Under the Crescent Moon Festival

The significance of the Arab world and Turkey has been growing in recent decades. Economic integration, migration, religion and political relations between these communities and the rest of the world are topics which are debated in the media every day. Under the Crescent Moon is a two-month festival which will introduce the rich cultural heritage of the Arab world and Turkey.

The exhibitions, performances, films and lectures in the festival will present a world where cultures are constantly being negotiated, where modern cities develop alongside nomadic communities, where youth and artistic individuals carve out their own distinctive niches in response to rapid social and political change. The events present perspectives on these communities that are different from the images that are shown daily by the media, reporting only from places of turmoil. Instead, the festival illuminates the richness and joy of life in these communities that have embraced Islam and how everyday life has been shaped by political and cultural changes. It also highlights the creative ways in which artists from these communities have responded to the challenges of the modern world, as expressed in design, film and performance.