Cultural Centers in Turkey

Atatürk Kültür Merkezi - AKM
AKM, located on Taksim Square houses both State Opera and Ballet and Istanbul Symphony Orchestra. The season is between October and May and operas, exhibitions, plays, films, concerts and ballets are performed during this period. In addition the center hosts international festivals, congresses and conferences. The grand hall has a capacity of 1300 people. The number of seats at the concert hall is 500. The chamber theater and Aziz Nesin Sahnesi have 200 seats and the movie theater has a capacity of 180 people.

Aksanat
Akbank founded Aksanat on Istiklal Caddesi in 1993. Aksanat organizes international projects enabling foreign and local artists to come together. The entrance floor of this six-story building is reserved for performing arts. The second floor hosts a multi-purpose hall while the third floor hosts the Çağdaş Sanat Atölyesi (Contemporary Art Workshop). The Zeynep Tanbay Dance Studio, is located on the sixth floor. Plays and concerts are performed in the multi-purpose auditorium, which has a capacity of 135 people. The entrance floor always houses interesting exhibitions.

Faculty of Music Hall, Bilkent
Bilkent University Concert Hall has been hosting cultural activities between October and June since 1994. Weekly concerts of Bilkent Symphony Orchestra, recitals, chamber music concerts, conferences and special events are organized. Dr. Işın Metin, Dean of Faculty of Music and Performing Arts is also the art consultant of these activities.

Yapı Kredi Kültür Merkezi (Yapı Kredi Cultural Center)
YKB Kültür Merkezi offers you at Galatasaray three exhibition halls (Vedat Nedim Tör Museum, Kazım Taşkent Art Gallery and Sermet Çiftçi Hall) with continuous art, sculpture and archeology exhibitions together with meetings, lectures, concerts and shows. More than one thousand exhibitions have been held in the center since it was founded.

Diyarbakır Kültür Merkezi (Diyarbakır Cultural Center)
Diyarbakır Sanat Merkesi (DSM) was founded in 2002. It offers a gallery of 180 sq.mt, a multi-purpose hall of 80 people, a stage, a workshop of 60 sq.mt and adarkroom. Poem days, photo exhibitions, short film shows, panel discussions, concerts, workshops and lectures are organized. The library provides more than 5000 books and periodicals.

Beşiktaş Kültür Merkezi (Beşiktaş Cultural Center)
BKM, former Mıstık Movie Theater was converted to a theater hall in 1994 with the efforts of Necati Akpınar and Yılmaz Erdoğan. Various plays ranging from one-man shows to giant productions have been staged in the facilities. The Center, with its capacity of 775 people, has hosted numerous concerts, shows, festivals, panel discussions and seminars.

Mersin Kültür Merkezi (Mersin Cultural Center)
The center gained its present lcoation in 1991. The hall has a capacity of 638 people and hosts various activities such as operas, plays, concert and symposia throughout the year.

İş Sanat Kültür Merkezi (İş Sanat Cultural Center)
Locatd at the lower level of Iş Kuleleri 4. Levent in 2000, the hall has a capacity of 800 people and hosts classical, jazz, traditional and world music concerts, poetry days, and plays between November and May. Kibele Art Gallery where interesting exhibitions are held is located below.

Caddebostan Kültür Merkezi (Caddebostan Cultural Center)
The biggest cultural center of the Anatolian Side was founded in 2005. It has two halls with the capacity of 650 and 125 people, two art galleries and six movie theaters together with two bookstores. Plays for children are performed for free on the weekends at 13:00. Caddebostan Kültür Merkezi -CKM- also houses concerts, plays, conferences, international symposia and book days as well as art exhibitions in the foyer art gallery. Editor's note: The entrance floor restaurant-café is packed at all times and it is frequented by latin dance afficionados dancing to the tunes of a live band most weekends. Movie theaters are named after the open-air Budak cinema, a very popular venue of the summer nights in the late seventies which used to be in the plot the Center was built on. This location hosts lively micro-environment for the residents of the Erenköy-Bağdat Caddesi area.

Cemal Reşit Rey -CRR
The hall belongs to the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul and has been in service since 1989. It is named after famous Turkish composer Cemal Reşit Rey. It has a capacity of 864 people hosts Turkish Classical Music concerts, CRR Istanbul Symphony Orhcesetra, CRR Bigband Caz, Istanbul Kent Orchestra. Several festivals are also held at CRR and the foyer serves as an art gallery.

Would you like to add your comment about this article? Click here!

Editor's Picks

Antalya Antalya, one of the most breath-taking places of Turkey, because of its spectacular location... more...

Traveling by Bus Every corner of Turkey can be reached from the bus station, or Otogar as it is called here. more...

Best of windsurf spots Recently the number of beaches providing windsurfing facilities has increased and shores are embellished with colorful surf.. more...

Anatolian Civilizations Museum The museum is located southeast of Ankara Citadel and is composed of two Ottoman Buildings. more...

Trattoria da Rosario Trattoria da Rosario is a small but special Italian restaurant hidden amongst the trees in Koşuyolu, Kadıköy. more...

Hamams in Ankara Would you like to take a bath in Karacabey Hamam of 15th century or Şengül Hamam of 18th century? more...

Latest Articles