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AzerNEWS Staff

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The eighth edition of the International Ethnosport Culture Festival has concluded in Istanbul, bringing together traditional sports, cultural performances, and heritage displays from across the Turkic world and beyond.

Held under the theme “The World is Here,” the festival served as a platform to promote shared cultural values, national traditions, and ancestral sporting disciplines. The four-day event featured a rich programme of traditional sports, horseback games, archery, wrestling, stage performances, handicrafts, and ethnic music.

Azerbaijan was represented by the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Türkiye and the Zangazur Folk Dance Ensemble, which showcased the country's vibrant artistic heritage to thousands of visitors.

Festival attendees also enjoyed performances by Azerbaijan’s renowned Natiq Rhythm Group and the multinational Rüzgar Ensemble, which brought together musicians from across the Turkic world.

The event attracted participants from a broad geographical area, including Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Russia and Kyrgyzstan, highlighting traditional sports, games, and cultural practices from different civilizations.

One of the highlights for visitors was the opportunity to learn about Zorkhana, Azerbaijan’s traditional strength-based sport, which was featured among the festival’s sporting activities. Guests were also able to try archery and horseback riding, while participating in workshops dedicated to traditional crafts and artisanal production techniques.

Organizers emphasized that the festival was designed not only as a spectacle but as an immersive cultural experience, allowing visitors to engage directly with traditional arts, crafts, gastronomy, and sporting practices.

Held at the former Atatürk Airport site from May 21 to 24, the festival transformed the venue into a living cultural space where visitors could experience centuries-old traditions firsthand.

The annual event has become one of the largest gatherings dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional sports and cultural heritage, reinforcing cultural ties across the Turkic world and beyond.