Every year, there are more than 100 national and international festivals that are being organized in the different regions and cities of Turkey. Most of the major festivals are usually held in the big cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, and Izmir among many other cities.
Istanbul – being the center of Turkey’s national and international culture and arts festivals, Istanbul holds several major festivals within the city itself. For instance, the Istanbul Culture and Arts Foundation alone holds the famous International Istanbul Film Festival or Uluslararası İstanbul Film Festivali, the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey. They also hold several other popular festivals known as the International Istanbul Theater Festival, the International Istanbul Music Festival, and the very lively International Istanbul Jazz Festival every year as well as the International Istanbul Biennial which is being held once in every two years.
Ankara – the country’s busy capital also holds several major festivals. There’s the International Ankara Film Festival which is major attraction for all the movie goers and cinema loves in Turkey. Another big-time festivity in the city is the International Ankara Music Festival which is also a member of the European Festivals Union and has hosted over 8.000 famous musicians and performing artists worldwide. Among many other festivals in the city, there is also the Turkish Choruses Festivity which popularized the polyphonic music in Turkey organized by Polyphonic Choruses Association.
Izmir - the beautiful city of Izmir also holds its own share of festivities in the country. There’s the annual International Izmir Festival which is usually participated by popular groups and individual artists in the field of music (orchestra concerts, chamber music, ballet, theatre, jazz and pop, etc.). This major festival is being organized by Izmir’s Culture, Art and Education Foundation and is usually held every year in the historical sites withing the city such as the Efes Antic Theatre, the Celcius Library, the House of the Virgin Mary.
Antalya - the Antalya Film Festival, the oldest film festival in Turkey which is also known locally as “The Oscar of the Turkish Film Industry," is also another crowd-drawer which attracts thousands of movie goers and cinema lovers in the country. Another major film fest in the country is the Adana Altin Koza Film Festival, among many others.
Major Festivals and Events
Other cities also hold their share of the various major festivals that help shape the country’s cultural aspect. Among these are the
Traditional Mesir Festival in Manisa, the International Music and Folklore Festival in Adana, the Çesme Music Festival in Çesme, the Ceramic Festival in
Kütahya, the Hittite Festival in Çorum, the GAP Culture and Arts Festival in Gaziantep, and the Kemer Carnival in Kemer.
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