Held in memory of Folk Poet Murat Çobanoğlu, the event drew great interest

Bornova Municipality’s traditional Lovers’ Festival was held this year in memory of Folk Poet Murat Çobanoğlu in Ümit Neighborhood. On a night colored by the saz (lute) and folk songs of distinguished minstrels, the verbal duels (atışma) in particular received great applause from the audience. Mayor Ömer Eşki emphasized that the minstrel tradition is the memory of Anatolia, stating that they will continue to keep this heritage alive in Bornova.

Bornova Municipality organizes the Lovers’ Festival every year as a tradition, and this year it was dedicated to the memory of Folk Poet Aşık Murat Çobanoğlu. Residents of Bornova showed great interest in the event, which took place in Ümit Neighborhood.

Saz melodies and folk songs filled the night

In the program, organized to keep alive one of the deepest-rooted traditions of Turkish folk literature, a lineup of esteemed minstrels took the stage. Aşık Ali Turgut Yılmaz, Aşık Kenan İnkayalı, Ali Rıza Ezgi, Aşık Ali Nevruz Çiçek, Aşık Ender Bal, Aşık Adem Demir, Aşık Mesut Baykut, Aşık Köksal Topçu, Aşık Güngör Kaptan, Aşık İskender Yıldırım, and Aşık Savaş Mercan gave the audience an unforgettable evening with their saz and folk songs.

The most enjoyable moments of the night were the verbal duels between the minstrels. These witty and masterful exchanges drew enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Mayor Eşki: “We are preserving our cultural heritage”

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki underlined the importance of the Lovers’ Festival in keeping cultural heritage alive, saying:
“Our minstrels are the voice, memory, and bridge of Anatolia’s heart. In Bornova, we see it as our duty to keep this culture alive. This beautiful gathering, realized with the strong participation of our fellow citizens, once again showed the unifying power of our folk poets.”

Thanks from the neighborhood headman

Ümit Neighborhood Headman Cemal Altın thanked the participating minstrels, citizens, and Bornova Municipality, saying:
“It is an honor for us to host such a meaningful event in our neighborhood.”