The 32nd edition of the Şile Bezi Culture and Art Festival will meet with visitors between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 this year. Istanbul's hidden paradise Şile district will host a festival of a different story with its nature, culture and history. Held by the Şile Municipality for 31 years, the festival aims to introduce the Şile cloth to the world. At this event, visitors will have an opportunity to attend various activities from the production of Şile cloth to the traditional ritual of washing Şile cloth in the sea.
At the festival, a traditional ceremony will also be organized for the fishing season, which will start on Sept. 1. Many famous Turkish singers like Ekin Uzunlar, Tuğba Yurt and Fettah Can will perform as part of the festival, which will also offer dance shows and performances by street musicians.
The history of Şile cloth, which is a labor-intensive process from start to finish, dates back centuries. What makes this cloth special is its traditional and natural production process. The people of Şile district boil their cotton thread with flour and water to obtain natural balls. Then, they wash them in the waters of the Black Sea and dry them on the sands of Şile, which are reputed to have healing properties. This is why Şile cloth draws attention not only in Turkey but also across the world as a natural, comfortable and healthy type of cloth. World-famous designers use this cloth in their collections.
Şile Mayor İlhan Ocaklı told, "We are excited to organize the 32nd edition of the International Şile Cloth Festival this year. Along with its cultural values, this organization is one of the most archaic festivals in Istanbul. We will present an opportunity for our visitors to discover our precious Şile cloth in addition to our other cultural and natural beauties in our event program. In these days, when we will start to experience beauties of the autumn by bidding farewell to the beautiful summer season, I invite all Istanbulites who want to enrich themselves with music, culture and art."
