"Sur Culture Road Festival," which will be held for the first time this year within the scope of the Turkish Culture Road Festivals organized by the Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism Culture Road to revive cultural heritage to start on Oct. 8.
The cultural movement will hold the dynamics of the city with different activities that will last nine days. Diyarbakır, one of the most important cities and home to many ancient civilizations, has been chosen specifically as being one of the representatives of this iconic cultural regalement that will host more than 600 events with the participation of more than 2,000 artists.
Much of the cultural heritage, from Dengbejs to the Presidential Symphony Orchestra concert, from Turkish, Kurdish, and Armenian songs to Eyvan nights, will take place together with events that appeal to all walks of society, from children to adults.
Every historical point in Diyarbakır, from the Dağ Kapı Square to the Chaldean Church, the Goat Bastion, the Citadel Open Air Stage, the Kurşunlu Mosque and the Paşa Hamam, will become a culture and art route.
Those who want to experience Diyarbakır's texture and perform their passion for photography together will be able to attend the Fotomarathon, which will be held on Oct. 8. Also, state theaters will stage a total of six prominent plays, 13 performances within the scope of the festival.
Meanwhile, the activities range from balloon flights to the Night Glow show, from sky observation events to gastronomy events, from children's workshops and special stage performances to literature meetings.
The opening ceremony of the Diyarbakır Short Film Festival, which will be held for the second time this year, will also be within the scope of the Sur Culture Road Festival, and the award ceremony will take place in the historical prison.
The Presidential Symphony Orchestra, which met with art goers in Diyarbakır within the scope of the "Anatolian Tour" held in 2009, will perform once before the audience with a colorful repertoire as part of the Sur Culture Road Festival after a 13-year hiatus. Under the direction of conductor Cemi'i Can Deliorman, violinist Cihat Aşkın will participate as a soloist, and a special program content ranging from the most popular classical works of music history to Turkish composers will be presented to the audience.
On the other hand, there will be public concerts by many artists, Yavuz Bingöl, a Turkish folk song singer and Zeynep Bastık are some of them.
Diyarbakır "Heritage Talks" event will discuss everything about the culture, with talks on architecture, archeology and history. Prominent names from the field of history, such as Ilber Ortaylı and artist Ismail Acar will be attending the talks as speakers.
All exhibitions will be free of charge during the festival.
The exhibitions, on the other hand, will take place at different locations in the city until Oct. 16. As part of the Sur Culture Road Festival, exhibitions of many artists, from Refik Anadol and to Devrim Erbil, will offer an art feast for the local and foreign tourists. A total of 14 different exhibitions, from the Black and White Diyarbakır Photography Exhibition to the Contemporary Arts exhibition, blending modernity with tradition, will welcome its visitors during the cultural movement.
