Talimhane Takes the Stage...

The Beyoğlu Talimhane Stage has been established as part of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Beyoğlu Culture Route project. The cultural and artistic events to be held at the Beyoğlu Talimhane Stage will turn the area into a center of attraction.

The Beyoğlu Talimhane Stage—one of the key pillars of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Beyoğlu Culture Route Project, established in partnership with the Ministry as well as the Beyoğlu Municipality and the Association of Turkish Hoteliers (TÜROB)—has been brought to life. The cultural and artistic events to be held at the Beyoğlu Talimhane Stage will turn the area into a center of attraction. The first event at the Talimhane Stage, which will host 7 events throughout August, will be the theatre play ‘Bir Nefes Dede Korkut,’ to be staged on 8 August.

The opening of the Beyoğlu Talimhane Stage, held last evening with social distancing conditions in place, was attended by Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Beyoğlu Mayor Haydar Ali Yıldız, Association of Turkish Hoteliers (TÜROB) President Müberra Eresin, as well as numerous guests. At the opening of the Beyoğlu Talimhane Stage, the İstanbul State Modern Folk Music Ensemble gave a concert and treated the guests to enjoyable moments.

Beyoğlu is the essence and summary of İstanbul

Speaking at the event, Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy stated that Beyoğlu is the essence and summary of İstanbul, saying: “With the Talimhane Stage and the Beyoğlu Culture Festival, which will begin on 8 August and continue until the end of September, the heart of İstanbul's social life will beat with an artistic enthusiasm ranging from opera and ballet to folk music and theatre. On a walk through Beyoğlu, you make your way among countless lives differing in language, culture and faith. The civilizational heritage of these lands continues to live on with us. The duty that falls to us is to protect that heritage in order to pass it on to its heirs. And the most aesthetic and elegant way of doing this is through cultural and artistic events. The 147-capacity Talimhane Stage that we are now inaugurating, and the Beyoğlu Culture Festival, have come to life from this very idea.”

Beyoğlu Mayor Haydar Ali Yıldız, for his part, said: “I believe that, for culture and art to survive and continue, we—above all local administrators—must all support our state, our nation and our artists together. During this period, in Beyoğlu, the heart of art and culture, we have been seeking ways to support both art and culture, as well as artists, cultural figures and the film sector in every sense.”

Noting that the Talimhane area has hosted thousands of domestic and foreign guests, Yıldız said: “We wanted this area, which welcomes people, to now also welcome art, culture and music. May art and culture find their place here in the highest measure.”

İstanbul's rising star

TÜROB President Müberra Eresin, meanwhile, thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for its support, saying: “We are among those who have believed in Talimhane to the very end. This will be a beginning. We have been waiting for many long years to witness this day.” Saying that Talimhane is İstanbul's rising star, Eresin noted that, for a large portion of tourists coming to İstanbul, the first place they become acquainted with is predominantly Talimhane. Eresin said: “During the difficult days experienced in tourism 2–3 years ago, Talimhane was the area most affected. From 2019 onwards, Talimhane was again the area that recovered and rose most quickly. With the pandemic, the Talimhane hotels, like the entire tourism sector, are going through a difficult period. These days too will be left behind, and with its bed capacity exceeding 10,000, Talimhane will once again provide accommodation and hospitality for thousands of tourists. Talimhane will continue to be one of İstanbul's most important tourism areas.”

Talimhane support from Minister Ersoy

Emphasizing that, as TÜROB, they had made a request to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for Talimhane to also be included in the Beyoğlu Culture Route project, Eresin said: “Our Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, did not withhold his support and ensured that Talimhane was brought within the scope of the project. We therefore extend our thanks to him. We also thank Beyoğlu Mayor Mr. Haydar Ali Yıldız, who made great efforts to redevelop Talimhane.”

With the Beyoğlu Culture Route project, the aim is for İstanbul and Türkiye to host cultural and artistic events. The route, which begins at the Galata Tower, continues with the Tarık Zafer Tunaya Cultural Center, the Emek Cinema, the Mehmet Akif Ersoy Museum House at the Mısır Apartment, the İstanbul Cinema Museum at the Atlas Arcade and the Taksim Mosque Cultural Center, and ends with the Atatürk Cultural Center and Culture Street.