Succeeding Ankara as the host of European Heritage Days in Turkey, the ancient city of Kastamonu was one of the European centres of heritage celebrations this month.

On 11 and 12 October, the city opened several historic venues to mark the 11th national edition of the festival. This year’s programme continued the tradition of adapting European Heritage Days common themes, dedicating the activities to the pan-European theme of sharing heritage and European Year of Cultural Heritage.

The main event was an expert panel that gathered five heritage, culture, tourism, and archaeology professionals for a discussion on European Year of Cultural Heritage. The panel was followed by free visits to several venues that present the long history and authentic culture of the city.

Discovering Kastamonu Heritage

The historic building of Rıfat Ilgaz Cultural Centre was one of the key stops for this year’s European Heritage Days in Turkey. Hosting the opening panel, the building gathered dozens of heritage experts and enthusiasts eager to be a part of this year’s celebrations.

After the discussion, the visitors had an opportunity to visit the Ethnography Museum of Kastamonu, a three-story mansion built in 19th century. Turned into a museum in 1997, the building is now a home to historic and ethnographic treasures of the city. The upper two floors display a wide variety of ethnographic items while the first one serves as a library on Kastamonu history and the city photo gallery.

In addition to the Ethnography Museum, visitors were also invited to explore the authentic collection of the Archaeology Museum of Kastamonu. Exhibiting various artefacts from Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantium periods excavated in Kastamonu and its regions, the museum is a great destination for exploring the city’s ancient history and archaeology. It is also known for its Atatürk Room, which displays a permanent exhibition of items used by Atatürk during his visit to Kastamonu in 1925, as well as a selection of photographs with him.   

The experiences provided in Kastamonu this October built upon the exciting European Heritage Days tradition in Turkey. Focusing on the European dimension of heritage, this year’s events further raised awareness of common European values and invited citizens to join the rest of Europe in practicing the art of sharing.