CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR ISTANBUL 2010 EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

EARTH

January 1st - March 20th The events in winter will be market by tradition and the transformation in traditional arts. The emphasis will be on artistic events assessing the historical heritage of the past with a totally new perspective.

AIR

March 21st - June 21st The events in spring will mark the Air theme with the echo of Istanbul's minarets and bell towers resounding in the sky. Istanbul has hosted and continues to host a dialogue between different religions. The cultural interaction arising from this dialogue will be at the heart of the events during this period.

WATER

June 22nd - September 22nd The events in summer will emphasize water and the sea as elements which divide and reunify Istanbul, opening the city up to the outside world throughout history. The program during this period will concentrate on cultures transported by water and art inspired by water. The banks of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus will be the scene of important events.

FIRE

September 23rd - December 31st The main actor during the fall will be fire, the most powerful instrument of change in the universe, capable of transforming water into steam, sand into glass, wood into ashes. This period will involve events centered around contemporary art and the quest for new artistic terrain.