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Culture News

Street festival enriches neighborhood culture in Istanbul

2017-09-19 09:24:02

ISTANBUL, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- An old industrial neighborhood once full of factories and manufacturing shops in central Istanbul has been transformed into an entertainment spot.

The Bomonti neighborhood adjacent to the iconic Taksim Square is now renowned for its street attractions, festivals, concerts and other performances.

A brand new street festival was initiated on Saturday in the neighborhood, the last in line to consolidate Bomonti's reputation as one boasting a rich street culture, in which live performances by street musicians and dancers and a wide variety of food specialties are available.

For children, several activities have been designed particularly for them as well.

The festival will continue all night with open-air concerts by two well-known Turkish music bands and screening of two movies.

"We have been working a lot to enrich the street culture of this old neighborhood," Hakan Ozdemirci, organizer of the festival, told Xinhua, "and we want the festival to be traditional here."

He expected the two-day event to attract over 10,000 visitors.

For Leyla Ozturk, who was visiting the stands with her sister, the festival is bringing a new spirit to the neighborhood culture.

"I liked the designers' stands most," she said, "you can appreciate the creativity of Turkish designers."

The old beer factory in the neighborhood, among others, was transformed into an entertainment island several years ago, which has helped Bomonti to replace Taksim as a popular spot for nightlife.

The complex known as "Bomontiada" has well-known upper-class restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, open-air concert areas as well as Istanbul's most prestigious live music venue, Babylon.

"Both the street life and nightlife in the hood are becoming more and more colorful each day with the contribution of attractions like this street festival," said Serdar Korucu, a resident in Bomonti.

Editor:Jiang Yiwei