"Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads" Photo Exhibition in Ankara, Turkey

To mark the occasion of the 70^th anniversary of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO, the Turkish National Commission organized the event “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” an exhibition, conference and reception on 21 June 2019 in Ankara.

During this event, the photo exhibition "Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads" and the photo album "Youth Lens on the Silk Roads" were officially launched in Turkey.

Ten embassies of the member states which designated Focal Points for the Silk Roads Online Platform, namely Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, Georgia, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, along with ministerial partners, Committee members of the Commission, academics and experts, NGOs as well as young researchers and students participated in the event.

The event was opened with speeches from Prof. Dr. Nabi AVCI, former Minister of National Education and Minister of Culture and Tourism, and Prof. Dr. M. Öcal OĞUZ, President of the Turkish National Commission for UNESCO.

Following the brief introduction of Ms. İrem ALPASLAN, the Turkish Focal Point of the UNESCO Silk Roads Project, two presentations were given by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynep AKTÜRE and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evrim ÖLÇER ÖZÜNEL. They discussed and highlighted the possible collaborations on tangible and intangible cultural heritage among the Silk Roads.

Mr. Mirkan TUNÇ, the young participant of the 2018 "Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads" international photo contest, whose photo "Green and Labor" was among the 57 selected photos of the exhibition and photo album, shared in a short speech his experience, understanding and impressions on the Silk Roads and its common heritage and values. The exhibition was inaugurated with the participants and followed by a reception.

After having been shown in China, Oman, Turkmenistan, Russian Federation, Afghanistan, UNESCO HQ in Paris, Azerbaijan, this is the tenth time that this travelling photo exhibition has been displayed. The exhibition will be travelling to several locations and schools in Turkey throughout the year.