Cultural Road Festival opens in Diyarbakır

The Sur Cultural Road Festival, organized for the first time this year within the scope of the Turkish Cultural Road Festival events, has started in Diyarbakır.

Organized by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the festival will host more than 600 events with the participation of more than 2,000 artists until Oct. 16.

The Sur Cultural Road Festival is being organized in the historical and cultural places of Diyarbakır, including the Hz. Süleyman Mosque, the Church of Saint George, Dengbej House, Mesudiye Madrasah, the Great Caravanserai and the Ahmed Arif Literature Museum. Most of the events are free of charge.

State Theaters will stage six plays and 13 performances as part of the festival. Balloon flights are held in the region for four days between 6 and 8 a.m. and between 8 and 10 p.m. through Oct. 12. The festival also offers a sky observation event on the Keçiburnu Terrace.

Among the festival shows, Refik Anadol's digital installation "Renaissance Dreams" can be seen at Saint George Art Center, while artist İsmail Acar's exhibition is at the Chaldean Church and Devrim Erbil's "Techniques and Colors" exhibition is at the Saint George Art Center.

Concerts of the festival are also organized for free in the Dağ Kapı Square Open Air Stage. Türkiye's world-renowned dance group Anadolu Ateşi will also perform in the city as part of the festival.

Within the scope of Heritage Talks, Professor İlber Ortaylı, İsmail Acar, Professor Hüsamettin Koçan, Mercan Dede, Coşkun Aral and Mehdi Eker will meet the audience.

The Presidential Symphony Orchestra, which performed in Diyarbakır within the scope of its Anatolian Tour in 2009, will give a concert as part of the festival. Violinist Cihat Aşkın will participate as a soloist in...