17.10.2025 14:40
The new stop for the festival is Mardin. The festival, which will be held with the participation of 45,000 artists, will take place in 7 regions and 20 cities. Minister of Culture and Tourism Ersoy stated that the festival will bring all the colors of culture and art to Mardin for 9 days. The events will include concerts, exhibitions, theaters, and children's activities, and the festival aims to reach 50 cities by 2026.
The festival excitement has begun in Mardin, the new route of the Turkey Culture Road Festival. The festival, which will bring Mardin to the world stage, has met with art lovers.
The festival, which was inaugurated by the Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, will carry all the colors of culture and art to Mardin for 9 days.
The opening ceremony of the Mardin Culture Road Festival was attended by Mardin Governor and Deputy Mayor Tuncay Akkoyun, AK Party Mardin Members of Parliament Faruk Kılıç and Muhammed Adak, AK Party Mardin Provincial Chairman Mehmet Uncu, and MHP Mardin Provincial Chairman Ferhan Bozkuş.
Stating that this year's festival is organized in 7 regions and 20 cities, Minister Ersoy said, "We started with one city, and today we have become one of the world's most comprehensive culture-art brands with over 6,800 events involving 45,000 artists."
In his speech at the opening, Ersoy emphasized that the journey that began with the Beyoğlu Culture Road Festival in 2021 has now become a national brand, stating, "In 2021, we organized 380 events at 80 different locations with the participation of more than 2,000 artists. Today, there is a Turkey Culture Road Festival that includes over 6,800 events with 45,000 artists in more than a thousand venues."
"We Have Established an Ecosystem that Grows Culture and Tourism Together"
Reminding that the festival is not just an art event, Ersoy emphasized that it supports tourism, saying, "Since the day we took office, we have been evaluating tourism and culture-art topics together. We have built a self-sufficient, continuously progressing ecosystem from these two headings. The Turkey Culture Road Festival is a brand that is the result of this effort."
Minister Ersoy stated that the number of visitors, expressed in millions, significantly contributes to domestic tourism, saying, "This scale of human mobility creates serious activity in the regional economy; it opens an important source of income for our tradesmen."
"Our Festival is a Roof that Supports Art, Artists, and Labor"
Stating that Turkey has one of the richest cultures in the world, Ersoy continued:
"Knowing this and taking ownership of it are different things. We are keeping all our cultural values alive by making them the subject of our festival, from music to traditional arts, from local cuisine to artisans."
Ersoy stated that the festival adopts an understanding of art that is accessible to everyone, emphasizing, "Culture-art is not a privilege of certain segments; it is everyone's right. It is a means of social cohesion, not class separation."
"The Spirit of Mardin Will Be Carried to the World"
Stating that including Mardin in the Turkey Culture Road Festival has great significance, Ersoy said, "This civilization basin is a unique city with its cultural richness listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Temporary List. With our festival, we will carry Mardin to the national and international stage while preserving its unique texture."
Minister Ersoy announced that they will bring Mardin residents together with 370 events to be held in 16 venues and 30 different locations, stating that there will be 22 concerts, 21 exhibitions, 2 theater plays, 1 children's play, 5 discussions, 7 adult and 4 children's workshops, 9 special events, and 32 children's events throughout the 9 days.
"Mardin Cuisine Will Be a Feast for the Palate"
Emphasizing that gastronomy is an indispensable part of the festival, Ersoy said, "We will introduce the traditional flavors of Mardin cuisine to our visitors. For this, we have identified 10 taste stops."
Ersoy also mentioned the music program of the festival, stating that names such as Buray, Bengü, Sagopa Kajmer, Derya Uluğ, Ebru Yaşar, Haluk Levent, Merve Özbey, Murat Boz, and Alişan will perform on the main stage.
"The Voice of Palestine Will Echo on Stage"
Minister Ersoy drew attention to the power of culture and art in creating social memory, stating, "Art reflects humanity and the world, preventing the forgetfulness of what has been experienced. Under the leadership of our President Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, just as we are the voice of Palestine, we continue to fulfill this humanitarian duty in art as well."
Ersoy specially invited the people of Mardin to the theater play "We Should Talk About Palestine."
"Traditional Arts Are Being Preserved"
As another important aspect of the festival, Ersoy mentioned the workshop activities, saying, "From wood carving to marbling, from filigree to stone processing, from fabric dyeing to sema training, the most unique values of these lands will meet with our visitors."```html
He stated.
Additionally, Ersoy, who noted that the 3rd Mardin Film Festival Telkari Awards will be held as part of the festival, expressed that children will meet in an entertaining cultural space with storytellers, traditional theater, illusion shows, and plays in the "Children's Village."
Festival Winds Will Blow in 50 Cities in 2026
Ersoy announced that in 2026, the Turkey Culture Road Festival, along with an Anatolian Festival and Living Heritage Celebrations, will bring culture and art to a total of 50 cities, stating, "There is no other project in any country in the world that can integrate culture and art into life as richly and powerfully as this."
"The Cultural Walk of the Turkey Century Will Continue"
Minister Ersoy concluded his speech with the following words:
"With the vision of our esteemed President, as the dawn of the Turkey Century breaks, we will continue to do our part to ensure that our regions advance into the future in the strongest way in the fields of culture and tourism."
Minister Ersoy on the Festival Route
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy will meet with art lovers by visiting exhibitions on the first day of the Mardin Culture Road Festival.
After the opening ceremony in Mardin, the new stop of the Turkey Culture Road Festival, Minister Ersoy will examine the art venues in the city and will gather information from artists by visiting the exhibitions held at the Mardin Provincial Culture and Tourism Directorate, Sakıp Sabancı Mardin City Museum – Dilek Sabancı Art Gallery, and Mardin Museum.
At the end of the day, Minister Ersoy will visit the Mardin Governorship and receive information from Governor Akkoyun about the city's culture and tourism projects.
Ersoy will also visit the AK Party Mardin Provincial Presidency, where he will gather information from Provincial Chairman Mehmet Uncu and meet with the provincial organization.
The Mardin Culture Road Festival, which will last for nine days, will bring together art lovers with a wide range of programs from concerts to exhibitions, theater to children's activities.
The city, where history and culture intertwine, will host both local and foreign visitors during the festival, contributing to Turkey's cultural and artistic vision.
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