Turkish Cultural Center “Yunus Emre“ in Sarajevo, became, with its work and realized projects, a kind of institution for the promotion of Turkish art and culture. It was opened on 17th October 2009 and is the first foreign branch of Turkish Institute “Yunus Emre“ established with the aim of presenting Turkish culture, history, language and literature.
There is 36 Turkish cultural centers in 29 countries around the world, and this in Sarajevo was opened immediately after the one in Ankara. Cultural and historical relations of these two countries and many commonalities influenced the decision for the first foreign center to be opened in Sarajevo. Our goal is not only to introduce Turkish culture, language and history, but also to realize the cultural exchange. Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey were in the community for almost 500 years, and that was actually the reason why Sarajevo was in the first place for us“, said in the interview for Faktor.ba, the director of the Department for Culture and Arts of the Center “Yunus Emre“, Rabia Bozkurt.
In the building of simple and original architecture, there are premises where scientific and social activities are held. In the Center “Yunus Emre“ there is a library, reading room, movie theater, exhibition salons, cafeteria, workshops of Turkish handcrafts, and which at the same time are connecting modern and traditional. There is one more object of the Center, right next to the Bosniak Institute, and there are classrooms for learning Turkish and Ottoman language and workshop for filigree.
Turkish Cultural Center “Yunus Emre“ is successfully organizing courses of Turkish language. As Rabia Bozkurt said, from the establishment of the Center, more than 1000 participants, from various age groups, got certificates of knowledge of the Turkish language. Courses are held every three months and lecturers are professors from Turkey.
Besides Sarajevo, there are also branches in Fojnica and Mostar, and within the library Mesa Selimovic in Tuzla, “Turkish corner“ operates.
(Source: faktor.ba)
