Cultural festivals held in Istanbul and Bursa

The fifth Serçeşme Hünkâr Hacı Bektaş Veli Istanbul Meeting, organized by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, took place from October 17 to 19. The festival, which highlights Alevi-Bektashi culture through music and tradition, concluded with a special program at the Harbiye Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre. During the event, Istanbul Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan emphasized the teachings of Hacı Bektaş Veli regarding tolerance and human love, while also expressing condolences for those lost in recent floods in Istanbul.

In Bursa, the Mehter Bands Meeting concluded as part of the celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of the conquest of Bursa. Organized by the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, the event featured mehter bands from four different cities and a final concert with clarinet artists Hüsnü Şenlendirici and Serkan Çağrı. The performance combined traditional mehter marches with Western musical instruments under the direction of Eray İnal. Additionally, a historical exhibition titled ‘The Sound of 700 Years of Bursa Mehter’ is open to the public at the Merinos AKKM Osmangazi Hall until October 24.