Antalya Culture Route Festival Opens With Ersoy Until 8 November

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy opened the Antalya Culture Route Festival, according to Sabah. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism organises the event, which runs from 31 October to 8 November and is in its fourth edition. Visitors can follow a mix of photography, workshops, talks, exhibitions and ballet across the city.

Sabah reports that the first day already covered a wide range of activities. Children’s events sat alongside traditional art workshops and exhibitions.

What the Antalya Culture Route Festival Offers

The FotoMaraton events invited participants to photograph Antalya’s historical and cultural heritage. A guided trip to the ancient city of Aspendos also introduced visitors to the region’s archaeology. Aspendos, a Roman-era site near Antalya, is known for its well-preserved theatre.

The programme also includes talks, exhibitions and ballet performances. Sabah did not publish a full schedule, so readers should check local announcements for session times and venues.

Part of a Nationwide Culture Route Programme

The Antalya festival belongs to the wider Türkiye Kültür Yolu Festivalleri (Türkiye Culture Route Festivals). The ministry runs the programme in several cities each year, and each city hosts its own event. According to TRT Haber, the 2025 programme covered 35 cities across three formats. The Culture Route Festival itself reached 20 cities and more than 9,600 events.

For 2026, TRT Haber reported in January that the festival would cover 26 cities. That was a planning figure from the start of the year. Milliyet’s report on the 2024 Antalya edition counted 285 events at 77 venues, which gives an idea of the festival’s scale in the city.

Ersoy Announces Plans for Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci

At the opening, Ersoy also spoke about Istanbul. He called Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci two new centres that should add to the city’s cultural and artistic life. The ministry aims to open their first phases in 2027.

He said a migration museum is being created there. In his view, Sirkeci holds a special place in Türkiye’s migration history. He pointed to migration to Europe, arrivals from the Balkans and the historic railway lines as part of the area’s memory.

Haydarpaşa and Sirkeci are Istanbul’s historic railway terminals. They stand on the Asian and European sides of the city. These are plans, and the ministry has not yet opened the museum.

Source: Sabah
Featured image: TRT Haber