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PR Newswire (press release)
March 18 2009
Pacifica Institute to Give Californians A Taste of Anatolia
LOS ANGELES, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Anatolian Cultures and
Food Festival celebrating the architecture, crafts and food of that
region (modern day Turkey) will run April 2nd to 5th 2009 at the
Orange County Fairgrounds. The event has a unique focus on the
multi-cultural heritage of Anatolia, showcasing the Ottomans,
Hittites, Armenians and other civilizations.
Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the
festival and plans to make this an annual fixture in California. Other
participants are the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce
(CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA).
"We want to provide a full sensory experience of the history of this
region," said festival coordinator Kemal Gur. "Visitors will literally
eat the foods, see the sights and hear the sounds that an ordinary
Byzantine or Ottoman citizen experienced thousands of years ago."
The festival will showcase five major cities and 11 arches including a
reconstruction of the Trojan Horse. The sets were constructed in
Istanbul over a six-month period by a team of 50 carpenters, under the
guidance of historians and archeologists. They used 60 tons of steel,
20,000 square meters of vinyl and other materials to recreate
landmarks such as Rumi's Museum in Konya.
Each set will also feature 3D graphics and photographs, along with
documents translated from manuscripts. During the festival artisans
will demonstrate regional crafts, ranging from filigree to weaving.
There will also be nightly live concerts, featuring virtuoso Omer
Faruk Tekbilek and his ensemble of Turkish, Greek and Armenian
musicians, as well as the Whirling Dervishes, folk dancers and an
Ottoman marching band. At more than 90 booths reminiscent of
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar festivalgoers will savor authentic foods and
purchase crafts.
There will also be a children's area where puppet theater and fairy
tale performances will run on two stages.
For additional information visit www.anatolianfestival.org, contact
Elif Cercel or Atilla Kahveci at [email protected] or call
(310) 208 7290.
Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American
community of California as a non-profit organization. Its mission is
to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals,
conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to
bring people together from different communities and ethnic
backgrounds.
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent .aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-17-2009/000 4990362&EDATE=
March 18 2009
Pacifica Institute to Give Californians A Taste of Anatolia
LOS ANGELES, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Anatolian Cultures and
Food Festival celebrating the architecture, crafts and food of that
region (modern day Turkey) will run April 2nd to 5th 2009 at the
Orange County Fairgrounds. The event has a unique focus on the
multi-cultural heritage of Anatolia, showcasing the Ottomans,
Hittites, Armenians and other civilizations.
Los Angeles-based Pacifica Institute is the main sponsor of the
festival and plans to make this an annual fixture in California. Other
participants are the California Turkish American Chamber of Commerce
(CATA) and the Organization of Istanbul Armenians (OIA).
"We want to provide a full sensory experience of the history of this
region," said festival coordinator Kemal Gur. "Visitors will literally
eat the foods, see the sights and hear the sounds that an ordinary
Byzantine or Ottoman citizen experienced thousands of years ago."
The festival will showcase five major cities and 11 arches including a
reconstruction of the Trojan Horse. The sets were constructed in
Istanbul over a six-month period by a team of 50 carpenters, under the
guidance of historians and archeologists. They used 60 tons of steel,
20,000 square meters of vinyl and other materials to recreate
landmarks such as Rumi's Museum in Konya.
Each set will also feature 3D graphics and photographs, along with
documents translated from manuscripts. During the festival artisans
will demonstrate regional crafts, ranging from filigree to weaving.
There will also be nightly live concerts, featuring virtuoso Omer
Faruk Tekbilek and his ensemble of Turkish, Greek and Armenian
musicians, as well as the Whirling Dervishes, folk dancers and an
Ottoman marching band. At more than 90 booths reminiscent of
Istanbul's Grand Bazaar festivalgoers will savor authentic foods and
purchase crafts.
There will also be a children's area where puppet theater and fairy
tale performances will run on two stages.
For additional information visit www.anatolianfestival.org, contact
Elif Cercel or Atilla Kahveci at [email protected] or call
(310) 208 7290.
Pacifica Institute was founded in 2003 by the Turkish-American
community of California as a non-profit organization. Its mission is
to promote cross-cultural awareness by organizing festivals,
conferences, panels, public forums and art performances as a way to
bring people together from different communities and ethnic
backgrounds.
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent .aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-17-2009/000 4990362&EDATE=