Second Turkish food and culture festival held in South Africa


Date posted: April 5, 2011

The second edition of the Turkish Culture and Food Festival in South Africa was held on Sunday at Zoo Lake, Johannesburg. Ten thousand people attended the festival, which put Turkish culture and cuisine on show. Live performances by an Ottoman janissary band, otherwise known as “Mehter” in Turkish, in particular, attracted much attention.

The Mehter band garnered much interest and increased anticipation for the festival from the day before, as they marched through the streets of Johannesburg, performing to crowds that gathered to listen to them play traditional military songs.

Students from Turkish schools around South Africa also performed traditional songs and dances for those at the festival.

In attendance at the festival were Mardin Governor Hasan Duruer and a Turkish deputy from Samsun, Birnur Şahinoğlu. Dali Tambo, the son of anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo, and his wife Rachel Tambo were also present. Describing the festival as a “wonderful event,” having attended two years in a row, Tambo said that he looks forward to visiting Turkey in the future.

Many South Africans, tasting Turkish cuisine for the first time, queued up outside food stalls to savor Turkish döner kebabs, kebabs, baklava and other traditional dishes. Most of the food was homemade by Turkish families living in South Africa, while the döner kebabs and shish kebabs were cooked and sold during the festival.

Source: Today's Zaman , 19 March 2011

Tags: | |


Related News

Turkish Physicians heal Somali sufferers

The civil war-stricken Somalia receives yet another helping hand extending from Turkey’s Kutahya province. A volunteer group of medical specialists recently went to the troubled African country to provide medical assistance particularly to pediatric patients. Kutahya Chamber of Pharmacists Chair, Mehmet Hakan Akcan, reported that, with a team of seven medical specialists and several professionals, they had been to Somalian capital Mogadishu in order to provide medical assistance to the locals in need.

Gulen movement is of high interest to Moroccans

Morocco is among the first Arab countries where Turkish schools were established. The nation’s prominent scholars like Prof. Abbadi are closely following Fethullah Gulen, a religious scholar, who, with a civilization, individual and education-centered approach -rather than a political one- based on tolerance, offers the most effective cures for the Muslim world.

Qur’anic Reciters of Nigeria Raise Alarm Over Turkey’s Espionage

The Kano-based Islamic group also cautioned the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia against its planned involvement with the government of President Recep Erdogan of Turkey in the setting up of the NGO in some Muslim countries, saying such a body could end up as a vehicle for spreading intolerance and extremism in the world.

‘Nigeria, Turkey trade volume hits N250bn in 4 years’

Speaking to some Nigerian journalists in Istanbul, the President of Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists of Turkey, (TUSKON) Mr Rizanur Meral said in 2008 total trade volumes between the two countries was $802million but risen to about $1.5billion(N250 billion) in 2012. He said the increase was due to awareness created by his association for the businessmen in the two countries through organizing seminars and business to business meetings.

Somali denies allegations that ‘aid supplies did not reach camp’

The claim was also denied by the person in charge of the camp, Ibrahim Abdinur Muhammed, demonstrating that defamatory activities are being conducted by pro-government media outlets against Hizmet movement.
Muhammed said the organization had helped 450 families living in the camp and that it continues to send assistance to the camps in six other locations in Somali in the form of health and food supplies and clothing as well as education tools.

Nizamiye Will Perform 15,000 Cardiac Procedures In Nigeria

For Muslims, myself included, the inspiration to serve humanity through education is coming from Hizmet philosophy which states ‘Serve human beings irrespective of differences in colour, race, ethnicity or nationality, in order to please the creator’. Otherwise, it can be rephrased to read ‘Serve the Created, in order to please the Creator’.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Defamation campaign against Gülen draws heavy criticism

Fethullah Gulen Denies Coup Involvement

A reasonable statement from Fethullah Gülen

Education remains an alarming concern for scores of Syrian refugees

PakTurk School holds language & cultural festival

Only the people of the land can create a spring, GYV President Yeşil says

Gülen’s speech broadcast live for first time after website banned

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News