2025 Aktau Turkic World Culture Capital Inauguration Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 2025 Turkic World Capital, designated as the city of Aktau in Turkic World Culture, took place on 5 April 2025.

_{2025 Aktau Türk Dünyası Kültür Başkenti Açılış Töreni, 5 Nisan 2025 - Türk Devletleri Teşkilatı Resmî Web Sitesi}

The Organization of Turkic Cultures (TÜRKSOY) has designated the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan as the “Turkic World Capital of Culture” for 2025. This title is awarded under the Turkic World Capital of Culture program, which has been ongoing since 2012. Previously, the title has been granted successively to Astana, Eskişehir, Kazan, Merv, Şeki, Türkistan, Kastamonu, Osh, Khiva, Bursa, Shusha and Anev.

The opening ceremony was held on 5 April 2025 in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The event was organized in an open-air venue along the coast of the Caspian Sea and began with a cortege procession. The program commenced at 08:30 local Kazakhstan time and was broadcast live by Kazakhstan State Television and TRT Avaz.

_{2025 Aktau Türk Dünyası Kültür Başkenti Açılış Töreni, 5 Nisan 2025 - Anadolu Ajansı}

The ceremony was attended by TÜRKSOY General Secretary Sultan Raev, TÜRKSOY Deputy General Secretary Sayit Yusuf, Deputy General Secretary of the Organization of Turkic States (TDT) Merey Mukazhan, Kazakhstan Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye Serdar Çam, Kyrgyzstan Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy Mirbek Mambetaliyev, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan Murad Huseynov, Deputy Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan Nursahet Şirimov and Hungarian Government Commissioner Peter Hoppal.

The opening ceremony involved the participation of approximately 1,400 artists from various countries of the Turkic world. The program featured concerts, folk dances, traditional art workshops, stage performances and cultural presentations. The program began with a cortege procession featuring artists, followed by stage performances. At the opening, Kazakh artists Dimaş Kudaybergen, Meyirbek Atabekov, Roza Zergerli, Yalla Group and Kalifarniya took the stage.

_{2025 Aktau Türk Dünyası Kültür Başkenti Açılış Töreni, 5 Nisan 2025 - Anadolu Ajansı}

Among the structures accompanying the ceremony is the “Darhan Dala” ethnovillage. This area consists of traditional Kazakh yurts constructed in classical Kazakh architectural style. Visitors were presented with examples of lifestyles, handicrafts and historical heritage from Kazakhstan and other Turkic communities.

TÜRKSOY General Secretary Sultan Raev stated that Aktau was deemed suitable for this title due to its cultural and historical characteristics. Deputy General Secretary Sayit Yusuf noted that the Mangystau region lies along the migration route of the Oghuz Turks from Anatolia. Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture and Information Aida Balayeva read out a message sent by Kazakhstan’s President Kasım Cömert Tokayev. In the message, it was emphasized that the Mangystau and Üstyurt regions are part of Turkic civilization.

Following the opening ceremony, approximately 30 international events are planned to be held in Aktau throughout 2025. These include traditional music concerts, theater and film festivals, youth gatherings and cultural forums. The objective of these events is to showcase the cultural diversity of the Turkic world across various fields and to transmit the cultural heritage to future generations.

The ceremony took place on April 5, 2025, in Aktau, which was officially designated as the Turkic World Capital of Culture for 2025.

_{2025 Aktau Turkic World Capital of Culture Opening Ceremony, 5 April 2025 - Organization of Turkic States Official Website}

The International Organization of Turkic Culture (TÜRKSOY) declared Aktau, Kazakhstan, as the “Turkic World Capital of Culture” for the year 2025. This title is awarded within the framework of the Turkic World Capital of Culture program, which has been ongoing since 2012. Previous cities that have held this title include Astana, Eskişehir, Kazan, Merv, Shaki, Turkistan, Kastamonu, Osh, Khiva, Bursa, Shusha, and Anew.

The opening ceremony was held on April 5, 2025, in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The event took place in an open-air venue on the shore of the Caspian Sea and began in the morning with a ceremonial parade. The program started at 08:30 local time and was broadcast live by Kazakhstan State Television and TRT Avaz.

The ceremony was attended by Sultan Raev, Secretary General of TÜRKSOY; Sayit Yusuf, Deputy Secretary General of TÜRKSOY; Merey Mukazhan, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS); Aida Balayeva, Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan; Serdar Çam, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye; Mirbek Mambetaliyev, Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan; Murad Huseynov, Deputy Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan; Nursahet Shirimov, Deputy Minister of Culture of Turkmenistan; and Peter Hoppal, State Commissioner of the Government of Hungary.

_{2025 Aktau Turkic World Capital of Culture Opening Ceremony, 5 April 2025 - Organization of Turkic States Official Website}

The opening ceremony featured the participation of approximately 1,400 artists from various Turkic countries. The event included concerts, folk dances, traditional art workshops, stage performances, and cultural presentations. It began with a parade of the participating artists, followed by on-stage performances. Kazakhstani artists Dimash Qudaibergen, Meirbek Atabekov, Roza Zergerli, the band Yalla, and Kalifarniya performed during the event.

Among the accompanying installations was the “Darhan Dala” ethno-village, composed of yurts built in traditional Kazakh architectural style. Visitors were introduced to the lifestyles, handicrafts, and historical heritage of Kazakhstan and other Turkic communities.

TÜRKSOY Secretary General Sultan Raev stated that Aktau was deemed worthy of the title due to its cultural and historical significance. Deputy Secretary General Sayit Yusuf highlighted that the Mangystau region is located on the migration route of the Oghuz Turks to Anatolia. At the ceremony, Minister Aida Balayeva read a message from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, emphasizing that the Mangystau and Ustyurt regions are integral parts of Turkic civilization.

Following the opening ceremony, around 30 international events are scheduled to take place in Aktau throughout 2025. These include traditional music concerts, theater and film festivals, youth gatherings, and cultural forums. The events aim to showcase the cultural diversity of the Turkic world across various fields and ensure the transmission of cultural heritage to future generations.