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Festivals & Events
 Religious
FestivalsThe main reason why religious festivals are not celebrated on the same days every year is because they are calculated according to the lunar calendar called “kameri takvim”. Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are celebrated ten days earlier each year than the year before, so religious festivals may come to be celebrated in every season. According to the Kameri calendar, Ramadan is celebrated on the first three days of the month Sevval, and the Feast of the Sacrifice is celebrated in four days following the tenth day of the month Zilhicce. These festivals continue to exist in popular tradition, although their effects are not what they once were. The main characteristics of Ramadan and the Feast of the Sacrifice are that people, neighbours, relatives and friends pay visits and go to see each other. Young people kiss their parents’ hands and receive best wishes and blessings from them. It is a tradition to give money or little gifts to those children who kiss one’s hands. Candies are served to visitors during Ramadan. That is why Ramadan is also called the “Sugar Festival”. During the Feast of the Sacrifice, not only candies but also the meat of sacrificial animal are served to guests. According to Biruni of Harezm who lived in 10th century, the reason why people serve candies during these festivals is that Cem had discovered the sweet juice inside sugar cane on a Nevruz day. In the beginning, sweet foods were only served on Nevruz, but this gradually became a general tradition which spread to all other festivals and festival days. The Feast of the Sacrifice is celebrated with less excitement than Ramadan in Turkey. This festival takes place in Islam as a memory of the story in which a ram fell from the sky just at the moment when the Prophet Abraham was about to sacrifice his son to God. National
FestivalsThe only traditional element in the official ceremonies of these festivals (the 30th August Victory Festival, the Republic Festival, the Liberation Festival and so on) which are enthusiastically celebrated in cities and towns is the participation of seymens (heroes and dancers from central Anatolia) and zeybeks (the swashbuckling hero of south-western Anatolian villages) in the celebrations with their special costumes. After the official ceremonies are over, however, in some places workers and artisans gather in the city or municipality hall and organize special entertainments until the late hours of the night, and these entertainments lend a special significance to the festivals. Drums and zurnas are played in these celebrations. Small towns in Anatolia have their own folk dances, but in big cities like Istanbul or Ankara these ceremonies turn into a festival of folk dancing. In many places on national holidays, wrestling matches or races are held after the official ceremonies. In recent years, political parties have organized many entertainments with music on national holidays in order to increase the excitement while competing with other parties. Thus, festival traditions are also subject to a process of change. Art
Festivals & EventsMore than 100 festivals take place in Turkey every year. Along with the local festivals organized in almost every city of the country, international culture and art festivals are also held in major cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya. Istanbul is the most important centre of international culture and art festivals and sponsored festivals. The Istanbul Culture and Art Foundation organises the International Istanbul Film Festival every April, the International Istanbul Theatre Festival every May, the International Istanbul Music Festival every June and July, the International Istanbul Jazz Festival every July and the International Biennial once every two years. Within the framework of these festivals, hundreds of renowned performing artists and musicians from all over the world gather in Istanbul, adding further colour and cultural lustre to a city which is famous for its historical and cultural richness. In the summer months, a number of annual music festivals are sponsored by some prominent Turkish corporations. The Pamukbank Dance Days, which brings world-famous dance groups to Istanbul, the Efes Pilsen Blues Festival which has been going strong for over ten years and hosts well-known groups, the Akbank International Jazz Festival, during which Turkish musicians and the jazz masters of the world meet, the Yapi Kredi Art Festival, which has the characteristics of “one-year-festival”, with its activities from Rock and Roll and pop to classic music and jazz spread throughout the year, and the Fujifilm World Music Days are the most important of these music festivals. In the capital city, Ankara, the International Ankara Music Festival is held every year in April-May by Sevda Cenap and Foundation. The Festival, which is a member of the European Festivals Union and of which the 16th was held in 1999, has hosted over 8000 famous artists up until today. Moreover, the Turkish Choruses Festivity, which is run by the Polyphonic Choruses Association established with the objective of spreading polyphonic music in the country, brings together thousands of music lovers, with its increasing number of invited choruses and listener capacity every year. The International Izmir Festival held annually is organised by the Izmir Culture, Art and Education Foundation. The 16th year of the festival was celebrated in the year 2000, which was held in historical places such as the Amphitheatre at Ephesus, the Celsius Library and the House of the Virgin Mary and, as it is the case every year, world-famous artists and groups in the branches of orchestra concerts, chamber music, ballet, theatre, jazz and pop participated in the event. Additionally, the 7th Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival, which attracts about 80,000 people every year, was held in the year 2000. The Bilkent International Anatolia Music Festival, which is one of the most important organisations calling from Turkey to the world, for friendship and peace through the language of music, carries the magical rhythm of the classical music to various regions of Anatolia throughout a month every year. This festival was the first of its kind among international festivals in its mobile capacity and it celebrate its 6th year in 1999. The oldest film festival in Turkey is the Antalya Film Festival. This festival which celebrated its 40th year in 2000, is sometimes referred to as “the Oscars of the Turkish film industry”. The International Ankara Film Festival and the Adana Altin Koza Film Festival are two other important film festivals which attract the cinema-lovers of Turkey. Film weeks are also held in many other cities. Other prominent festivals include the Edirne Oil Wrestling Championships typically held in June, the Mevlana Commemoration (Whirling Dervish) Festival in Konya which takes place in December and the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival (June/July). Among the other annual festivals of Turkey are the Traditional Mesir Festival in Manisa, the International Music and Folklore Festival in Adana, the Cesme Music Festival in Cesme, the Ceramic Festival in Kutahya, the Hittite Festival in Corum, the GAP Culture and Art Festival in Gaziantep and the Kemer Carnival in Kemer.  1/7
April ManisaTraditional Manisa Mesir Festival 17
April / 2 May IstanbulInternational Istanbul Film Festival 23
April AnkaraInternational 23 April Child Festivity 26
April / 9 May AnkaraInternational Ankara Film Festival 27
April / 20 May AnkaraInternational Ankara Music Festival 6
/ 10 May EskisehirYunus Emre Culture and Art Week 7
/ 11 May AnkaraInternational Ankara Cartoon Festival 20-26
Jun Edirne- KirkpinarTraditional Kirkpinar Oil-Wrestling Festivities 30
May / 2 June IstanbulInternational Istanbul Theatre Festival 06
June / 19 July AntalyaAspendos Opera and Ballet Festival 6
June / 2 July IstanbulInternational Istanbul Music Festival 12
June / 12 July BursaInternational Bursa Festival 15
/ 25 June AnkaraBilkent International Theatre Meeting 15
June / 15 July IzmirInternational Izmir Festival 22
/ 27 June AdiyamanInternational Commagene Festival 28
June / 3 July Izmir Alacati International Child and Youth Theatres Festival 5
/ 10 July Konya Nasrettin Hodja Festivities 7
/ 18 July Istanbul International Istanbul Jazz Festival 20
/ 25 July IzmirCesme Sea Festivity and International Song Contest 14
August AnkaraBilkent International Anatolia Music Festival 16
/ 18 August NevsehirInternational Haci Bektas Veli Memorial Celebrations 4
/ 12 September IzmirIzmir Fair International Folk Dances Festival 17
September / 8 November IstanbulInternational Istanbul Biennial 2
/ 3 October SanliurfaInternational Ataturk Dam Water Sports Feast 3
/ 5 October AlanyaAlanya International Culture and Art Festival 14
/ 26 October SanliurfaSanliurfa International Culture and Art Week 3
/ 7 December AntalyaDemre International St. Nicholas Memorial Celebrations 10
/ 17 December KonyaMevlana Memorial Celebrations |
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