Turkfest

OVERVIEW

Seattle Center Festál presents Turkfest in partnership with the Turkish American Cultural Association of Washington (TACAWA). The festival boasts a lively marketplace, food, music, dance, and more.

Turkfest is an annual cultural festival in Seattle, whose mission is to foster friendship, to highlight the diversity and richness of Turkish culture and Turkish speaking countries, and cooperate throughout the greater community by organizing educational, entertaining, and engaging cultural programs that celebrate Turkish and Turkic cultures and heritage.

HISTORY

This celebration of Turkish culture has grown annually since its inception in 2001, boasting an increasing variety of traditional and contemporary performances, art and textile exhibitions, documentaries, youth activities, cuisine, workshops and genuine Turkish products vendors. The festival takes place in October every year as a part of Turkish Heritage Month celebrations as proclaimed by the Washington State Governor and also covers the celebration of the founding of the Republic of Türkiye on October 29, Seattle Turkish Film Festival, and commemoration of the founding father of Türkiye, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Each year, Turkfest invites dancers, musicians, and artists from around the country and Türkiye to share their artistic forms of expression with local audiences. TACAWA is proud to organize the free cultural event for the enjoyment of the diverse communities throughout the Pacific Northwest.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Türkiye, throughout its history, has acted as both a crossroads of cultures and a bridge between three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. Istanbul, capital city of three big empires, is the only city in the world located on two continents: Europe and Asia.
• Turkish coffee is not just a drink; it is an experience with subsequent fortune telling. Turkish coffee’s special preparation, brewing techniques, and rich communal culture made it worthy of being inscribed in 2013 into UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
• Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) was born and lived in Patara, Türkiye. Türkiye is the birthplace of many historical figures such as King Midas, Herodotus and St.Paul. Sanliurfa in Türkiye is known to be the City of the Prophets where Prophet Abraham, Prophet Job, Prophet Elijah and Prophet Jacob lived. The seven churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea, are all found in Türkiye.
• Two of the world's Seven Wonders of the Ancient World are located in Türkiye: Temple of Artemis and Halicarnassus Mausoleum. Noah's Ark landed on Mount Agri in eastern Türkiye.
• Gobekli Tepe Temple in Türkiye, is the oldest temple built by mankind anywhere in the world. Catalhoyuk in Türkiye is known as the earliest human settlement. The first coinage in human history began in Anatolia, Türkiye.
• The word 'turquoise' meaning Turkish, was derived from the clear blue of the Mediterranean Sea on the southern Turkish coast.
• Tulips were first introduced to Europe by the Ottomans and quickly became popular.
• The names and terms such as Philadelphia, Smyrna, Magnesium, Amazon, Troy, parchment paper, sofa, ottoman, yoghurt, kefir, baklava, shish kebab, doner, shawarma, pita bread, dolma, originated from Türkiye or Turkish culture.