Pacifica Institute to Give Californians A Taste of Anatolia

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 info@anatolianfestival.org 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.

Source: Pacifica Institute

CONTACT: Elif Cercel, or Atilla Kahveci, both of Pacifica Institute,
+1-310-208-7290, info@anatolianfestival.org

Web Site: http://www.anatolianfestival.org/

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