First Ever Pakistan Cultural Week to be held in Turkey

ANKARA, 19 March 2012:  With the objective to showcase the beauty and cultural diversity of Pakistan and to reinforce the existing bonds of friendship and brotherhood between the people of Pakistan and Turkey, the Embassy of Pakistan in Turkey is organizing a Cultural Week of Pakistan to coincide with our National Day celebrations on 23^rd March.

This is the first time that the Cultural Week on this unprecedented scale has been organized by the Embassy in Turkey. Titled ‘Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan,’ the week long activities include food festival, qawali performance, fashion show, truck art display and children art activities. Various Turkish media groups, Ankara municipality, and Turkish and Pakistani companies are supporting the cultural activities.

The Cultural Week was formally launched today with an exclusive Photo exhibition titled ‘Journey of Friendship’ held at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. The exhibition was jointly opened by the Turkish Foreign Secretary Mr. Feridun Sinirlioğlu and Ambassador of Pakistan to Turkey Mr. Muhammad Haroon Shaukat. Exhibition consists of 78 photographs depicting historical relations between the leadership of the two countries. It also includes photograph of  Quaid-e-Azam ’s meeting with the first Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan during credentials ceremony held on 4 March 1948 at Karachi.

To bring the best of Pakistani food for the people of Turkey, Pakistan Food Festival is being organized in Swiss Hotel, Ankara (23-30 March) for which Chefs from Pakistan are being brought to prepare a variety of Pakistani meals for the guests. To give a taste of Pakistani food and the way it is prepared, an exclusive luncheon will be hosted for media representatives inside the kitchen of a hotel. To introduce street food to the Turkish audience, free offerings of Buryani, Chaat, Dahi Barhe, Gol Gappas, etc., will be made in one of Ankara’s busy shopping malls.

Known as Pakistan’s queen of classic haute couture, Ms Nilofer Shahid will present a fashion show on the theme of ‘Iqbal and Rumi’ on 28 March at Ankara and on 3^rd April at Istanbul. Her themed fashion show will be preceded by a Qawali performance by the leading Qawal          Mr. Fareed Ayaz and his group.

Turkish children would be involved in a special art activity where they would make a large painting in the form of a mosaic depicting landscapes from Pakistan and Turkish to symbolize the eternal friendship and brotherhood between the two countries.

Truck art is another interesting feature of Pakistani art. To bring this unique art for the people of Turkey to enjoy and appreciate, Pakistan’s famous truck artist Mr. Haider Ali will be in Turkey for live decoration of a bus (23-30 March). Turkey’s racing car driver Ms Burcu Cetinkaya will be guest at the concluding ceremony.

ENDS

Photo captions: Quaid-e-Azam Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Governor General of Pakistan receiving credentials from the first Turkish Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Mr. Yahya Kemal.  KARACHI - 4 March 1948.