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European Heritage Days 2026 has kicked off in Istanbul's Beyoglu district with around 64 events, bringing together guided building tours, panels, seminars, film screenings and urban discovery routes aimed at drawing attention to cultural heritage under pressure from urbanization and environmental factors.
The annual program, jointly organized by the Council of Europe and the European Union, is being held this year under the theme "Cultural Heritage at Risk: Revive, Persist, Imagine."
Among the opening activities was "Passport: Cultural Route Discovery Trail," an urban tour focusing on the district's collective memory and cultural routes. Organized through cooperation between Beyoglu Municipality, Katalist and Beyoglu Miras, the experience was led by Oyun Atlasi and Local Makers.
The route took participants through Beyoglu's historic passages, buildings and street culture while offering an interactive way to explore the area's urban memory.
Local Makers Community Platform founder Yagmur Coban said the team had designed a game-based discovery route titled "Beyoglu's Hidden Stories" together with Beyoglu Municipality, with the aim of bringing out stories embedded in the city's memory.
The route began at the group's store before moving on to Cukurcuma Mosque and a literary stop outside the building where Turkish author Oguz Atay wrote his novel "Tutunamayanlar."
Participants then headed to the Goethe Institute, where the route drew on a separation story from the period when Atay was writing "Tehlikeli Oyunlar" to encourage members of the group to get to know one another through their perspectives on life and hope.
The itinerary also included Cicek Pasaji, Uc Horan Church, Hazzopulo Pasaji, Efe Bookstore and Cukurcuma Hamam. Coban said participants followed the traces of a diary to get a closer look at historical figures and locations along the way.
Beyoglu Municipality Foreign Relations Officer Ata Ates said this was the third edition of the program in the district and that around 64 events had been put together, ranging from guided building tours to panels, seminars and film screenings.
He added that consulates as well as cultural institutions including IKSV, Pera Museum and Mesher were among the program's partners.
European Heritage Days activities will continue throughout the week at different locations across Beyoglu, with further urban tours, building visits and panel programs planned.
The program aims to draw attention to both tangible and intangible cultural heritage facing risks linked to urbanization and environmental pressures.
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