On Sunday, Sept. 29, the 17th annual Turkish Festival in Washington, D.C., took place on Pennsylvania Avenue near Freedom Plaza in perfect weather. The event featured Turkish dance and stage performances, Turkish cuisine, an authentic Turkish bazaar and children’s activities.
The well-attended event was sponsored by the American Turkish Association of Washington, D.C. The association’s primary mission is to promote understanding between Turkish and non-Turkish communities through cultural, social and educational programs.
This year’s theme was “Antioch: Mosaic of Cultures, Land of Tolerance.” The city of Antakya in southern Turkey, known as Antioch in ancient times, has long been a place where Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities have peacefully coexisted.
View Jeff Malet’s photos from the D.C. Turkish Festival by clicking on the photo icons below.
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My photo of Laura Carey, a principal dancer with the Silk Road Dance Company, performing a Uyghur dance. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Turkic Traditions: From Ritual to Romance by Silk Road Dance Company. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Carolina Hernandez performing dances from the Middle East (photo by Jeff Malert).
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Murat Gunaydin and Ali Ozkan (aka MAY) perform Ashuk ve Mashuk. MAY consists of three distinguished Turkish dancers who are also choreographers and percussionists. MAY, natives of Ankara, has just arrived in DC couple days ago for the Festival. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Murat Gunaydin, Ali Ozkan and Yener Servi (aka MAY), natives of Ankara, had just arrived in DC a couple days prior for the Festival. (Photo by Jeff Malet)
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Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble is a group of dancers dedicated to promoting the culture of Turkey through dances from the region. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Adriane Whalen, Co-Director of the Nomad Dancers. Nomad Dancers is a world dance performance group from Washington, DC, specializing in dances of the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Carolina Hernandez performing dances from the Middle East. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Sarai preforms Middle Eastern dances with Danzagher. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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(photo by Jeff Malert)
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Davul Show and Roman by MAY and Kardelen. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Murat Gunaydin and Yener Servi (aka MAY) performed at the 17th annual Turkish Festival. MAY consists of three distinguished Turkish dancers who are also choreographers and percussionists. MAY, natives of Ankara, had just arrived in DC couple days ago for the Festival. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) presents an extensive repertoire of more than 200 dances from the Turkic World, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and beyond. With the goal of promoting ÒCultural Understanding through Beauty and Delight,Ó their pioneering performances offer a unique glimpse of the life and art of ancient cultures, especially the Islamic World. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zeynep Moore invites kids on stage. Zeynep Moore is a pop singer-songwriter, who is currently gaining recognition worldwide for her unique blend of Turkish and American pop. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zeynep Moore invites kids on stage. Zeynep Moore is a pop singer-songwriter, who is currently gaining recognition worldwide for her unique blend of Turkish and American pop. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble is a group of dancers dedicated to promoting the culture of Turkey through dances from the region. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Murat Gunaydin and Ali Ozkan (aka MAY) perform Ashuk ve Mashuk. MAY consists of three distinguished Turkish dancers who are also choreographers and percussionists. MAY, natives of Ankara, has just arrived in DC couple days ago for the Festival. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Certificates of Achievement Awarded to ATA-DC 2019 Young Cultural Ambassadors. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Safir Bakery serves up Turkish delicacies. (photo by Jeff Malert)(photo by Jeff Malert)
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Ahmed slices meat at the Beirut Cafe booth. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Antakya Medeniyetler Korosu/Antioch Civilizations Choir sings in 14 languages, is also focused on increasing gender equality, and improving communication and dialogue through art and culture. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble is a group of dancers dedicated to promoting the culture of Turkey through dances from the region. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Antakya Medeniyetler Korosu/Antioch Civilizations Choir sings in 14 languages, is also focused on increasing gender equality, and improving communication and dialogue through art and culture. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zills Etude Dance (with finger cymbals) by Raqs Habibi Teen World Dance Company (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zills Etude Dance (with finger cymbals) by Raqs Habibi Teen World Dance Company (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zafire Ladies DC directed by Beb is an all ladies Latin dance team performing choreographies by Arlette Guerra from the original Zafire ladies team in NY. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Emma Rabee of the Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Burcu Lale Yuksel of the Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble. Flags of Turkey line Pennsylvania Ave. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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The Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Turkish Belly Dances by Carolina Hernandez and Danzagher. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zeybek Aegean Bravery Dance by MAY and Kardelen. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Didem Egemen of the Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble, a group of dancers dedicated to promoting the culture of Turkey through dances from the region. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Burcu Lale Yksel, Demet Cabbar and Emma Rabee of the Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble, a group of dancers dedicated to promoting the culture of Turkey through dances from the region. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Kardelen Turkish Dance Ensemble is a group of dancers dedicated to promoting the culture of Turkey through dances from the region. Yaprak Servi, originally from Ankara, Turkey, is a senior dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Davul Show and Roman by MAY and Kardelen. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Ali Ozkan had just arrived in DC a couple days prior for the Festival. (Photo by Jeff Malet)
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Antakya Medeniyetler Korosu/Antioch Civilizations Choir sings in 14 languages, is also focused on increasing gender equality, and improving communication and dialogue through art and culture. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Flags of Turkey line Pennsylvania Ave. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Murat Gunaydin of Ankara fronts a portrait of Kemal Atatürk, father of modern Turkey, at the D.C. Turkish Festival. Photo by Jeff Malet.
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Antakya Medeniyetler Korosu/Antioch Civilizations Choir sings in 14 languages, is also focused on increasing gender equality, and improving communication and dialogue through art and culture. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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MC’s Ozge Ovun Sert and Judy Singer (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Sema Muslu of the Nomad Dancers. Nomad Dancers is a world dance performance group from Washington, DC, specializing in dances of the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Murat Gunaydin and Yener Servi (aka MAY) performed at the 17th annual Turkish Festival. MAY consists of three distinguished Turkish dancers who are also choreographers and percussionists. MAY, natives of Ankara, had just arrived in DC couple days ago for the Festival. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zeynep Moore is a pop singer-songwriter, who is currently gaining recognition worldwide for her unique blend of Turkish and American pop. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Dj Turk is one of the most sought after DJ’s and one of the best at programing his radio mix shows. (Jeff Malet)
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Billie LeTourneau of the Nomad Dancers. Nomad Dancers is a world dance performance group from Washington, DC, specializing in dances of the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association Washington DC. (photo by Jeff Malet)
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Zeybek Aegean Bravery Dance by MAY and Kardelen. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Ali Ozkan and Murat Gunaydin in photo. Zeybek Aegean Bravery Dance by MAY and Kardelen. (photo by Jeff Malert)
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Zeybek Aegean Bravery Dance by MAY and Kardelen. (photo by Jeff Malert)