On Friday, March 21, the grounds of Ibn Haldun University were transformed into a lively festival honoring Nevruz Bayramı, that cherished herald of spring and the awakening of nature. With the spirited support of the Haydar Aliyev Center for Eurasian Studies, along with the Turkish Culture and History Club, the Archery Club, the Sports and Games Club, the Social Research and Thought Club, the Nature Sports Club, and the Handicrafts Club, an exuberant celebration of tradition and renewal came to pass.
Within the festival grounds, a grand Turkic nomadic tent—courtesy of the World Ethnosport Confederation—stood as a portal to bygone days. Visitors, young and old, wandered within to behold traditional Turkish garments and ancestral artifacts, bridging centuries in a single glance. Nearby, the Etno TIR entertained guests with age-old games like mangala and matrak, leaving echoes of hearty laughter and competitive delight.
Meanwhile, the thrill of horseback riding and the twang of bowstrings invited one and all to partake in time-honored pursuits, while the simple joy of egg-painting evoked childhood wonder. As the day ambled on toward dusk, anticipation mingled with camaraderie; the festivities paused for iftar and then blazed anew with the lighting of the Nevruz fire.
Gathered around the crackling flames, celebrants listened raptly to Dr. Tolkun Soldan of Istanbul Ticaret University, who illuminated the cultural and historical roots of Nevruz—tracing its vital place in Central Asia and within the tapestry of Turkic heritage.
As darkness fell, a spirited Caucasian dance ensemble took the stage, presenting rousing Azerbaijani dances and stirring the souls of onlookers. Yet the night’s enchantment did not end there: the famed dombra virtuoso Arslanbek Sultanbekov serenaded the crowd with resonant melodies that seemed to span centuries. And so, in that union of traditional music, radiant flame, and shared merriment, the gates of spring were thrown open—welcomed with collective joy and a reverence for the old ways brought to life anew.
