Poetry days in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The 2nd International Üsküdar Poetry Festival, which kicked off on April 9, is continuing with a total of 33 poets from 16 countries sharing their art with audiences at different locations and streets in Istanbul’s Üsküdar neighborhood. 

“Different from last year, we bring poetry to the streets this year,” said the festival coordinator, İsmail Kılıçarslan. “The main theme of the festival is ‘Thank God We Gave Poetry.’ Poetry is an art that is in favor of beauty, goodness and trueness,” he added. 

Kılıçarslan said last year the Culture and Tourism Ministry provided nominal support to the event but this year it fully supported the festival. 

One of the guests of the festival, Achim Wagner from Germany, said he loved Istanbul very much and had composed poetry about the city, too. 

“There have been many poets who [have] composed poetries on Istanbul since the Ottoman times. I like old Turkish poetries and mostly read them,” he said. 

Today, poets from various countries including Germany, the U.S., Argentina, Syria, Hungary and the United Arab Emirates will organize poetry readings in Üsküdar, including at 29 Mayıs University, the Çengelköy Çınarlatı Tea Garden and the Young Poets Atelier. 

The festival will end with the presentation of the Üsküdar Poetry Award.