Erzurum, with its rich history and culture, is the eighth stop of the Turkish Cultural Route Festival. Held from August 17 to 25, the festival highlights the city’s unique heritage and is part of a 16-city tour aimed at boosting Turkey’s cultural presence globally.
Before I delve into the details of the festival, I would like to share some personal observations from my time in Erzurum. The city greeted me with a refreshing coolness, with nighttime temperatures around 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) and daytime highs of 23 degrees Celsius. The sun was shining, but not the intense heat of Istanbul.
Erzurum is a beautiful city where everything seems close and accessible. My hotel was only a 20-minute drive from the airport and it took no more than 25 minutes to get to any destination. However, there was some traffic at night.
The city’s simple architecture impressed me: buildings are no higher than eight stories and the houses are beautiful and pay homage to the cultural heritage, but with modern touches. This mix of old and new can also be seen in the shops and markets, where Erzurum’s rich culture meets modern life.
Before the event started, I had the chance to explore the Erzurum Museum and take a guided tour. Let me take you to the beginning of the festival, where the press conference was held at the museum.
It was a wonderful little museum full of cultural treasures. What I liked most were the cards with detailed explanations of each item, both in Turkish and English.
The press conference was attended by a distinguished audience, including Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism Nadir Alpaslan, Governor Mustafa Çiftçi, AKP MPs from Erzurum Selami Altınok and Fatma Öncü, Provincial Police Chief Kadir Yırtar, as well as several district mayors and heads of institutions. Also present was Director General of Cultural Events and Director of the Turkish Cultural Route Festival Selim Terzi.
In his opening speech, Deputy Minister Nadir Alpaslan praised the cultural and historical significance of Erzurum and wished success to the Cultural Route Festival stage in the city. “From today, Erzurum will become a cultural paradise, showcasing everything from traditional crafts to modern arts,” said Alpaslan. He highlighted the festival’s goal of boosting Erzurum’s visibility as a tourist destination and noted that it will feature nearly 1,000 events at 50 locations.
Governor Mustafa Çiftçi also expressed his optimism and anticipated that the festival will be very lively and will arouse great local and international interest. “We hope that this year the festival will be very lively and will welcome many visitors to our city,” he added.
The opening ceremony and ribbon cutting took place in front of Erzurum’s Çiftli Minaret, with a traditional dance performance by a local group.
A local group performs a traditional “halay” dance at the opening ceremony of the Cultural Route Festival, Erzurum, Turkey, on August 17, 2024. (IHA Photo)
Festival attractions, cultural sites
The festival combines traditional and contemporary arts with workshops and exhibitions held throughout Erzurum. Highlights include Kale Arkası Erges Konağı, Kale Önü Handicraft Market, Şakir Gökgöz Calligraphy Workshop, Erzurum Maturation Institute and Erzurum Museum Children’s Activity Area.
Workshops such as Glass Modelling and Traditional Crafts aim to highlight traditional arts and engage the community in hands-on activities.
One of the highlights of the festival is the “Children’s Village” in the Olympic Park, a lively space with activities, workshops, theatre performances and play areas.
Children can enjoy storytelling with Özgür Özgülgün and the “Baby Shark” theatre show. The village features a Mobile Library Children’s Festival with reading, science workshops and stargazing, as well as the Kahoot Trivia Contest for fun learning.
Özgülgün shared, “For nine days, I will tell stories to introduce our culture to our children. It is wonderful to see their happiness when I leave the theater. Our goal is to create lasting memories for them. We also organize museum visits, allowing children to learn and have fun during their summer vacation. We see this as an investment in their future and are grateful to our ministry and the Culture Road Festival for making it possible.”
Children will be able to meet cartoon characters, explore themed playgrounds and take part in artistic activities such as music, drama, dance and painting. The festival also includes the children’s play “Şekeronya”, performed by the Izmir State Opera and Ballet at the Erzurum State Theatre.
Children visit the Erzurum Museum as part of the Cultural Route Festival, Erzurum, Turkey, August 17, 2024. (AA Photo)
During the two days of the exhibition, I noticed that Erzurum was being transformed into a huge gallery with exhibitions spread across the city. Among them, “Dream on Water: Jerusalem,” a mixed-media exhibition by renowned Ebru artist Hikmet Barutçugil and painter Amine Sultan Tan, known for her classical oil paintings depicting holy sites. Held at the Yakutiye Madrasa Museum of Turkish Islamic Artifacts and Ethnography, this exhibition explores the historical, cultural and religious significance of Jerusalem.
The Yakutiye Madrasa is a historic 14th-century madrasa in Erzurum, Turkey. It was built in 1310 by order of Hoca Yakut, a local Ilkhanid governor, and is named after him. When I visited it, it was one of the small, beautiful places that caught my eye the most. What impressed me the most was the size of the doors; anyone who wanted to enter the rooms had to bow to pass through them. I asked why the doors were so small and was told that it was because, in ancient times, bowing was a way of showing respect. Therefore, anyone entering the rooms would bow to show respect to others.
Other exhibitions include “From Tradition to Art: Carpets and Tapestries from the Erzurum Region” at the Atatürk University Art Gallery, “Metal Works,” displaying jewelry from the Late Bronze Age to the 18th and 19th centuries at the Erzurum Museum Temporary Exhibition Hall, and “The Traditional Ehram Weaving of Erzurum” at the Erzurum Maturation Institute. The Atatürk University Faculty of Fine Arts is hosting the “Traditional Turkish Arts” exhibition, while the Erzurum Museum’s lobby features “Hanzala by Naci El-Ali,” an exhibition of Naci El-Ali’s caricatures highlighting the Palestinian struggle.
Atatürk University is situated 1.5–2 kilometres (0.93–1.24 mi) from the city centre of Erzurum and covers 6.5 million square metres of open space and 1 million square metres of enclosed space. Covering a large part of the Erzurum Plain, the university is the second largest campus in Turkey and has the distinction of being the country’s first planned campus.
Visit Hemsin Patisserie
A little bit about me: I love exploring coffee shops and I’m addicted to coffee, so one of the stops on our tour was Hemşin Pastanesi, a special place with a rich history. This café, which opened in 1938 on Cumhuriyet Avenue, later moved to a charming two-storey building on Kuloğlu Mahallesi after a fire in the 1960s. Walking in there was like stepping back in time, with its antique furniture and nostalgic atmosphere.
What really caught my attention was the café’s deep sense of history and culture. Hemşin Pastanesi is not just a place to drink coffee; it is a haven for lovers of literature and the arts. In 1995, it even received the UNESCO “Tolerance Award” in Turkey. As I enjoyed my coffee, I thought of the famous writers who had been there, such as Necip Fazıl Kısakürek, Peyami Safa and Orhan Pamuk. The café’s motto, “Edeple gelen hürmetle gider” (Whoever comes with respect leaves with respect), truly reflects its welcoming spirit.
The first concert of the Cultural Route Festival started with Oğuzhan Koç at the Erzurum Events and Gatherings Grounds. The artist performed in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans and everyone sang along in unison. The stage was truly extraordinary; it was one of the most beautiful stages I have seen in a long time, with perfect lighting and sound.
After the concert, we had a brief chat with Koç, who expressed his joy at connecting with his fans through such an amazing stage and organization. He also expressed his gratitude to the ministry and Culture Road Festival for making it possible.
