Antep İşi Joins UNESCO’s Heritage List as Türkiye’s Cultural Season Continues

سفير تركيا

سفير تركيا

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One of Türkiye’s cultural milestones in December 2025 was the inscription of Antep İşi, the drawn-thread embroidery of Gaziantep, on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Contemporary exhibitions and film events offered another perspective on the country’s cultural life that month.

1️⃣ 🧵 What is Antep İşi?​

Antep İşi is a traditional embroidery technique associated with Gaziantep in south-eastern Türkiye. Selected threads are cut and drawn out of the fabric, and the resulting spaces are worked into intricate geometric and floral patterns. Suitable materials include linen and cotton fabrics, as well as silk; the weave and intended use determine the choice of cloth.

The embroidery appears on:
  • Tablecloths and other table coverings.
  • Bed linen and bedspreads.
  • Decorative textiles for the home.
  • Clothing, including traditional garments.
UNESCO’s account describes a craft passed on through families and community life. Mothers and grandmothers teach daughters and granddaughters through demonstration and practical experience, while local organisations also offer training. The skill is closely connected to Gaziantep’s local identity.

Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy welcomed the inscription as a further addition to Türkiye’s recognised intangible cultural heritage. The listing recognises a living practice and the people who transmit it, alongside the finished embroidery itself.

2️⃣ 🏛️ Exhibitions and films in the cultural season​

1️⃣ Suzanne Lacy at Sakıp Sabancı Museum
The Istanbul museum hosted the American artist’s first exhibition in Türkiye, Birlikte / Togæther, a title meaning “Together”. It ran from 12 September 2025 to 8 March 2026, so December was part of its exhibition season rather than its opening month.

Lacy’s performance-based and participatory work explores solidarity, learning from one another, identity, violence, freedom and economic hardship. The exhibition connected these themes with the ways people work together and make their experiences visible through art.

2️⃣ International and experimental film events
The first Artimu International Experimental Film Festival presented films in Spain, Italy, Greece and Türkiye during December 2025. Its published programme included Turkish productions, and the Istanbul screenings were scheduled for 20–21 December.

This establishes Turkish participation. Participation in a programme does not by itself establish an award; any claim of a win requires a named film and award.

Smaller Turkish cities also contributed to the wider film scene. Foça Film Days, for example, took place on 15–19 October 2025. Its focus was archaeology and cultural heritage, with experimental work among the films shown. It belongs to the year’s broader cultural picture, rather than the December calendar. Such events help bring international screenings and less conventional filmmaking beyond the largest cities.

3️⃣ 🎨 Why does this matter for Türkiye’s cultural profile?​

  • Traditional crafts and safeguarding. The UNESCO inscription draws attention to Antep İşi and to Türkiye’s wider tradition of skilled craftwork. It can support efforts to keep the practice alive through workshops, courses and opportunities for craftspeople. Reaching customers abroad is another possible avenue for sustaining the craft, but inscription does not automatically provide export contracts, funding or protection against its disappearance.
  • Museums and contemporary debate. Bringing an artist such as Suzanne Lacy to Istanbul connects the Turkish art scene with international discussions about feminist art, violence, identity and collective action. The value lies in the conversations and participation an exhibition can encourage, alongside the reputation of the artist involved.
  • Cinema and cultural exchange. Turkish participation in experimental festivals around the Mediterranean gives emerging filmmakers an additional setting in which to show their work. These encounters can open possibilities for future production partnerships and cultural collaboration, without implying that a particular agreement or award has already been secured.

4️⃣ 📌 The wider picture​

Antep İşi’s 2025 UNESCO inscription marked an important moment for living heritage. At the same time, major exhibitions and December film screenings demonstrated an active contemporary cultural scene in Istanbul and beyond.

Taken together with events held elsewhere in the year, these examples show how traditional skills, international artists and independent filmmaking contribute different strands to Türkiye’s cultural life. Keeping their dates and individual purposes clear makes that picture more useful to readers planning a visit or following the country’s arts scene.

🇹🇷 Related topics 🇹🇷​

 
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