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 WHAT
IS "HIDRELLEZ"?
It is said that whatever you wish for on that
night, will come true!
"Hıdrellez", is
one of the seasonal festivals of all Turkish world which is
celebrated as the first day of the "early summer".
It is also "day of Hızır", the day on which prophets
Hızır and Ilyas met with each other on earth. The words Hızır
and İlyas have since fused together pronounced as Hıdrellez.
Hıdrellez Day falls on May 5-6. There are various theories
about the origin of Hızır and Hıdrellez. Various ceremonies
and rituals have been performed for various gods with the
arrival of spring or summer in Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran,
Greece and in fact all eastern Mediterranean countries since
ancient times. One widespread belief suggests that Hızır is
a prophet who has attained immortality by drinking the water
of life (ab-ı hayat), and who has reached God, and wanders
around among people from time to time, especially in the spring,
and helps people in difficulty and distributes plenty and
health. The identity of Hızır, the place and the time he lived
in are not certain. Hızır is the symbol of spring, and the
new life which emerges with it. In Turkey, where belief in
Hızır is widespread, the characteristics attributed to him
are as follows:
• Hızır rushes to the aid of people in difficulty
and grants peoples’ wishes.
• He always helps well-meaning, benevolent people.
• He brings plenty and wealth wherever he stops.
• He brings remedies to those who are troubled and health
to the sick.
• He helps plants to grow, animals to reproduce, and human
beings to grow strong
• He helps improve peoples’ fortune.
• He is the symbol of good omens.
• He has the God-given power of working miracles.
Hıdrellez Festival, which is still celebrated
with grand ceremonies in Anatolia, has been celebrated since
ancient times. Although it is celebrated under different names
and in different times, it is possible to see the motifs of
Hıdrellez in many places. The arrival of spring and awakening
of nature have been perceived by mankind as a phenomenon to
be celebrated. In fact, Hıdrellez, as a spring festival, has
a universal character.
 "The
Hıdrellez at Ahırkapı" Rituals
The Armada Hotel has first started to organize a semi-contemporary
“Hidrellez” at Ahırkapı streets and invited all of Istanbul’s
citizens to come and participate in 1997. For the last couple
of years “The Hıdrellez at Ahırkapı Streets” event has been
turned to a collective civil community activity. Each year
the activities begin on Ahirkapi Street and spread to the
adjacent streets on 5th of May. Towards midnight the traditional
fires will be jumped over and the wishes will be attached
on the traditional Nahils. -The individual wishes are written
on a piece of paper and attached on the Nahil´s that you will
find in front of the Armada Garage.-Nahil is a symbolic "wish-tree"
and an ornament from Ottoman culture. The ones at the Ahirkapi
Street were first designed and used during an "Earth
Day" celebration on April 22, 2002. Since then they are
being used as the "wish tree" of the Hıdrellez spring
festivals which is organized by "The Association of Ahırkapi
Hidrellez Festivals" and supported by local Eminönü Municipality
as well as by Istanbul Governorship. Since 2009, the activity
is credited and supported by "Istanbul
2010, European Capital of Culture" project.
Until 2009, all the traditional spring foods
and drinks (both the traditional ones and the brewery) used
to be sold through the street-buffets, while the local musicians
perform gypsy and Balkan music. The Ahirkapi Roman Orchestra,
which is consisting of the neighboring musician groups of
Ahirkapi community, performed street concerts along with the
guest performers... Küçük Hasan from Lüleburgaz, a zurna genius,
Tamer Kum and his group Trakya Ateşi, Babeski Roman Orkestrası,
The
"Macedon Koçani Orkestar", Buzuki
Orhan; Semaver
Theatre Company, Goksenin
Ileri Istanbul Songs Group and other surprise bands will
perform along with the others during whole evening.
The number of the participants significantly
increased and reached 50.000 in 2007, 70.000 in 2008 and over
100.00 in 2009. So since last year the venue had to be carried
to a larger venue: The Ahırkapı Park!
So make a wish, put it on Nahıl and
enjoy the Festival!
If you can't don't worry! You could also send your wish online
through our "Wishes"
page!
“The Ahırkapı Hıdrellez Spring Festival” has
been celebrated at the streets around the Armada Hotel for
the last 9 years. Traditionally, the activities used to begin
on Ahırkapı Street and spread to adjacent streets on 5th of
May. Last year the venue of festival was slightly changed
and carried to the “Ahırkapı Park” on the seaside, also within
Ahırkapı neighborhood. So, please keep in mind that on the
evening of May the 5th, Wednesday, you will be visiting at
the “Ahırkapı Park” for joining into the “Ahırkapı Hıdrellez
Spring Festival 2010”! The reason of the re-location was the
rapidly and highly increasing number of the participants attending
to the festival year by year and the purpose of preventing
the participants from the jam caused by huge crowd.
This year’s event will start by 17:00 at the
Ahırkapı Park in Catladikapı and end at 00:30 with the traditional
Hidirellez fires on May 5th, Wednesday evening.
Date: May 5th 2010, Wednesday
Venue: Ahırkapı Park, Çatladıkapı
Time: 17:00 – 24:00
16:45 – Opening Concerts at at the
Sultanahmet Square
17:00 - Inauguration of “Hıdrellez
2010” at “Ahırkapı Park”
Food & Drinks: 17.00 – 23:30
Street Performances: 17:00 – 22:00
- Various spring foods and drinks at the stalls...
("Döner", "kokoreç" (grilled sheep intestines!),
"Pilav" (Rice with chick pea) meatballs, fish in
bread, stuffed mussle with olive oil, rice with mussle, pastry,
"baklava", ice-cream, dried-nuts and others...)
- Lemonade, "sherbet" and all the other drinks on
the wheeled stalls...
- Live Roman music
20:00 - Concerts
Among the groups those will be performing
acustic music at the one main stage and in all around the
venue this year are Macedon Kocani Orchestar, Group "Kolektif",
Buzuki Orhan, “Küçük Hasan”, a Zurna Genious from Lüleburgaz
& Tamer Kum, a Drum Master, Göksenin İleri and Anadolu
Folk, Trakya All Stars, Ahırkapı Roman Orchestra, "Pire
Mehmet" and his Roman Orchestra, Babaeski Roman Orkestrası,
Kolektif İstanbul, Semaver Theather Company and various Roman
groups from different areas of the world...
23:40 - Hıdrellez 2009 fires...
Entrance Fee: Free entrance
Food & Drinks: Can be bought with "symbolic"
prices!
Information: The two Information desks at
the two main entrances will fully be at your service!
AHIRKAPI PARK : THE NEW VENUE!
“The Ahırkapı Hıdrellez Spring Festival” has
been celebrated at the streets around the Armada Hotel untill
2009 for 9 years. Since last year the venue of festival was
slightly changed and carried to the “Ahırkapı Park” on the
seaside, also within Ahırkapı neighborhood. So, please keep
in mind that on the evening of May the 5th, Wdnesday, you
will be visiting at the “Ahırkapı Park” for joining into the
“Ahırkapı Hıdrellez Spring Festival 2010”! The reason of the
re-location is the rapidly and highly increasing number of
the participants attending to the festival year by year and
the purpose of preventing the participants from the jam caused
by huge crowd. If you have been to this event in previous
years, we hope, you will much more enjoy it this time…
TRANSPORTATION to and from the VENUE
According to the experiences we have gained
during the festivals in the previous years, the best option
to get to the venue will be using the public transportation.
In fact, we strongly recommend visitors to prefer public transport
to and from the venue so that they will travel easier than
the ones who drive their own cars.
Public Transportation to the Event Area
1) Take “Kabataş – Zeytinburnu”
tramway and get off at “Sultanahmet” station. You may get
to the seaside through Çatladıkapı.
2) Take the train from “Sirkeci Main Train
Station” and get off at the “Kumkapı” station.
3) Take the bus “81 Sirkeci – Yeşilköy”
and get off at the “Çatladıkapı” bus stop.
Those of you who are insistent about coming
with their own vehicles, or who need to drive may leave their
vehicles to the parking areas listed below:
1) Fatih Municipality Parking
Area
2) Sarayburnu Parking Area
3) Cankurtaran Touristic Bus Parking Area
4) Çatladıkapı Touristic Bus Parking Area
5) Yenikapı İDO Parking Area
Visitors coming from Bakırköy – Yeşilköy
direction:
You may park your private vehicles to the parking areas at
Yenikapı, Kumkapı and Çatladıkapı and reach to the event area
on foot.
Visitors coming from Şişli – Beşiktaş
direction:
You can park at the “Municipal Car Park” (500 cars capacity)
next to the new Chamber of Commerce. Then you have two options;
either you take the tramway to Sultanahmet and reach at Çatladıkapı
on foot within 15 minutes or you come to Kumkapı by (2 stop)
train.
Visitors coming from Kadıköy – Üsküdar
direction:
You can take the “Üsküdar – Eminönü” or “Kadıköy – Eminönü”
boat for Eminönü. Then you have two options; either you take
the tramway to Sultanahmet and reach at Çatladıkapı on foot
within 15 minutes or you come to Kumkapı by (2 stop) train.
From the Venue to Kabataş and Beşiktaş
piers:
From Between 22:00 and 00:30 hours there will be boat services
from Ahırkapı Park.
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