CAPPADOCIA FESTIVALS |
| AVANOS INTERNATIONAL TOURISM AND HANDICRAFTS FESTIVAL - Aug 31/ Sep 01 |
| The old city of Avanos (called Venessa in the past) overlooks the longest river of Turkey: the Kizilirmak (Red River). The most famous historical feature of Avanos, which is still relevant and very visible today, is its production of earthenware pottery. The ceramic trade in this district and its countless pottery factories date right back to the Hittites, and the ceramic clay from the red silt of the Kizilirmak has always been used. The International Tourism and Handicrafts Festivals are held in Avanos every year on August 31 – September 1. |
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| CAPPADOCIA GRAPE HARVEST 4-6 OCTOBER AND CAPPADOCIA WINE FESTIVAL 2-6 JUNE |
The traditional Urgup Grape Harvest Festival is held every year on 3-5 or 4-6 October. Urgup, is a lively tourist centre and has all the characteristics of the region. Besides this, it is the centre of an important grape and wine producing region of Central Anatolia.
The mineral-laden volcanic soil is very fertile and Cappadocia is a prime agricultural region with many fruit orchards and vineyards. Every year in October an International Wine Festival is held in Urgup, the center of a successful wine producing region. Several small wineries in Cappadocia organize this wine tasting event. |
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| CLASSIC ENTERTAINMENT (KLASİK KEYİFLER) 25 July 8:00 pm -September 24-27 |
Classic Entertainment (chamber music concerts project ) 25 July 8:00 pm -September 24-27
Klasik Keyifler (KK) is an organization dedicated to the innovative presentation of small chamber ensemble concerts and workshops in a wide variety of intimate settings primarily within Turkey. Designed to offer a retreat for artists, a creative portal for music students and a source of inspiration and contemplation for audience members, KK projects seek to close the boundaries between performers and listeners by enabling interaction and by informalizing the concert venues in ways that both reflect the historical origins of chamber music as well as offer a personal immediacy that can be hard to find in large modern concert halls. KK offers workshops for music lovers and designs unique educational programs for young musicians preparing for careers in the 21st century. Cultural exchange and collaboration are central to the KK projects. For thousands of years the land now known as Turkey has been a major crossroads and the fragments of hundreds of different civilizations are visible side by side. KK aims to connect and bring players from around the globe in order to make music together in these multicultural, historical and “classical” sites thus feeding the imaginations that interpret the musical "classics" of both the East and West. |
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| HACIBEKTAS FESTIVAL - 16 /18 August |
| Mystic, humanist, philosopher, Saint Haci Bektas Veli, the founder of the influential Bektasi sect of dervishes and the leader of an Islamic philosophy and social class in the 13th century. He had great impact on Anatolian humanism. His teachings become know as Bektasism. Haci Bektas Veli was the one who dedicated himself to the people, the rural society, thus serving as a promoter of Turkish language and literature. During the 3 days festival from 16th to 18th of August, he is recalled at his hometown Hacibektas. |
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| Cirit (Jirit) -Every year in 13 and 14 of June |
| Cirit (Jirit) which means Javelin is traditional game that Chavgan Turks plays since hundreds of years. This game is entered to Turkey with Turkish king called Alpaslan at 11th century. Spreaded to Iran and Arabia at the same time and finally reached to France and Germany and other part of Europe at 17th century. At 16th century it has been accepted as a war game in Ottoman empire. It became to favorite game in Ottoman palaces at 19th century. Because it is very dangerous game too, therefore this game has been banned by Ottoman Sultan Mahmud the second at 1826. But the citizens of Ottoman Empire kept playing in the countryside of Ottoman Empire. It was a very popular game until 40 - 50 years before from now in Turkey. This game has been forgotten in many places of the country. But they still played until 20 - 25 years before in west side of Turkey, places called Usak, Balikesir, Sogut; in middle of Turkey Konya, Nevsehir, and in east of Turkey places called Erzurum and Kars. Nevertheless, some people in Turkey, they still playing this game rather than big cities they are still playing in small towns and villages. From North to South from Sinop villages until Gaziantep, from Bursa to Antalya it is still accepted as bravery game with wrestling. To attract more people and to make this game more popular they are opening the tournaments with playing big drums. Also out of Turkish Republic state, where other Turkish people lives, such as Iran, Afghanistan and middle of Asia, this game is still quite popular. Every year in 13 and 14 of June there is a tournament in a festival atmosphere in Goreme Cappadocia. |
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| KONYA -MEVLANA COMMEMORATION CEREMONIES AND FESTIVAL - 10 / 17 December |
| Mevlana, who is also known as Rumi, was a philosopher and mystic of Islam, but not a Muslim of the orthodox type. His doctrine advocates unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness, charity and awareness through love. To him and to his disciples all religions are more or less truth. Looking with the same eye on Muslim, Jew and Christian alike, his peaceful and tolerant teaching has appealed to men of all sects and creeds. Every year during 10th and 17th of December in Konya, all the whirling dervishes perform sema which is part of the inspiration of Mevlana as well as of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture. |
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