The city of Aktau hosted a solemn ceremony marking the beginning of the year in which this Caspian city will officially hold the title of the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World in 2025.
The event was attended by the Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva, President of the Turkic Academy Shain Mustafaev, Secretary General of TURKSOY Sultan Raev, Akim of Mangistau Region Nurdaulat Kilybay, Ministers of Culture from TURKSOY member countries, foreign diplomats, representatives of international organizations and prominent public figures.
The festive program, held on the shores of the Caspian Sea, gathered about 30,000 spectators – local residents and guests from Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Hungary.
A congratulatory message from President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was read to the participants of the ceremony by Minister of Culture and Information Balayeva. In his address, President emphasized the importance of cultural unity among Turkic countries and the historical significance of the Mangistau region for the entire Turkic world.
A highlight of the event was the "Darhan Dala" ethnopark, a unique cultural space created to promote Kazakh traditions, the sacred heritage of Mangistau and the shared historical and cultural legacy of the Turkic peoples.
It is worth noting that the decision to grant Aktau the honorary title of Cultural Capital of the Turkic World in 2025 was made at the 40th meeting of the Permanent Council of TURKSOY, held in Azerbaijan.
