Ankara comes alive as Türkiye Culture Route Festival begins

Ankara has opened the fifth edition of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival, bringing nine days of concerts, exhibitions, performances, workshops and culinary events to the capital as part of the country’s expanding nationwide cultural program.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy opened the Ankara Culture Route Festival on Friday by visiting four exhibitions at CSO Ada Ankara, including “Ankara Resimleniyor,” “Young Art: 7th Poster Design Competition,” “The Meeting of Colors and Dialogue of Two Cultures” and ASELSAN’s “A Vision for an Upcycled Future.”

Ersoy also opened the “The Meeting of Colors and Dialogue of Two Cultures” exhibition with South Korean Ambassador Sukjong Boo. The exhibition brings together the traditional Korean folk art of Minhwa and Turkish miniature art, highlighting similarities in their use of color, storytelling and composition.

Ersoy said the four exhibitions reflected the cultural and artistic environment the Türkiye Culture Route Festival seeks to create.

“I invite all Ankara residents and guests visiting the capital to see the four exhibitions at CSO Ada Ankara and take part in the events of the Ankara Culture Route Festival,” Ersoy said.

Ankara’s cultural memory takes shape on canvas

The second edition of the “Ankara Resimleniyor” project features artists interpreting the capital’s historic buildings, architectural heritage and changing urban life through their own artistic styles.

Ersoy said the works offer different perspectives and stories about the same city, while also documenting Ankara for future generations.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy visits the “Ankara Resimleniyor,” “Young Art: 7th Poster Design Competition,” “The Meeting of Colors and Dialogue of Two Cultures,” and ASELSAN’s “A Vision for an Upcycled Future” exhibitions during the Türkiye Culture Route Festival, Ankara, Türkiye, Sept. 18, 2026. (AA Photo)

The project has gained additional significance as Ankara serves as the 2026 Tourism Capital of the Turkic World. Organizers say it aims to highlight the capital’s historical and cultural importance within the Turkic world and promote its architectural heritage in Türkiye and abroad.

Another exhibition, the “Young Art: 7th Poster Design Competition,” focuses on the theme “Capital Ankara.” The competition was organized to draw attention to Ankara’s place in Anatolian and Turkish history, raise awareness of its role as the 2026 Tourism Capital of the Turkic World and support young designers.

The exhibition will remain open at the CSO Ada Ankara Lower Foyer Hall through Oct. 19.

Minhwa and miniature art meet

The “The Meeting of Colors and Dialogue of Two Cultures” exhibition brings Korean and Turkish artistic traditions together.

The project grew out of a proposal by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to showcase traditional Minhwa works during the festival. Organizers expanded the concept to create a joint presentation of Minhwa and Turkish miniature art.

Ersoy said the two traditions, despite emerging from different historical and social backgrounds, share similarities in their use of color, storytelling and composition.

He said cultural exchanges such as the exhibition could strengthen ties between Türkiye and South Korea by allowing artists to learn from one another, collaborate and develop new projects.

Industrial waste finds a second life

ASELSAN’s “A Vision for an Upcycled Future” exhibition focuses on the transformation of used electronic and industrial materials into works of art.

Five sculptures depicting a horse, cat, albatross, goat and wolf were created by artists from different countries using materials that had completed their industrial functions.

Ersoy said the exhibition demonstrates how materials considered waste can acquire new meaning and aesthetic value through creativity, while encouraging more responsible use of resources.

The works were previously displayed at the Eti Archaeology Museum in Eskişehir and the Merinos Atatürk Cultural Center in Bursa. After Ankara, they are scheduled to travel to the Atatürk Cultural Center in Istanbul, the İzmir Culture and Arts Factory and Antalya.

518 events across Ankara

The Ankara Culture Route Festival runs Sept. 19-27 at 42 venues, with 518 events covering music, exhibitions, theater, dance, workshops, children’s activities and gastronomy.

The program includes 37 concerts, nine of them on the festival’s main stage, along with a ballet performance, two musicals, an opera, three dance performances, a recital, seven children’s plays, 24 exhibitions and installations, 12 talks and numerous workshops and educational activities.

Gökhan Türkmen, Hakan Altun, Derya Uluğ, Poizi, Sefo, Serkan Kaya, Ceza, Ebru Yaşar and Özcan Deniz are among the performers scheduled for the main stage at Başkent Millet Bahçesi, where a children’s village will also be established.

The festival is part of the broader Türkiye Culture Route Festival network, which expanded to 26 cities in 2026. The Culture and Tourism Ministry says the nationwide program has grown substantially since its launch in 2021. (Basin KTB)

International orchestras headline music program

International performers are also part of the Ankara program.

The National Arab Orchestra, led by Music Director Michael Ibrahim, will perform with Palestinian vocalist Nai Barghouti at CSO Ada Ankara, presenting music rooted in Arab traditions.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vasily Petrenko and featuring pianist Elisabeth Leonskaja, will also perform during the festival.

The Ankara State Opera and Ballet will present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” in a piano-accompanied concert version.

Another highlight, “Two States, One Stage: Fraternal Melodies,” will bring Turkish and Azerbaijani musical traditions together in a program commemorating the birthday of Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli.

Traditional crafts take center stage

The “Living Heritage Ankara Exhibition” at the July 15 Democracy Museum will showcase works by artisans recognized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry as bearers of intangible cultural heritage.

The collection includes ebru, illumination, calligraphy, weaving, needlework, cloth dolls, leatherwork and tile art.

According to the ministry, Ankara has 67 elements registered in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The Folk Culture Information and Documentation Center also holds 19,153 documents related to Ankara, while 1,129 registered artists hold certificates recognizing them as bearers of intangible cultural heritage.

Five Ankara artists, Veli Aykut, Ismail Nar, Ali Akbey, İbrahim Atıcı and Mehmet Karslı, are also recognized as “Living Human Treasures” in different fields.

During the nine-day festival, traditional artisans will conduct practical workshops at the July 15 Democracy Museum. The program will also feature short films about 25 artists and craftspeople, as well as a discussion on bookbinding.

Other exhibitions include “Sacred Relics of the Ottoman Empire” at the Ankara Ethnography Museum and “Ah Beautiful Istanbul” at the Ankara State Museum of Painting and Sculpture, featuring about 50 works selected from the Taviloğlu Collection.

Ankara cuisine joins the festival

Food will also play a major role, with more than 50 restaurants included in the “Ankara Culinary Destinations” selection.

Chef Mehmet Yalçınkaya will host the Ankara program, while Cüneyt Asan, Asuman Kerkez, Doğa Çitçi, Sezai Ömer Erdoğan and Kemal Can Yurttaş will visit participating venues and sample local dishes.

The festival will also feature chef-led workshops, tastings and events highlighting regional products.

The culinary program is designed to bring together restaurants representing each host city’s traditional food heritage and contemporary dining culture, positioning gastronomy as part of the wider cultural experience offered by the festival.

DAILYSABAH