‘CANCELLED: Urfa Night / Urfa Sıra Geceleri’

The history of the Turkish city of Urfa goes back around 11,000 years. Both geographically and musically, the city occupies a unique place. Urfa is a stone’s throw from the Syrian border, but is also culturally influenced by nearby Iraq. Over the centuries the city has expanded in a truly miraculous way to become the artistic microcosm, with its own, unique musical tradition, that it is today. The important place which music occupies in the social fabric of the city and the respect with which they treat their masters not only ensure that centuries-old traditions are meticulously passed down, but also that the music is kept very much alive.
Is there something in the water in Urfa? Or has it got something to do with the ground? Musicologists haven’t found an explanation as to why so many beautiful voices originate from Urfa. Mihriban Türkmen is one of those voices from the new generation. Along with the Sanliurfa ensemble she weaves long improvisations on love poetry, to give BOZAR a glimpse of the exceptional musical world of Urfa.