting the city’s deep-rooted culinary culture. Chef Ömür Akkor, who will host the gastronomy program in Şanlıurfa, will also contribute to introducing the city’s gastronomic values to wider audiences.
The “Living Heritage Talk: Mırra” to be held at the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum will address the tradition of mırra, one of the important elements of the city’s intangible cultural heritage.
In the “Museum Talks” program to be held in the conference hall of the museum, excavations of Şanlıurfa Castle, Harran, Soğmatar and the city of Şuayb will be discussed.
In the “Photo Marathon Şanlıurfa” and “Photo Marathon Children” events to be organized for photography enthusiasts, shoots will be carried out in line with the themes determined during the festival.
A program full of games, art and discovery will also be offered for children. The “Children’s Village” to be set up at the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum Archaeopark will be a meeting point for children with colorful activities, workshops, stage shows and play areas.
The festival will end on May 3.
