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 Istanbul European Capital Of Culture in 2010 |
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| Istanbul European Capital Of Culture in 2010 |
| Istanbul, which straddles two continents - Asia and Europe - was the capital city of the Byzantine and then the Ottoman empires in history. Today the city still retains its rich cosmopolitan character. With its unique character of being a mosaic of different cultures and civilizations, Istanbul is the European capital of culture for the year 2010. |
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| European Capital Of Culture..? |
| The idea of having a European Capital of Culture was first put forward in 1985 when Melina Mercouri was Greek Minister for Culture. In the same year the European Union Council of Ministers determined the scope of the project and put it into implementation. From 1985 to 2000 one city from the countries which were members of the European Union was selected each year as European Capital of Culture. To mark the start of the new millennium, from 2000 onwards the title of European Capital of Culture began to be given both to more than one city each year and to cities in countries which were candidates for EU membership. |
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| The City of 4 Elements |
Throughout history, then, Istanbul has been home to countless societies and cultures. Yet this “beautiful harmony”, which is embedded in the city’s foundations and entwined in the branches of its family tree, is not just a pleasant memento from a bygone era. Istanbul retains still its rich cosmopolitan character, sometimes concealing and sometimes revealing the evidence of its unrivalled physical and cultural legacy. The city is a living example of the much sought-after meeting of civilisations - something so desperately missing in the modern world that the search for it seems almost utopian. For more than two thousand years, as if inspired by Aristotle’s theory of the four elements, the city has captivated humankind’s attention.
Once it was gold that people saw as the perfect blend of the four elements. Istanbul, which once ruled lands on three continents, throughout the ages has served as a magnet for migrants for whom its streets are paved with that proverbial gold. After all the traumas it has experienced since its foundation, symbolically guided by the four elements, Istanbul is now promising to revitalise the formula imprinted in its genes. In cultural and in artistic terms it will be worth its weight in gold to the world as a European Capital of Culture |
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