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A procession winds through Hurriyet Square in Corum, a province in north-central Türkiye as the 38th International Hittite Fair and Festival opens this week.
Officials, folk dance troupes and residents gather for the launch of an event that blends heritage, commerce and celebration across the province.
Corum's history reaches back to Hattusa, the ancient Hittite capital whose ruins sit in the province's Bogazkale district, roughly 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Corum city.
Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Gokhan Yazgi points to the region's role in the Kadesh Peace Treaty of 1259 BC, one of the earliest recorded peace agreements between two empires, the Hittites and ancient Egypt.
Eleven folk dance troupes, five of them from abroad, join the festival's opening program, according to Corum Mayor Halil Ibrahim Asgin.
Their arrival underscores the event's international dimension, drawing performers whose routines will be staged throughout the days-long celebration alongside the city's own cultural exhibits.
A mehter band, the traditional Ottoman military ensemble, leads the procession alongside folk dancers, with residents falling into step behind the music.
The display links Corum's Hittite-era past to a wider tradition of Anatolian ceremony, setting the tone for a festival built around continuity between eras.
Music carries into the evening as concerts by Musa Eroglu, Sefo, Buray and Soner Sarikabadayi are scheduled across the festival's run, Mayor Asgin says.
The lineup spans generations of Turkish performers, reflecting organizers' aim to draw both older residents and younger visitors to the grounds.
Beyond the stage, the festival turns to local industry, with leblebi, a roasted chickpea snack closely associated with Corum, on display alongside food competitions drawing entrants from across the region. The activities highlight a culinary trade that has long shaped the city's commercial identity.
Elsewhere on the festival grounds, a classic car exhibition and an international painters' gathering broaden the event's scope beyond food and performance.
Organizers describe the mix as part of an effort to present Corum's economic and tourism potential to visitors from outside the province.
Horse races round out the festival program, which Mayor Asgin describes as the most extensive edition staged to date.
The gathering marks a return to full scale after disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the February 2023 earthquakes, which had forced organizers to scale back or pause the event in recent years.
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