The nine-day Culture Route Festival in Istanbul began with approximately 500 activities spread around the city.

At the Ataturk Cultural Center in the Beyoglu area, the festival was opened by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy with a performance of “Carmina Burana” by the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, according to Xinhua news agency.

More than 110 locations will be used by the event, including stages at famous locations like Galataport Clock Tower Square on the Bosphorus Strait.

Concerts, movie screenings, and exhibits by foreign artists are among the events. “Earth Dreams: Anatolia” by Refik Anadolu will include traditional arts, painting, sculpture, photography, and digital art.

Ersoy said that Istanbul had a record 12.27 million tourists in the first eight months of this year and that the event is anticipated to increase tourism.

Since its 2021 start in Istanbul, 15 more Turkish cities have participated in the Culture Route Festival.