TÜRKİYE CULTURE ROUTE FESTIVAL: CITIES MEET ART

The Türkiye Culture Route Festival, which began in Beyoğlu in 2021, has now grown into a massive cultural movement spanning 20 cities

With its thousands of years of historical heritage and geographical richness, Türkiye is increasingly gaining prominence in the fields of culture and art. The Türkiye Culture Route Festival, launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in 2021, is a concrete example of this vision. The journey that began in Istanbul has now become an international platform covering 20 cities and bringing together artists, local people, and the culture industry. We talked to Selim Terzi, Director of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival, about the festival’s emergence, growth, and impact on Türkiye’s cultural brand.

HOW DID THE IDEA FOR THE TÜRKIYE CULTURE ROUTE FESTIVAL COME ABOUT? HOW DO YOU AIM TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COUNTRY’S CULTURAL HERITAGE WITH THIS PROJECT?

The Türkiye Culture Route Festival actually originated from a very sincere walk. In 2021, while walking on Istiklal Street with Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, we discussed how the newly opened and renovated cultural venues in Beyoğlu could be more accessible to the public and how they could be promoted. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, we were walking along Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, discussing how to enhance the connection between the public and the newly opened and renovated cultural spaces in Beyoğlu, as well as how to promote these venues. At that moment, the vision presented by the Minister transformed this idea into an international-scale festival.

Our initial goal was to increase interest in these new and renovated cultural centers and to make our people’s connection with art stronger, more visible, and more accessible. Thus, in 2021, we set out with nearly 400 events featuring over 2,000 artists in more than 80 venues in Istanbul alone. Today, we have reached a point where we have an audience of millions, simultaneous events in dozens of cities, strong cultural activity, and artistic sharing. As part of the Türkiye Century vision, this festival not only presents the diversity of art, but also turns our cities into cultural centers and brings people together around shared emotions.

We believe in the unifying power of culture and art. The progress we have made in five years has shown us that as we continue on this path, we are both bringing our country’s cultural richness to more people and making a strong contribution to the international cultural brand value of Türkiye and our cities.

HOW DOES THE CONCEPT OF THE FESTIVAL’S “CULTURAL ROUTE” OVERLAP WITH TÜRKİYE’S HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL IDENTITY?

The concept of the Cultural Route actually expresses an approach that perfectly matches Türkiye’s thousands of years of historical and cultural heritage and its unique geographical location. Anatolia has been a place where civilizations met, roads crossed, and cultures blended throughout history.

These lands bear many cultural traces, from the Silk Road to the Spice Road, from migration routes to trade routes. These traces must be preserved, passed on to future generations, and shared with all of humanity.

The Türkiye Culture Route Festival emphasizes this historical memory and ancient heritage. The basic idea of the festival is not only to organize events, but also to touch the spirit of cities and bring to light the cultural layers that exist in every corner. It aims to bring people together through cultural events and, in doing so, to integrate them. A street you walk down in a city, a han you visit, a melody you listen to, or a delicacy you taste… All of these are elements that make up the cultural route.

When determining the festival routes, we take this historical and cultural context into account. We highlight each city’s unique story, history, traditions, artistic heritage, and social memory. Therefore, when we refer to the Cultural Route, we are not only referring to a physical route, but also to a cultural journey that has been passed down from the past to the present, from person to person.

From this perspective, the festival showcases Türkiye’s rich cultural identity and transforms each city into a center of attraction with its unique potential and all its dimensions.

HOW BIG HAS THE TÜRKIYE CULTURE ROUTE FESTIVAL GROWN TODAY? IN HOW MANY CITIES IS IT HELD, AND HOW MANY EVENTS AND ARTISTS PARTICIPATE?

The growth process of the Türkiye Culture Route Festival is being carried out with meticulous planning based on specific strategic priorities. This journey, which began in Istanbul in 2021, quickly gained momentum. The festival expanded to 5 cities in 2022, 11 cities in 2023, and 16 cities in 2024. By 2025, it will take place in 20 cities with the addition of Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, and Kayseri.

As stated by our Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, our goal is to include five new cities each year and hold the Türkiye Culture Route Festival in 35 cities by 2028. In this regard, we attach great importance to establishing a structure that covers seven geographical regions in a balanced manner.

In determining the new cities, we can say that local demands are as influential as infrastructure capabilities, seasonal suitability, and logistical conditions. The support of local administrations, public interest, and artistic production potential are among the decisive factors in the evaluation process. At the end of each year, the cities to be included in the festival are announced to the public by our Minister. The presence of strong local demands in this process is also encouraging. I can say that we are on an exciting path toward the future of the festival.

HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THE TÜRKİYE CULTURE ROUTE FESTIVAL ON CITIES AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES? HOW DOES IT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURE AND ARTS ECONOMY?

Our country possesses a unique cultural heritage thanks to its historical legacy and geographical diversity. To make this heritage visible on both national and international scales, our Ministry has been conducting multi-dimensional promotional activities for many years. Supported by the global strategies of our Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, the Türkiye Culture Route Festival has become a highly effective and sustainable platform over the past five years.

As part of the festival, many elements of cultural heritage are integrated into programs in every city, from museums to archaeological sites and from traditional handicrafts to digital arts. At the same time, a special place is given to intangible cultural heritage elements, thereby increasing their visibility and This cultural visibility also brings with it a direct increase in tourism. During festival periods, hotel occupancy rates rise in cities, and restaurants and local businesses experience significant economic activity. For example, as one local merchant put it, “In 9 days, we can do 3 months’ worth of work.” This is not merely a short-term gain; we are integrating this movement into a yearround tourism goal. To enhance the festival’s longterm impact, we are taking action in many areas, from infrastructure investments to promotional activities, in accordance with the principle of sustainability.

Cultural industries are one of the main drivers of today’s economies. The Türkiye Culture Route Festival has become a very important platform for nurturing and growing this industry. This journey, which began in 2021 with 2,000 artists, has now turned into a huge cultural movement with the participation of approximately 50,000 artists. While local artists are given the opportunity to perform, showcase their works, and meet artists from different disciplines, national and international artists also experience the cultural fabric of cities and add new dimensions to their work. This mutual interaction seriously supports not only cultural production but also the international promotion of cities and cultural diplomacy processes.

In conclusion, we see that the Türkiye Culture Route Festival is creating a cultural revival in our cities while also paving the way for social and economic transformation. We observe this multifaceted impact, which increases the local community’s participation in culture and the arts and supports the city and national economy, growing stronger with each passing year.

WHAT IS THE ROADMAP FOR INCREASING THE FESTIVAL’S INTERNATIONAL VISIBILITY AND IMPACT?

We focus on a tourism concept that is intertwined with culture and art, and in line with this, we position the Türkiye Culture Route Festival not only as a local but also as a The festival is organized in coordination with our Ministry and a wide network of stakeholders, including local authorities, private sector representatives, civil society organizations, and cultural and artistic actors. The unique themes developed for each city ensure that the event resonates more strongly with the local community. Thanks to the contributions brought by civil society from the field and the connections established with the local population, the festival is not merely a series of events but also transforms into a participatory and inclusive social platform.

Another important aspect of this multifaceted structure is its international visibility. The Türkiye Culture Route Festival is now a member of the European Festivals Association (EFA). This membership is of great importance in terms of bringing Türkiye’s cultural production to the world stage, integrating our festival cities into international networks, and ensuring active participation in the global culture and arts ecosystem. Thanks to the links established with international platforms, both cooperation and cultural interaction opportunities are increasing.

In addition, we have been working closely with diplomatic missions in Türkiye since day one. We are delighted to host various events organized by different countries in different cities, particularly in Ankara. I believe that these collaborations are valuable tools for bringing cultures together and promoting cultural diplomacy.

We do not consider this festival to be merely a shortterm cultural event; we see it as a long-term public investment that will contribute to the development of our cities, the growth of the cultural economy, and Türkiye’s soft power. With this perspective, we believe that the festival will be a cultural heritage not only for today but also for the future, and we are taking firm and decisive steps in this direction.