The Golden Karagöz Finds Its Winner

Uruguay emerged as the winner of the International Golden Karagöz (Altın Karagöz) Folk Dance Competition, held for the 38th time this year by the Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation (BKSTV) under the leadership of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality.

The Golden Karagöz Folk Dance Competition, held between July 7 and 12, has come to a close. Around 700 dancers from 13 countries — Bulgaria, Algeria, South Korea, Georgia, Hungary, Mexico, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Chile, Uruguay, Greece and Iran — presented their performances in pursuit of the Golden Karagöz award.
Alongside the events at the Kültürpark Open-Air Theatre, pop-up performances held in squares across Bursa brought the city together with the universal language of folk dance for an entire week.

The Gala Night, at which the winners of the 38th Golden Karagöz Folk Dance Competition were announced, was attended by AK Party Bursa MP Emel Gözükara Durmaz, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba, AK Party Bursa Provincial Chair Davut Gürkan, BKSTV Board Chairman Zekeriya Birkan, Bursa Provincial Police Chief Kadir Gökçe, members of the BKSTV Board of Directors, and a large crowd of Bursa residents.
BİBA: "WHEN OUR GUESTS RETURN HOME, THEY WILL TAKE BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES OF OUR CITY WITH THEM"
Speaking ahead of the award ceremony, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba congratulated all the competing teams and said the event carries great value in terms of friendship, fellowship and cultural exchange. "For six days, our Bursa served as a stage for the melodies and dances of friends from all corners of the world. First of all, I wholeheartedly congratulate and applaud all our teams. We watched some truly outstanding performances. I would also like to thank our jury members, who took on a very difficult task," Biba said.

112 PERFORMANCES IN 6 DAYS

Noting that a total of 112 performances met audiences over six days, Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba said, "Teams from 13 countries and 23 local folk dance ensembles brought color to our city. A total of 112 performances reached audiences — 64 in city squares and 48 at the open-air theatre. Watching these performances, we saw once again that people may not speak each other's languages, but the language of art draws hearts closer together. I believe that when our guests return to their countries, they will take beautiful memories of our city with them. And we, in turn, will always remember you with fond memories."
BİRKAN: "THIS EVENT IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL DIPLOMACY"
Bursa Culture, Art and Tourism Foundation (BKSTV) Board Chairman Zekeriya Birkan, for his part, noted that the event, now in its 38th year, continues to bring different cultures together in Bursa.

"The Golden Karagöz is not merely a competition," said Zekeriya Birkan. "This event is one of the finest examples of cultural diplomacy, because the real winners here are friendship, fellowship, mutual respect and the spirit of cultural exchange. Though we may speak different languages, we are able to come together in the same rhythm and share the same excitement. I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to making this great event happen — above all to Bursa Metropolitan Municipality and our Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba, to all our institutions, our supporting sponsors, our volunteers, our organizing team, and most importantly to all the dancers who traveled thousands of kilometers to bring color to this festival."

THE GOLDEN KARAGÖZ GOES TO URUGUAY

The speeches were followed by the award ceremony, at which the prize-winning teams were announced following the jury's evaluation.
By the votes of the jury, Uruguay won the Golden Karagöz award of the 38th International Golden Karagöz Folk Dance Competition.
Russia, finishing third, received the Bronze Karagöz award, while second-placed Georgia took home the Silver Karagöz. The competition's honorable mention awards went to Bulgaria and Serbia.

The prizes were presented to the winning teams by Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Şahin Biba, BKSTV Chairman Zekeriya Birkan and the dignitaries attending the evening.

In the finale of the night, Uruguay, winner of the Golden Karagöz, performed its championship show once more, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audience.