The first leg of "Turkey Week," which promotes diverse sounds and colors from Turkey, has been held in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

Inspired by the historical journey of Göbeklitepe, which represents the emergence of the first cities, bureaucracy, writing and states in history, i.e., the beginning of civilization, Turkey's assets were put on display first in Romania.

Turkey Week activities, themed as "Göbeklitepe: Humans and Life," were held at historical and noteworthy venues in Bucharest between April 3 and 7, 2019 and included talks, exhibitions, concerts and workshops that conveyed Turkey's cultural and artistic heritage to the taste of the residents of Bucharest.

Taking Göbeklitepe to the international stage

At the opening conference held at the National Library of Romania with the participation of Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum Director and Göbeklitepe Excavation Committee Chairman Celal Uludağ, the attendants were briefed about the process since the discovery of Göbeklitepe, the significance of Göbeklitepe in world history and the activities conducted at the site.

The conference was followed by the opening of the "Göbeklitepe Photography Exhibition," containing detailed photographs about the excavation site and monuments were put on display.

Anatolia's patterns in Bucharest

The "Anatolian Civilizations Ceramic Exhibition," showcasing the diverse colors of Anatolia as the hotbed of civilizations, was opened at the National Museum of Romanian History.

The exhibition, featuring personal works by Prof. Dr. Sıdıka Sevim and Dr. Cemalettin Sevim, who are faculty members at Anadolu University, was presented to the taste of art lovers on April 4.

With the program also attended by State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture of Romania Irina Caja and Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Bucharest Füsun Aramaz, historical İznik tiles which were are part the Museum's inventory were put on display for the first time. The exhibition will be open until April 19.

In another event conducted on the same day, the film "Uzun Hikaye," directed by Osman Sınav, was screened at Cinema Pro, one of the prominent movie theaters in Bucharest.

Anatolia Spirit echoed in music

The master of Turkish music, cellist Uğur Işık, has brought a rich array of Anatolia's music culture, spiced with his own inspirations, to the taste of Romanian music lovers.

The concert, titled "Anatolia Spirit," was given at the Museum of Art of Romania on Saturday, April 6. The concert also featured tunes from the civilizations hosted in Anatolia, and Işık was accompanied by Ferruh Avni Yarkın, Mustafa Doğan Dikmen and Umut Sel. Major songs from Turkish music including Kara Toprak, Haydar Haydar and Giresun'un İçine were played.

At the end of the concert, the Romanian students who attended the master class given by Işık at the national Bucharest Conservatory took to the stage to play "Hicazkar Sirto," composed by Sultan Abduldaziz, along with Işık and his band.

Turkish delicacies presented to taste of residents of Bucharest

As part of the activities for promoting diverse aspects of Turkish cuisine, the Turkish Cuisine Workshop was held on April 5, 2019 at the Aperto Academy of Aperto, one of Bucharest's prominent restaurants, with the participation of eminent chefs form Turkey and leading chefs and culinary professionals from Bucharest. During the event, the very foundations of Turkish culinary culture were explained and outstanding examples of Turkish delicacies such as "Hünkarbeğendi" (eggplant puree with cheese), "Saray Helvası" (palace dessert) and "Ekşili Çorba" (sour soup) were described and prepared.

The 600-year-old Ottoman sherbet culture also made its appearance during the event. The "Demirhindi" (tamarind), "Lavanta" (lavender) and "Misk-i Amber" (musk ambrette) sherbets, prepared by Ali Güler using his original recipes in Istanbul, were offered to the participants ahead of the exhibition openings and concerts during the week.

At the "City and Culture" booths, diverse Turkish delicacies were presented to the taste of the residents of Bucharest for two days between April 6 and 7, 2019. The visitors also had a chance to sample the dishes prepared by the chefs coming from Turkey such as zerde (pudding with saffron),  helva (dessert made with semolina or flour) and mantı (small dumplings filled with meat and served with yogurt and melted butter) and find expert answers to their questions about Turkish cuisine for two days.

A week rife with culture and art

Turkey Week included 23 events performed at leading venues such as the National Library of Romania, the National Museum of Romanian History, the National Museum of Art of Romania, and the University of Bucharest between April 3 and 7, 2019 under the auspices of the Turkish Embassy in Bucharest, and sponsored by the Turkish Businessmen Association, the Ministry of Culture of Romania, the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP) Regional Development Administration, the Turkish, Anchor Group, the Gastronomy Tourism Association, etc.

This year's theme for "Turkey Week," organized by Yunus Emre Institute, has been selected as "Göbeklitepe: Humans and Life," in connection with "2019: Year of Göbeklitepe." Throughout the year, "Turkey Week" events will be held in Zagreb (Croatia), Madrid (Spain), Tirana (Albania), Beirut (Lebanon), Belgrade (Serbia), Kiev (Ukraine), Saint Petersburg (Russia), and Tunis (Tunisia).