ULUDAĞ
The Republic of Turkey is a Eurasian country. It is located in Asia at 97% (Anatolia), where its capital Ankara is located and in Europe at 3% (Eastern Thrace). It has land borders with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and Syria. The main city, Istanbul, previously called Byzantium, then Constantinople until the Ottoman conquest in the 15th century, is located between Thrace and Anatolia, the two parts of the city being separated by the Bosphorus strait. It is the only city in the world on horseback on two continents.
Turkey is composed of two mountain ranges, the Taurus Mountains and the Pontic Range, which enclose the Anatolian high plateau and the Armenian plateau. About 80% of the country is in an extremely active tectonic zone. It has eight main river basins, the most important of which are those of the Euphrates and the Tigris. About a quarter of the country is covered with forests, pine, spruce, cedar and deciduous trees.
The culture of this country is multiple and knowledgeable because it is subject to European and Islamic influences. It also has properly Turkish roots, not to mention the Kurdish, Armenian, and Laz minority cultures. This triple identity is found in many cultural fields, as well as in politics and even in the vocabulary of Turkish, the official language. The different cultural influences that Turkey undergoes are also found at the heart of its music and folklore, mixing traditional and Western sounds. It is in this context that the folk ensemble "Uludag" was created in Bursa.
This troupe composed of students performs folk dances from different regions of Turkey. Among them: the 'Elazig' based on soft figures, with each dancer wearing eight burning candles. The 'Artwin' which is a dance of boys and girls, very fast. 'Batum' symbolizes war, combat and is performed by boys, accompanied by a drum. 'Azeri', performed by girls, is similar to the belly dance. 'Kirim' is a dance whose dancers are accompanied by cymbals. 'Kafkas' symbolizes love and heroism and features fabulous costumes, as well as a good use of the scene. Others will make you dream, such as those representative of southern Anatolia, accompanied by spoons and other accessories like swords, shields.
Among the countless instruments of traditional music, we find the "zurna" flute in simple wood, the famous "davul" drum that rhythms the dances, the "kemençe", the "darbuka", the "saz", the "kanun".
This ensemble has participated in countless international folk festivals and brilliantly represented Turkey. He will do the same at the invitation of Festivals du Sud.