An opening ceremony of Culture Days of the Republic of Turkey in Turkmenistan has been attended by representatives of artistic circles, diplomatic missions accredited to our country, the local community, the media, and students. Welcoming the event participants, Turkey’s Undersecretary of Culture and Tourism Omer Arisoy highlighted that the historical cultural and spiritual commonality of the fraternal nations provides a solid foundation for bilateral relations. Artists from the fraternal country gave a concert, whose program featured opera singers of Turkey’s State Opera and Ballet, folk singers and musicians, and popular performing groups. Through the magic of music the performers were telling about their time-honored national cultural traditions. Famous opera singers Çigdem Gürdal and Seher Çagatay brilliantly sang compositions by Turkish composers and world’s classical music treasures. The concert program also included original songs and dances presented by the Türk Dünyasi Ensemble that had performed in our country on several occasions. The ensemble sang Turkmen national songs from its repertoire at the concert. The world-known Mehter Band, which dates back to the 14th century and is believed to be one of the world’s oldest military bands, was greeted with enthusiastic applause from the audience. In Ashgabat, the band played musical compositions from its classical repertoire: Turkish military music, patriotic songs, and one of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s best-known pieces of music – the Turkish March. The musicians, dressed in historical military uniforms, demonstrated the beauty of wind and percussion instruments, filling the concert venue with powerful sounds. After the Turkish artists’ surprise performance of “Ak Güllerim Saňa” (“For You, My White Flowers”), a song written by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov, the audience broke into applause. As part of the Days, an exhibition of national Turkish crafts and photographs has opened at the Museum of Fine Arts. At the same time, the Museum provided the venue for master classes in jewelry, bone- and wood-carving, and decoupage. A master class in ‘ebru’– the ancient art of paper marbling (also commonly known as the Turkish art of marbling) turned out to be a big draw. Tomorrow, the Museum of Fine Arts will host a meeting among the two countries’ cultural workers, and Turkmen and Turkish performing artists will stage a joint concert at the Magtymguly National Music and Drama Theater. An activity-filled cultural program for the guests offers visits to the Ashgabat’s museums and sightseeing tours of the city.