Festival to be held to promote southeastern city’s cuisine

Ali Rıza Akbulut - GAZİANTEP

The countdown has started for the “GastroAntep Culture Road Festival,” a significant event aimed to increase the recognition of local products in the southeastern province and promote local dishes and delicacies internationally.

The festival, which is a part of Türkiye Culture Road Festivals, one of the most comprehensive culture and arts projects of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, will be held between Sept. 16 and Sept. 24.

In the festival, the local delicacies of the province which served as a home to countless civilizations for thousands of years, will once again appear on the world stage with workshops participated by award-winning chefs.

Gaziantep Mayor Fatma Şahin and Gaziantep Governor Kemal Çeber paid a visit to Istanbul for the promotion of the festival. Speaking at the promotional meeting, Şahin described Gaziantep as a “shining star” and the “first city in Türkiye to be included in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network in the field of gastronomy in 2015.”

“The grains of Mesopotamia, the fruits and vegetables of the Mediterranean, the spices of the Far East, and the combination of products grown in the Gaziantep region have created Antep cuisine. According to the data of Türkiye Research Network on Local Products and Geographical Indications; Gaziantep ranks first in the country with 102 Geographical Indication registrations and one Traditional Product registration by 2023,” Şahin said.

GastroAntep Culture Road Festival will host concerts, exhibitions, plays, movies, opera and ballet screenings.

Within the scope of the festival, several artists and music groups such as Manga and Grup Vitamin will perform on three different concert stages.