Curtain closes on 5th Ethnosports Culture Festival in Istanbul
Kyrgyz traditional dancers perform at the 5th Ethnosports Culture Festival, Istanbul, Turkey, June 12, 2022. (AA Photo)


The 5th Ethnosports Culture Festival, organized by the World Ethnosport Confederation at Istanbul’s repurposed Atatürk Airport, came to an end Sunday.

The Confederation President Bilal Erdoğan, members of the board of directors and other notable guests attended the closing ceremony of the 4-day event.

Erdoğan said the festival made an unforgettable impression on the hundreds of thousands of visitors of all ages.

"Our visitors want to know more about their traditions and learn about their culture. I saw children, young people and their families having a great time at every part of the festival area," he said.

He underlined the importance of being a part of the excitement of the visitors.

"The happiness and excitement on the faces of our children riding horses were priceless. It was worth seeing the attention of our young people while shooting arrows. We almost traveled to the world of our guests through their sports, art and culture. We brought the world cuisine to the festival."

He added that the World Ethnosport Confederation will continue to organize more festivals in the coming years.

"Our next festival is the 4th World Nomad Games between Sept. 29 and Oct. 2. We will come together in Iznik at this huge event that focuses on traditional sports."

"I would like to thank everyone who attended the closing ceremony and the sponsors. We hope to meet with much greater energy and enthusiasm at our new festival next year," Erdoğan said.