The “Timeless Heritage: The Silk Road Exhibition and Panel,” supported by the Union of Turkish World Municipalities (TDBB), was held on 20 April 2026 in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, in cooperation with the Embassy of Türkiye in Bishkek, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Turkish Airlines (THY), Istanbul Commerce University, and Marmara University Institute of Turkic Studies.
Organized by the Human and Civilization Movement Association and Bahariye Art Workshops, and hosted by Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, the opening ceremony of the exhibition and panel took place at the university’s Kurmancan Datka Gallery.
The ceremony was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Bishkek Mekin Mustafa Kemal Ökem, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Bishkek Latif Gandilov, Representative of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in Bishkek Tahir Osman Tahir, TİKA Bishkek Program Coordinator Mehmet Bodur, Acting Rector of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University Prof. Dr. Almaz İbrayev, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. İsmet Altıntaş and Prof. Dr. Kamalbek Karımşakov, as well as guest artists, academics, and students.
Ambassador Mekin Mustafa Kemal Ökem stated in his opening remarks that the exhibition, which sheds light on the civilizations along the Silk Road, reflects elegance, refinement, and deep thought. Ambassador Latif Gandilov emphasized that throughout history, Turks advancing from the Altai Mountains to the Balkans have always left behind civilizations, highlighting their contributions to world civilization through poetry, writing, craftsmanship, and art.
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. İsmet Altıntaş noted that they consider exhibitions as part of education and expressed their satisfaction in hosting the “Timeless Heritage: The Silk Road” exhibition, which aims to revive the cultural and historical heritage along the Silk Road route.
Project Coordinator Meryem Güney stated that the project aims to contribute to the reconstruction of a shared civilization with the Turkestan geography in line with the “Century of Türkiye” vision.
Artists participating in the exhibition—including calligrapher, mother-of-pearl artist, and painter Mesut Dikel, painter Asılbek Orınbasar, wood carving artist Tahir Gaziyev, and Iranian-origin artist Ahmadali Namazi—shared their insights on the exhibited works.
Panel
The panel, moderated by Dr. Fahri Solak from the Faculty of Economics at Marmara University, continued at the Rectorate Conference Hall of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University. Academics from Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan discussed topics such as archaeological findings along the Silk Road, its routes, and the impact of trade on the Silk Road.
