Outside Istanbul

It is impossible to make a comprehensive table of the distribution of artistic activities throughout Turkey. Art production, however, is concentrated in economically and culturally developed centers. The main center of contemporary art in Turkey is Istanbul, and the district of Beyoglu is where 99% of all contemporary art activities take place. Apart from Beyoglu (European side) the other districts where contemporary art activities can be found are the up-market district of Nişantaşı (European side) and the student-infested, lively district of Kadıköy (Asian side). Apart from these districts contemporary art activities sporadically take place in periphery districts such as industrial Tuzla (Asian Side), residential Maltepe (Asian side, east of Kadikoy), boom-suburb Ümraniye (Asian side, northwest of Maltepe) and Beylikdüzü (European side, close to Ataturk airport), with its university campuses and expo centers. The Social Support Program (SODES) supports projects that aim to develop the cultural and artistic life in cities such as Diyarbakır, Mardin, Şırnak, Batman, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Siirt, Kilis and Gaziantep, which are in the regions included in the South-East Anatolia Project (GAP).  Exhibitions, fairs and artistic activities are also arranged through independent artist groups and NGO’s operating in this region. After Istanbul, artistic activities are most abundant in Ankara, İzmir, Antalya, Muğla, Diyarbakır, Sinop, Adana, Konya, Bursa and Çanakkale.