The 50th anniversary of the death of the outstanding Turkish poet and musician Ashik Veysel is included in the UNESCO commemorative dates program. Events, exhibitions, concerts and conferences dedicated to this memorable date will be held during 2023, both in Turkey and abroad.
The decision to include the 50th anniversary of Ashik Veysel's death in the UNESCO list of memorable dates was made at the 41st General Conference of the organization in Paris.
By decree of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, 2023 has been declared the year of Ashik Veysel in the country.
"Ashik Veysel has always called for mercy and justice, and the decision to declare next year the year of Veysel is very symbolic," the Turkish leader said.
Ashik Veysel (Shatyroglu) is an outstanding Turkish bard, a world—class folk poet. He was a songwriter and virtuoso of baglama, a prominent representative of the Anatolian Ashik tradition of the 20th century. Veysel went blind at the age of 7 due to illness, but this did not prevent him from performing and bringing his creativity to people. He was awarded the Presidential Prize in the field of culture and art for his contribution to national solidarity.
Even after his death, his work, filled with messages of love and patriotism, continues to sound on the lips of people, touching the heart of every citizen of the world. Ashik Veysel will always be remembered as a man who sought to understand people and life.
The house in the city of Sivas, where the national poet lived, was transformed into a museum after his death, and its contents were preserved. Visitors can listen to recordings of various TV interviews with the poet-singer. The museum also presents previously unpublished radio and television recordings of the great poet, as well as a documentary specially prepared for the hard of hearing with English subtitles.
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Photo: Turkish Embassy in Turkmenistan
