Republic Day (Cumhuriyet Bayramı) is this Wednesday, 29 October, and the holiday officially begins Tuesday afternoon. Republic Day commemorates the declaration of the Republic of Turkey on the same day in 1923, making this year’s holiday Turkey’s 91st birthday.
Republic Day is most noticeably celebrated by the prominent display of Turkish flags, already visible above streets and town squares in anticipation of the big day. Traditionally, primary and secondary school students participate in ceremonies and festivals, and classic movies and programs about the Republic are shown on television, including Kurtuluş (mini-series) and Cumhuriyet (movie).
There are almost surely events and ceremonies in your neighborhood; asking around or looking at local postings may be the best method to find out what’s going on near you. If you are looking for a larger event, there will be a march in Beşiktaş leaving from Balmumcu Square (in front of Dedemen Hotel) to Barbaros Square, scheduled to start at 7:00 pm and last approx. 30 minutes. Kadıköy also has much to offer, including a parade (leaving at 10:30 am from Feneryolu Işıklar) and a march (7:00 pm at Bağdat Caddesi Suadiye Işıklar).
Partakers in the festivities will carry flags and sing along with national songs. If you want to be prepared, you can listen to the national anthem (“Istiklal Marşi“) and read the Turkish/English lyrics here. Interestingly, “Istiklal Marşi” was adopted more than two years before the establishment of the Republic, and was used to motivate troops during the War of Independence. Another favorite came ten years later — the “Onuncu Yıl Marşı” was selected as the anthem for the Republic’s tenth anniversary. Lyrics can be found here, and an upbeat, seemingly club ready version can be heard below.
However you spend the holiday, be sure not to miss the truly impressive fireworks show over the Bosphorus. In past years fireworks have been shot from the Bosphorus Bridge, so an ideal spot to view the show would include an unobstructed view of the bridge and a stretch of sky extending toward the old city. We would recommend finding a spot in Ortaköy, Beşiktaş, Kabataş, Fındıklı, Üsküdar or Kuzguncuk. Fireworks will begin after dark, but its’s best to arrive a bit earlier as there are often large crowds.
Happy Republic Day! Cumhuriyet Bayramınız kutlu olsun!
Editor’s note: We’ve heard mixed reports that the fireworks show will be cancelled out of respect for the miners trapped in the Ermenek mine. Unfortunately, we can’t speak to the accuracy of these reports, so we’ll have to see how things shake out. Haberin olsun.
Eren Sipahi is a contributor to Yabangee
The Büyükşehir Belediyesi page says the “light show” will start at 19.00. I expect there to be some sort of speech given before hand, pushing back the actual start time, but to be safe you could be in a good spot by 19.00.
What is the time for Fireworks?
Cumhuriyet Bayramınız kutlu olsun!
BUt i heard its canceled due to recent Mine Accident !!
It looks like it has been cancelled tonight. 🙁