Within the scope of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan, the opening ceremony of the photo exhibition titled "Zero Point of History Göbeklitepe" was held by the Astana Yunus Emre Institute at the National Museum of Kazakhstan on September 29, 2022.

The opening of the exhibition of 30 photographs was attended by Ufuk Ekici, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Astana; Gulnar Bijanova, Ilyas Bularov, Avetik Amerhanyan, Abilfaz Hamedov, Deputies of the Parliament of Kazakhstan; many diplomats, archaeologists and press members from the embassies of Cuba, Jordan, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Korea, Portugal and international organizations such as the OSCE and the EU Mission Chiefs.

SPECIAL FOR THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

At the opening ceremony, İpek Aynuksa, 1st Undersecretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Astana, said: "We are pleased that the exhibition is organized on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Kazakhstan.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Aybek Siddikov, Acting Director of the National Museum of Kazakhstan. We believe that the Göbeklitepe exhibition will encourage history and archaeology enthusiasts to visit Göbeklitepe."

Director of the National Museum Aybek Sydykov said the following in his speech:

"Today, our comprehensive international strategic partnership between our two countries is confidently developing in a new phase. Rapidly developing Turkey will always remain our reliable partner. The aim of the exhibition is to further strengthen the spiritual, cultural, and cooperation ties between the two countries and to promote the history of Göbeklitepe. Excavations are also underway in Kazakhstan, aiming to reveal the lifestyle of the nomadic society. Many artifacts have been unearthed that bear witness to the unique culture and way of life of nomads. You can see these works in the exhibition halls of the National Museum."

2 MILLION VISITS TO GÖBEKLİTEPE'S VIRTUAL MUSEUM APPLICATION

Astana Yunus Emre Institute Acting Coordinator Dr. Almagül İsina said: "Göbeklitepe Archaeological Site, which opened in 2019, has hosted millions of tourists to date. In the virtual museum application launched by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Göbeklitepe was the most popular historical site in Turkey, with nearly 2 million visits. Turkey is a country with beautiful nature and rich history, home to various civilizations. On this occasion, we invite Kazakh tourists to visit Göbeklitepe Örenyeri in Şanlıurfa."

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the guests were informed in Kazakh and English about the excavations in Göbeklitepe and the historical stone sculptures unearthed.

At the opening ceremony, Kazakh artists performed folk songs from the Urfa region accompanied by the national instruments kopuz and dombra and received great appreciation.

After the opening ceremony, promotional materials for Göbeklitepe were distributed to Kazakh and foreign guests, and desserts and sherbet from Turkish cuisine were served.

The exhibition titled "Zero Point of History Göbeklitepe" was widely covered in the Kazakh press. A week after the opening of the exhibition, Kazakhstan's press intensively promoted the exhibition. News promoting Göbeklitepe were published in the country’s leading news portals such as Kazakhstan National News Agency Kazinform, "Egemen Kazakstan" newspaper, 24KZ TV channel, ABAI TV channel, and Evrazia 1 TV channel, E History, Aykın, Elorda and Turkistan.

The video introducing Göbeklitepe was shown with Kazakh and English subtitles on large LED screens at the entrance of the museum.

The exhibition remained open at the National Museum until October 6, 2022.