Headline July 13, 2018/ "' *ISTANBUL'S -BEAUTIFUL- HERITAGES* '"

"' *ISTANBUL'S -BEAUTIFUL- 

HERITAGES* '"

ISTANBUL'S GENIUS USE of these venues, and the music played inside them, is a celebration of multicultural heritage in a city where the presence of Jews, Armenians, Greeks -

As well as other minorities alongside the - majority Muslim population, is very much a key part of its amazing urban identity.

IT'S an early summer evening at Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, the maze like warren of alleyways crammed with shops that has been the city's trading hub for over half a millennium.

But this time, there are no traders' voices beckoning to travellers to come and haggle over the price of carpet. Nor is the air filled with the pungent whiff of oriental spices being offered to passers-by.

As the evening light streams through the upper arch windows, it is music that resonates through the  bazaar; oriental wind instruments like this Turkish ney and Armenian duduk, the lute-like oud and the Balkan accordion.

For the first time in its history as an epi-centre of trade and commerce in Istanbul, the bazaar is being used for a concert in the prestigious annual annual summer Istanbul Music Festival run by the  Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts {IKSV} - the city's premier musical event since its creation in 1973.

'GRAND' ACOUSTICS

It's a constant source of frustration to music lovers in Istanbul that the Turkish megalopolis lacks a  world - class, purpose built music venue, especially for classical and traditional music.

But the festival uses the city's multicultural and multi-confessional heritage to make up for what it lacks in modern infrastructure, staging concerts in churches, synagogues, historic universities and now the Grand Bazaar.

"It is a very intelligent way to use this kind of historical space for concerts and bring in people for reasons other than their original function,'' said Kudsi Erguner, a celebrated Turkish traditional musician and one of the great living exponents of the ney.

Usually people come here to buy things,"he added, before dazzling the audience with his command of the long, flute like instrument.

Despite the venue not being built for the purpose, he praised the acoustics of the Grand Bazaar, known in Turkish as the Kapalicarsi, meaning Covered Market.

'CONNECTIONS WITH IDENTITY'

The Istanbul Music Festival, which focuses on classical music and jazz, has taken concerts to venues like the Neve Shalom Synagogue, the St Anthony Roman Catholic Church and even the platform of  Sirkeci Train Station, the legendary terminus of the Orient Express.

The use of the venues, and the music played inside them, is a celebration of multicultural heritage city where the presence of Jews. Armenians and Greeks, as well as other minorities alongside the  majority Muslim population, is a key part of its urban identity.

Their populations were greatly diminished by the 20th century tragedies such as the deportations and massacres of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire from 1915 - seen by the Armenians, bur not Turkey, as a genocide and-

The mob rioting directed at the Greek minority in 1955.

The Honor and Serving of the latest Global Operational Research on beautiful cities and great cultural heritage continues.

With respectful dedication to the Leaders, Grandparents, Parents Students, Professors and Teachers of Turkey and then the world.

See Ya all "register" on The World Students Society - for every subject in the world and Twitter - !E-WOW! - the Ecosystem 2011:

"' Heritages & Honours "'

Good Night and God Bless

SAM Daily Times - the Voice of the Voiceless