Events begin for Ottoman traveller

PARIS - Anatolia News Agency

Celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of the birth of the 17th century Ottoman traveler Evliya Celebi began in Paris on Nov. 14 under the auspices of the U.N.’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“Evliya Çelebi is a peace ambassador who tells us about the multi-cultural structure of continental Europe, the Middle East and Caucasia,” Professor Bekir Karlıağa, head of the coordination committee of the Alliance of Civilizations, said at the symposium.

The event opened with an international symposium under the banner, “Evliya Çelebi: Europe at the time of a 17th Century Ottoman Traveler.”

Katerine Steneu, director of UNESCO’s Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue, said Evliya Çelebi had been an important representative of dialogue and reconciliation in his time, adding that UNESCO was proud to oversee the celebrations.

Among others, the events also include a documentary, “Spells of Istanbul: Neither Rumor nor Fact,” which is produced and directed by Turkish film maker Nurdan Arca