Celebrating first day of the early summer
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hurriyet Daily News
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 05, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - An old-Turkish celebration of spring, Hıdrellez will be celebrated in Ahıkapı Park, in Istanbul’s Fatih district, today, just like last year’s celebrations, but maybe with more activities.
Hıdrellez celebrates the first day of the early summer, and it is also "day of Hızır", the day on which prophets Hızır and Ilyas met each other on earth. Hıdrellez comes from the fusion of the names of Hızır and İlyas.
Since ancient times it has been celebrated with big ceremonies in Anatolia but depending on where the celebrations happen, they may go by different names and in different times.
Celebrations in Istanbul began with the Armada Hotel on Ahırkapı’s streets in 1997. Everyone was invited to participate. For the last couple of years the celebrations at Ahırkapı district, a historic part of Istanbul, have turned into a tradition.
The festivity is organized by The Association of Ahırkapı Hidrellez Festivals and supported by the Eminönü Municipality as well as by the Istanbul Governor’s Office. This year the organization is also supported by Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, or ECOC, and it will take place for the 10th time. The number of participants significantly increased and reached 50,000 in 2007 and over 70,000 in 2008. So much so that the venue had to be moved to a larger venue this year. The celebrations that will start at 7 p.m. will for the first time be carried to the seaside of Ahırkapı neighborhood.
There will be concerts, food, and kiosks that sell corn, cotton candy and popcorn all through the celebrations and towards midnight the traditional fires will be jumped over and the wishes will be attached on the traditional Nahils, which are symbolic wish-trees and ornaments from Ottoman culture. People write their wishes on a piece of paper and attach them on the Nahil’s. Those wish trees will be placed in front of the Armada Hotel’s garage. Since 2002 this tradition also continues.
There will be local musicians, The Ahırkapı Roman Orchestra, performing gypsy music wandering around the streets of Ahırkapı with their darbuka, a tramborine, saz, a stringed instrument and borazans.
Tomorrow there will be also a main stage where Macedon Kocani Orchestar, Group "Kolektif", The Ritm Academy by Ahmet the Egyptian, Buzuki Orhan and "Küçük Hasan", a Zurna Genious from Lüleburgaz & Tamer Kum, a Drum Master, Göksenin İleri and Anadolu Folk, Trakya All Stars, Ahırkapı Roman Orchestra, "Pire Mehmet" and his Roman Semaver Theather Company and various Roman groups from different areas of the world will take stage.
People who want to be a part of this year’s festivity and experience the celebration of the first day of the early summer can use public transportation to get there. There are a few options, such as taking the "Kabataş Ğ Zeytinburnu" tramway and getting off at "Sultanahmet" station, taking the train from Sirkeci Main Train Station and get off at the Kumkapı station or one can take the bus ’81 Sirkeci Ğ Yeşilköy’ and get off at the Çatladıkapı bus stop.
Since ancient times it has been celebrated with big ceremonies in Anatolia but depending on where the celebrations happen, they may go by different names and in different times.
Celebrations in Istanbul began with the Armada Hotel on Ahırkapı’s streets in 1997. Everyone was invited to participate. For the last couple of years the celebrations at Ahırkapı district, a historic part of Istanbul, have turned into a tradition.
The festivity is organized by The Association of Ahırkapı Hidrellez Festivals and supported by the Eminönü Municipality as well as by the Istanbul Governor’s Office. This year the organization is also supported by Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency, or ECOC, and it will take place for the 10th time. The number of participants significantly increased and reached 50,000 in 2007 and over 70,000 in 2008. So much so that the venue had to be moved to a larger venue this year. The celebrations that will start at 7 p.m. will for the first time be carried to the seaside of Ahırkapı neighborhood.
There will be concerts, food, and kiosks that sell corn, cotton candy and popcorn all through the celebrations and towards midnight the traditional fires will be jumped over and the wishes will be attached on the traditional Nahils, which are symbolic wish-trees and ornaments from Ottoman culture. People write their wishes on a piece of paper and attach them on the Nahil’s. Those wish trees will be placed in front of the Armada Hotel’s garage. Since 2002 this tradition also continues.
There will be local musicians, The Ahırkapı Roman Orchestra, performing gypsy music wandering around the streets of Ahırkapı with their darbuka, a tramborine, saz, a stringed instrument and borazans.
Tomorrow there will be also a main stage where Macedon Kocani Orchestar, Group "Kolektif", The Ritm Academy by Ahmet the Egyptian, Buzuki Orhan and "Küçük Hasan", a Zurna Genious from Lüleburgaz & Tamer Kum, a Drum Master, Göksenin İleri and Anadolu Folk, Trakya All Stars, Ahırkapı Roman Orchestra, "Pire Mehmet" and his Roman Semaver Theather Company and various Roman groups from different areas of the world will take stage.
People who want to be a part of this year’s festivity and experience the celebration of the first day of the early summer can use public transportation to get there. There are a few options, such as taking the "Kabataş Ğ Zeytinburnu" tramway and getting off at "Sultanahmet" station, taking the train from Sirkeci Main Train Station and get off at the Kumkapı station or one can take the bus ’81 Sirkeci Ğ Yeşilköy’ and get off at the Çatladıkapı bus stop.