The annual Turkish Festival took place in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.
Several blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue — the famous street where the U.S. Capitol building is located — were closed to traffic for the event.
Tents representing Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and other Turkic-speaking countries and communities were set up along the street. The tents displayed handicrafts, artworks, cultural items, and traditional dishes prepared mainly by members of Turkic-speaking communities living in the Washington area.
Azerbaijani cuisine’s signature lula kebab drew great interest from both locals and tourists, leading to long queues in front of the Azerbaijani tent.
The Azerbaijan House operating in the state of Virginia also participated in the festival. Its representatives presented a variety of Azerbaijani dishes and traditional cultural exhibits to visitors. Volunteers shared engaging information about Azerbaijan and distributed Azerbaijani flags to attendees.
A concert program was also organized as part of the festival. The concert featured performances not only by various Turkic-speaking communities but also by talented members of the Azerbaijani community. Azerbaijani singer Gunay Guliyeva, kamancha master Togrul Orujov, and drummer Zaur Shah performed a selection of folk and composed pieces, while the “Guldar” dance group presented traditional Azerbaijani dances.
Local residents and community members greeted the concert with enthusiasm, joining the performers in dance.
Malahat Najafova
Special Correspondent
