The exciting festival has begun in Mardin, the new route of the Türkiye Cultural Road Festival. The festival was opened by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
The Mardin Cultural Road Festival has begun. The festival, opened by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, will bring all the colors of culture and art to Mardin for 9 days. Noting that this year's festival is held in 7 regions and 20 cities, Minister Ersoy said: “We started from one city, today we have become one of the most comprehensive arts and culture brands in the world with more than 6,800 events attended by 45 thousand artists.”
In his opening speech, Ersoy emphasized that the journey that started with the 2021 Beyoğlu Cultural Road Festival has now become a national brand and said: “In 2021, we organized 380 events at 80 different locations with the participation of more than 2 thousand artists. Today, there is the Turkish Cultural Road Festival that includes more than 6,800 events with the participation of 45 thousand artists in over a thousand locations.”
“WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AN ECOSYSTEM TO DEVELOP CULTURE AND TOURISM TOGETHER”
Reminding that the festival is not just an artistic event, Ersoy emphasized that it supports tourism; “We have been evaluating tourism and culture-art together since the day we took office. We have built a self-sufficient ecosystem, constantly progressing from these two directions. The Turkish Cultural Road Festival is a brand that is the result of this effort,” he said.
Minister Ersoy stated that the number of visitors, measured in millions, makes a huge contribution to domestic tourism and said, “The movement of people on this scale creates serious dynamism in the regional economy and opens an important income door for our traders.” he said.
Stating that Türkiye has one of the richest cultures in the world, Ersoy continued as follows:
“Knowing this and embracing it are different things. We preserve all our cultural values, from music to traditional arts, from local cuisine to artisans, by making them the theme of our festivals.”
Stating that the festival adopts an approach to art that is accessible to everyone, Ersoy said, “Culture and art are not the privilege of certain groups, but the right of everyone. It is a means of social cohesion, not a class divide.” he emphasized.
“THE SPIRIT OF MARDIN WILL GO TO THE WORLD”
Stating that Mardin's inclusion in the Turkish Cultural Road Festival is of great significance, Ersoy said: “This basin of civilization is a unique city with cultural richness, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage Provisional List. With our festival, we will bring Mardin to national and international showcase by preserving its unique fabric.” Minister Ersoy announced that they will bring together the people of Mardin with 370 events held in 16 locations and 30 different spots during the festival, and said that there will be 22 concerts, 21 exhibitions, 2 plays, 1 play for children, 5 interviews, 7 workshops for adults and 4 children, 9 special events and 32 activities for children in 9 day.
“MARDIN CUISINE WILL BE A FESTIVAL FOR TASTES”
Emphasizing that cuisine is an integral part of the festival, Ersoy said: “We will bring the traditional flavors of Mardin cuisine to visitors. We have identified 10 flavor stops for this.” he said.
Mentioning the festival's music program in his speech, Ersoy said names such as Buray, Bengü, Sagopa Kajmer, Derya Uluğ, Ebru Yaşar, Haluk Levent, Merve Özbey, Murat Boz and Alişan will take the main stage.
“PALESTINE'S VOICE WILL BRING ON THE STAGE”
Drawing attention to the power of culture and art in creating social memory, Minister Ersoy said: “Art is a mirror of people and the world, and prevents events from being forgotten. Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we continue to carry out this humanitarian duty in art, because we are the voice of Palestine.” he said. Ersoy specially invited the people of Mardin to watch the play “We must talk about Palestine”.
“TRADITIONAL ART KEPT ALIVE”
Mentioning the workshops as another important aspect of the festival, Ersoy said: “The most unique values of these lands, from wood carving to marble, ornaments to stone embroidery, fabric dyeing to sema practices, will meet our visitors.” he said.
In addition, Ersoy said that the 3rd Mardin Film Festival Telkari Awards will be held within the framework of the festival and children will meet in a cultural entertainment zone with meddah, intermediate plays, illusion shows and theater in the “Children's Village”.
THE FESTIVE WIND WILL BLOW IN 50 CITIES IN 2026
Explaining that a total of 50 cities will meet culture and art in 2026 with the Turkish Cultural Road Festival, Anatolian Festival and Living Heritage Festival, Ersoy said: “There is no project in any country in the world that can integrate culture and art into life in such a rich and powerful way.” he said.
“Türkiye CENTURY CULTURAL EXHIBITION WILL CONTINUE”
Minister Ersoy concluded his speech with the words: “As the dawn of the Turkish Century dawns with the vision of our President, we will continue to do our part and ensure that our regions move into the future in the strongest way in the fields of culture and tourism.”
