Turkmenistan hosted a grand ceremony on November 16 to mark the conclusion of Anau’s year as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World. The event celebrated the various cultural initiatives undertaken by throughout 2024.
A highlight of the ceremony was a festive concert featuring renowned artists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Türkiye. The concert featured both folklore and modern musical compositions reflecting the centuries-old traditions of fraternal peoples.
The declaration of Anau as the cultural capital of the Turkic world is part of the program “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World”.
The program “Cultural Capital of the Turkic World” is aimed at unlocking the cultural potential of the Turkic peoples and familiarizing them with their heritage. Its purpose is to draw attention to the history of different cities of Turkic–speaking countries and to strengthen friendly ties between the Turkic peoples that have been formed over the centuries and develop cultural exchange.
The ancient cities of Turkmenistan have already been nominated for this Program twice, which served as an incentive for the scientific and creative intelligentsia of the country to study their history and rich national culture in more depth, and popularize modern achievements.
In 2015, this honorary status was awarded to the city of Mary.
As part of the events dedicated to the Anau, Ashgabat hosted the II Theater Festival of TURKSOY member countries, the Gorkut ata film festival, an exhibition of works of art by Turkic peoples, as well as a conference of heads of museums of TURKSOY member countries.
TURKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev noted the importance of these events for strengthening cultural dialogue between the Turkic peoples. He expressed gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people for the high level of organization of the celebrations.
At the event, the official delegation of Aktau (Kazakhstan), which will become the cultural capital of the Turkic world in 2025, was awarded a special TURKSOY cup and a statuette “Crane”.
The symbol of the cultural capital of the Turkic world was handed over to the mayor of Aktau city Abylkhair Baypakov.
“Our Turkic world has a great history, outstanding ancestors, unique culture and art that continues to inspire. The most important aspect is that this invaluable spiritual wealth has worthy successors. The tradition of designating a Cultural Capital of the Turkic World began in 2012 with Astana, Kazakhstan, followed by Turkestan in 2017. This is a significant step in strengthening cultural ties between the Turkic states. In the coming year, the participating countries will hold events on the shores of the Caspian Sea, which will also increase the tourism potential of the region. I wish all the organizers, participants and guests of the closing of the year “Anau – the cultural capital of the Turkic world” health, happiness, well-being and further creative success! We are waiting for you in Aktau. We will be glad to see all of you on our hospitable land,” A.Baypakov said.