Diyarbakır Cultural Road Festival opens

The Diyarbakır Cultural Road Festival, the 14th event in the Turkish Cultural Road Festivals organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, officially opened on Oct. 12.

During the festival, exhibitions, music performances and concerts meet art enthusiasts in many locations, including İçkale, Dağkapı Square, Hasan Pasha Inn, Yenikapı Street, Gazi Street, Diyarbakır Archaeology Museum, Kurşunlu Mosque Square, Ulu Mosque, Hazreti Süleyman Mosque, Pasha Bath, Surp Giragos Church, Chaldean Church, Virgin Mary Church, Sheikh Mutahhar (Dört Ayaklı Minaret) Mosque, Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı Museum, Ziya Gökalp Manuscript Library, Ziya Gökalp Museum, Mesudiye Madrasa, Ahmed Arif Literature Museum Library, Caravanserai, On Gözlü Bridge and Nevruz Park.

State Theatres General Manager Tamer Karadağlı, who attended the opening of the festival on Oct. 12 at the historical İçkale Museum Complex, said that they have been in the field and visited 42 provinces and that they perform 125 new plays every year.

Stating that they also have new projects, Karadağlı said, "For the first time in the history of the State Theaters, we reached 2,2 million while it was 1.3 million last year. The Diyarbakır audience is such a special audience that their appreciation level has increased greatly over the years by watching Shakespeare, Moliere, Chekhov and also local plays. Moreover, the 20th Orhan Asena Local Plays Festival started two days ago. This year, it coincided with the Cultural Road Festival, creating a tremendous impact. The importance of the Cultural Road Festival for the people of the region is great. Because with this festival, we are also advertising art, culture and history to the world. Because the festival is unique in the world."

Birol Güven, General...