Started in 2022 with the participation of four European Embassies, under the coordination of the French Institute of Türkiye (then president of the EUNIC cluster) and following the principle of offering new activities around heritage and for free, the third edition of the European Heritage Days saw the organisation of some forty heritage-related activities in Ankara and Istanbul, including guided tours, city tours, exhibitions, concerts and conferences both in Ankara and Istanbul over the weekend of 21 and 22 September 2024. The event brought together 34 partners, amongst which 8 European Embassies and Turkish institutions ranging from major national museums, art galleries and universities to local associations, initiatives and municipalities.

This event, organised by nearly thirty partners, the vast majority of whom are Turkish, and popular with the Ankari public, shows that this idea of celebrating and protecting heritage, which originated in France and then in Europe, is fully shared here in Türkiye. It illustrates that, beyond institutional issues, we share the same European spirit and the same values in Paris and Ankara, and that we have (a lot of) things to do together.

Sophie Gauthier-Aydogdu, Director of Institut français Ankara, Coordinator of the European Heritage Days

Thanks to the event's new website, created with the support of the EUNIC Cluster Fund 2023, communications have become more professional, as has the registration system. The automatic registration system, which replaced last year's e-mail registration with each partner, facilitated the collection and administration of registrations by the partners and the procedures for the public. It was an additional argument in convincing partners to join. In total, around 30,000 people visited the site, and all the events were fully booked, with about 3000 people attending. Based on the lessons learnt from this first experience, the website that enabled the project to be scaled up will be maintained and further developed for next year.

Heritage days at the Embassy of Italy in Ankara gave us the opportunity to reach new visitors and widen our contacts. People attending the event were particularly satisfied with the possibility to access a place which is generally close to public for the rest of the year and discover a new space, rich in history, artworks and nature. The Embassy of Italy reflects the image of our country in its plan, architecture and decoration, but it is located in Ankara and it belongs also to the history of Türkiye and its pioneering capital, Ankara. In this sense, we have returned to the visitors a fragment of their past which is also part of our common history and culture.

Maria-Luisa Scolari, Culturel attaché, Embassy of Italy

This event is indeed intended to be a long-term feature of the Turkish cultural scene. The cluster plans to increase the number of activities in Istanbul (where the former European representations from the time of the Ottoman Empire, now the Consulates General, are located) and to extend them to Izmir. The Turkish Ministry of Culture, engaged on the topic, might also take up the initiative in the future.