You may be planning your holiday in Turkey to coincide with one of the country's many cultural events; you may stumble upon a festival while you're already there. However you come across one of these exciting festivities you may just find it the highlight of your holiday to Turkey. Here's a guide to some of the festivals coming up in Turkey in 2009.



Turkish Festivals of 2009

There are festivals of every kind awaiting you on your holiday in Turkey, and the Spring is a particularly busy time. Upcoming events boast expositions from the worlds of film and music as well as more traditional cultural pursuits. Here's a break down of just of few of the highlights coming up in the next few months.

If it's film that you're looking for then you may be interested in the international film festivals set to take place in both Istanbul and Ankara. Ankara's version is due to start of the 12th of March and runs on to the 22nd, the Istanbul festival runs throughout April, meaning that attending both is a possibility on a single holiday to Turkey! Both festivals will feature a wealth of international entrants and attract similarly diverse crowds. Previous winners of Istanbul's international ?Golden Tulip? include both 1984 and A Cock and Bull Story, and in the past 20 years this festival has attracted over 2 million attendees, if this gives you an idea of just how well respected an event it is. Both festivals are a great place to see the very best of Turkish cinema that you might otherwise miss.

The music festivals of Turkey are equally well respected, with an eclectic selection available to the interested traveller. Istanbul has hosted the Efes Pilsen Blues Festival, which has attracted bluesman old and new such as John Lee Hooker and Watermelon Slim. Those of you looking for an even more urbane holiday in Turkey could pursue the Istanbul International Jazz Festival which is held in venues all over the city throughout July. This really is one of the world's premier music festivals, and has been running for roughly the same length of time as the city's film festival. Previous attendees include Miles Davis, Bj'rk, Eric Clapton, Pat Metheny and even trip-hop acts such as Massive Attack. If this line-up isn't quite red-blooded enough for you then you'll be glad to hear that Turkey is host to a wide variety of rock and metal festivals that should satisfy any craving.

Equally, if you are looking for more of a cultural connection from your Turkish festival experience then you'll not need to look far. Istanbul is also home to festivities theatrical, artistic and choral. However, if you'd like something more idiosyncratic of Turkey then the Manisa Mesir Festival could be just the ticket. As the story goes, Ayse Hafsa Sultan, mother of Suleiman the Magnificent, was stricken with a terrible illness following the death of her husband. Pleas were sent to Merkez Muslihiddin Efendi who was known to be producing medicines from a small hospital next to the theological school. Mixing together a paste from 41 different spices and herbs he was able to save her from her affliction. These days thousands of people gather in front of the Sultan Mosque in Menisa to catch the Mesir paste as it is thrown from the Mosque's rooftop. If you find yourself in Mesir in March during the Spring festival of Newroz then you'll find it difficult to miss!

Here's hoping you manage to coincide with one or all of these exciting festivals and that they form some unforgettable memories of your holiday in Turkey.