Türkiye, by virtue of its unique geographical position as a bridge between the Orient and Europe, has been home to a rich variety of cultures for thousands of years. Anatolia, the Asian part of Türkiye, is unequalled in the richness of its history and culture, and the folk tradition of Turkish people is only the most recent pearl in the sting of pearls stretching back through time.

The lifestyles of ethnic groups, together with the influences of their geographical surroundings, from the mountains to the seas, and their artistic values are revealed in the folk music and dance of the Anatolian people. Every village and town of Anatolia has own characteristic dance, and when one remembers that there are over 40.000 villages in Türkiye, it is almost impossible to imagine the wealth of tradition living today. The various styles of dance are grouped under such names as Halay, Zeybek, Horon, Karşılama...etc. As well as the dance steps themselves, the varied costumes add to the spectacle, as do the many different musical instruments. Although such traditional instruments as davul, zurna, kemençe and saz

( respectively drums, an oboe-like wind instrument, a type of violin and the long-necked Turkish lute ) among others are used, İstanbul Çağdaş is also introducing modern instruments into its accompaniments.

The dances tell tales based on daily life, rituals and celebrations and the cycle of the seasons. The most important dances and their characteristics are as follows :

As representitives of the myriad cultures of all epochs found in Türkiye, may we greet you and thank you for your interest. The İstanbul Çağdaş Tourism Folklore Association was founded in 1988 in İstanbul, where East meets West, and is a cultural ambassador for the city.

Recently the Association has won recognition and success participating in various international culture festivals and displaying Turkish Folk Dance, Traditional Music and Popular Theatre. The main aim of the Association is to help to widen international cultural awareness and thus, hopefully, to contribute and strengthen these cultural links. Under the supervision of its founder, Serdar DEMİRALP, and the cooperation of his young, dynamic staff, the Association has grown to a membership of 600 with a rich and varied repertoire of dance, music and beautiful, traditional costumes, taking part in international festivals, exhibitions and competitions. By having an excellent training programme, producing talented musicians and dancers every year, the Association is thus in the forefront of cultural associations in Türkiye.

In the world where culture is a bridge between nations, and knows no boundaries or limits, the İstanbul Contemporary Tourism Folklore Association hopes to meet you on that bridge and to found a firm friendship. With our best wishes,

We “THE CONTEMPORARIES”