Visitors to Paris during October may have been a little confused when they gazed at the iconic Eiffel Tower, the symbol of French pride, lit up in the colours of the Turkish flag. This episode is one of around 400 events which form part of an unusual cultural interface where France is celebrating all things Turkish over the next six months. A host of cultural, social and educational events are taking place across the country, in part to raise awareness about the multicultural nature of Turkey, and specifically Istanbul as it prepares to become ‘European Capital of Culture for 2010’.
One of the most impressive events is an exhibition celebrating 8,000 years of Istanbul’s history being held in the Grand Palais in Paris. The exhibition, ‘From Byzantium to Istanbul: one port for two continents features an impressive array of Turkish artefacts, and is especially exciting since many of these items have never left their own country before now. It tracks the development of the city from its Neolithic origins to the formation of Byzantium, Constantinople and finally modern Istanbul and intends to disprove current misconceptions about Turkey’s diverse history.
‘From Byzantium to Istanbul” at the Grand Palais in Paris runs until Jan. 25, 2010.
