Mysticism takes stage in İstanbul
“Love is love, faith is faith, and art is art everywhere. To art with love!” This is the motto of a festival unique and of its own kind.
As much as it is eclectic and stirring, it is controversial as well. The Third International Mystic Arts Festival kicks off on Dec. 16 with a wide range of activities -- from music and dance to theater, films and exhibitions -- this in addition to debates on the concept of “mysticism.”
Organized by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality Department of Cultural and Social Affairs and Kültür A.Ş., the festival will take place at various locations on the city’s historical peninsula between Dec. 16 and 20, including the Aya İrini Museum, the Basilica Cistern, the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum and the Kızlarağası Medresesi.
Mystic vs. modern
“The idea for such a festival comes from the Department of Cultural and Social Affairs,” explains the head of the department, Hüseyin Öztürk, to Today’s Zaman.
“Our main motivation was the idea that İstanbul deserved such a festival. We thought that a festival looking back at various historical and mythical traditions from different cultures should be realized in a great historical city like İstanbul. Essentially we wanted the city to be able to host a diverse and unique collection of pieces of art from all over the world”
However, since the very beginning of the festival in 2009, debates and controversies have not ceased regarding the conceptual approach and content of the festival. There have been some disputes that confusing mystic elements of other religions with sufi elements could be controversial as well as arguments that such activities would make Sufism seem superficial. In response to these arguments, Öztürk says that the festival’s idea is far from being religious, but is a cultural one.
“Sufism is something different, mysticism is something different,” notes Öztürk. “Mysticism may include Sufism but it is not limited to that. We have some Sufi activities as well but we mainly focus on historical traditions which have been hidden or untouched for many years. We are trying to reveal these hidden elements and offer them to the people through concerts, films, performances and exhibitions,” he said.
Another aim of the festival is to try and safeguard historical traditions against modernization. “Many activities in terms of modern art have already been realized,” says Öztürk. “We want to show elements which merge the past with the future. We try to find works of art made by the people and display them again in a mystical ambiance. We wanted to present something different to our audiences, something different than what they have been used to.”
The festival carries another message as indicated in its motto. “Love is love, faith is faith, and art is art everywhere. To art with love!”
“We wanted to demonstrate that we could eliminate discrimination,” says Öztürk.
“Our point of departure was that we wanted to reveal the ideas addressing humanity and the essence of the human being through music, films, performances and other works of art.”
What’s there to be seen?
The festival kicks off today with three activities at two different locations with artist İsmail Acar’s exhibition “Sema” at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, including more than 50 paintings of whirling dervishes.
The second activity will be the performance of Yunus Emre chants in the honor of Prophet Muhammad at the Aya İrini Museum. Another activity of the inauguration night will be the performance of Ensemle Galatia, again, at the Aya İrini Museum, where the group performs the banned songs of the Middle Ages with instruments of those times.
On Dec. 17, the theatre play “Dönemeç” (Turnout), written by Serhat Üstündağ and directed by Engin Kurt, will be staged at the Eminönü Public Education Center. The play depicts the journey of a poet living the life of a bohemian.
One of the significant performances of the festival will be that of the well-known dancer and choreograph Ziya Azazi. Azazi will greet the audience with his performance “Dervish in Progress” on Dec. 18 at the Aya İrini, where the artist depicts the zenith of the dervish’s love.
That same evening, Tengir Too, the band that derived its name from the “Holy Mountains” connecting Kyrgyzstan and China, will perform songs of legends, heroism and love in Turkish with traditional instruments at the same place.
The festival includes panel discussions and talks as well. The well-known director of Iranian cinema, Kemal Tebrizi will give a talk at the Eminönü Public Education Center on Dec. 19 while nine films of Tebrizi will be shown on dates between Dec. 18 and 20 at the same location.
The festival will also witness a first, the film “Mim Misli Mader” (Like My Mother). The film, directed by Resul Molla Kulipur and based on the life of Veysel Karani, will be shown at the Eminönü Public Education Center on Dec.19, which will be the film’s first screening in Turkey.
One of the last performances of the festival will be poem recitals at the Basilica Cistern. Harun Yöndem, Yusuf Ziya Özkan and Emin Baykırkık will read poems accompanied by the music of the Hayal Music Choir on Dec. 20.
Finally, the exhibition “Mistik Sayfalar” (Mystical Pages), where various books belonging to different religions and cultures will be exhibited, can be visited at the Kızlarağası Medresesi between Dec. 16 and 20. All the activities will be free; however, reservations may be necessary.
Picture: İsmail Acar’s exhibition “Sema” at the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. Photo: TZ.
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