Istanbul: The New European Capital of Culture

Turks are ready for the big party starting at the Halic Congress Center of Istanbul today,  marking the new status of Istanbul, Turkey’s cultural and financial center, as the 2010 European Capital of Culture. The Turkish festivities started with an official ceremony, attended by high-level diplomatic representations from 40 countries. during which the Turkish President Abdullah Gul and the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will deliver the opening speeches. Special firework and light shows and simultaneous cultural events in seven different spots of the city will be performed throughout the night.

Istanbul, the capital of three great empires in the last 2000 years, is one of the world’s leading cultural and historical centers today, thanks to its enormously rich and diverse cultural and historical heritage. Istanbul will keep its status of European Capital of Culture throughout 2010 together with the cities of Pecs in Hungary and Essen in Germany. There will be several hundred cultural events, ranging from concerts to dance shows and art exhibitions, celebrating this new prestigious status of the Turkish city. Hundreds of monuments and historical sights have been restored and 18 cultural centers were built throughout Istanbul to host the cultural celebrations.

As the only city in the world that lies in two continents, Istanbul is expected to attract thousands of new visitors in 2010. With a 6.5% increase compared to 2008, over 7.5 million foreign tourists visited Istanbul last year. Germans formed the largest group with 14.8%, followed by Brits (5.7%) and French (5.1%). This number is expected to increase significantly in 2010 because of the city’s new title.