The following information was provided by the organizers of the festival...

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INVITATION FOR
INTERNATIONAL KUSADASI FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL


Dear folklore friends,

I would like to annonce you a very important event. THE INTERNATIONAL KUSADASI FOLK DANCE FESTIVAL wil be held. between 06th - 11th September 2003 in Kuşadası - TURKEY.

As you know, there was a war in our Iraq border so our sponsors cancelled their support because of the ?war economy?. In this respect, we have to make this organization with a participating fee to cover some of the costs.

The information about the festival is as follows:


1. GENERAL

It is an amateur festival open to profeesional and/or non-professional folk dance groups of a high artistic standart.

Located at the Agean Coast, Kusadasi is one of the most important touristic towns of Turkey. It is only 20 kilometers from the worldwide famous Ephesus antique city and Virgin Mary and 100 kilometers from Izmir, which is one of the biggest cities of Turkey. This town, which has many natural and historical treasures, is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. The town has a very nice sea climate and September is one of the best months for tourism. The average air temperature during September is about 25-30 degrees Celcius and the participants will have the chance to have sun and sea. If you need additional information about the Kuşadası you may visit www.kusadasi.net

2. HOW TO REACH

There are many ways to reach Kusadasi easily. You may fly to Izmir International airport which is 100 kms. from Kusadasi. You may come directly to Kusadasi harbour which is an international port of entry to Turkey with direct ferry service from Italy or Greece. You may come by roads. If you are coming by bus we may send you the route you should follow for reaching Kusadasi after you enter Turkey, upon your request. If you are coming by plane to İzmir International airport, the transfer between airport and Kusadasi will be provided by us.


3. CONDITIONS

We will provide

? Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner included) accommodation in 2-3 star hotels with 2-3 persons per room.
? 1 or 2 free excursions to the touristic places nearby (Ephesus Antiq City & Virgin Marry).
? Izmir airport-Kusadasi transfer for the groups coming by air and all transfers within and around Kusadasi for all the groups.
? A guide for each group speaking English.
? A diploma and gift for each group
? First aid and normal medical care (not including hospitilization for sickness or surgical treatment).

The group;

? should arrange International transportation,
? should be ready to perform shows of 7-45 minutes,
? shouldn't undertake other arrangements during the festival without agreement of the organization committee and should exactly the programme as defined by the organization committee.
? should bring with you flag of your country.
? The traditional live music and traditional costumes is a must,

We, the organizers reserve the right to broadcast the festival performances partly or entirely without any payments to the group.


4. PARTICIPATION FEE:

? 110 EU per person (max. 35 persons each group) - 5 nigths Full Board accomodation in 2-3 stars hotels 2-3 persons per room
? 150 EU per person for extra people - 5 nigths Full Board accomodation in 2-3 stars hotels 2-3 person per room during the festival
? 25 EU per person per day for extra days Half Board accomodation (Breakfast and Dinner) in 2-3 stars hotels 2-3 person per room

5. DRAFT PROGRAM

1st Day
Arrival to Kusadasi in the evening
Dinner

2nd Day
Breakfast
Lunch
Street parade
Performances
Dinner
Coctail


3rd Day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Street parade
Performances

4th Day
Breakfast
Excursion (Ephesus Antique City, Virgin Mary's House)
Lunch
Performances
Dinner


5th Day
Breakfast
Excursion (Natural Park)
Lunch
Street parade
Performances
Dinner

6th Day
Breakfast
Departure

NOTE: The accomodation we provide will start with dinner and finish with breakfast.


6. HOW TO APPLY

If you would like to participate in this festival please send us the fallows information to the address given below.

Mustafa ?AKAR

Salkim Sogut Cd. Nadir Sk. No: 12/10
06460 Dikmen - Ankara ? TURKEY




The information we require about your group:

? Group Name, Contact person, address, phone & fax number, e-mail address
? Video Cassete (VHS ? PAL) or VCD (PAL),
? Brochures, photos, a short brief about the group and the dances


Our deadline for receiving these materials is 31st July 2003. The groups which are going to attend the festival should transfer their participation fee to the bank account given below before 20th Agust 2003.


Bank Name : T?RKİYE VAKIFLAR BANKASI T.A.O. (VAKIFBANK)
Branch Name : T.E.K. BURO / ANKARA
Branch No : 982
Account No : 4019012



If you have any questions or need to clarify some points please do not hesitate to contact us. (my mobile phone number : +90 532 742 19 45 my fax number : +90 312 431 51 93)






Mustafa ?AKAR
General Coordinator

Biblical law ordains seven festival days upon which work is forbidden, namely Rosh Ha-Shanah (the New Year, 1 Tishri), the day of Atonement (Yom Kippur, 10 Tishri), which although a Fast day is reckoned among the festivals, Sukkot (the first day of Tabernacles, 15 Tishri), Shemini Atseret (the Eighth Day of Solemn Assembly, 23 Tishri), the first and last days of Passover (Pesaḥ, 15 and 22 Nisan), and Shavu'Ot (the Feast of Weeks, 6 Sivan). Because of doubts as to the date on which the New Moon appeared, it was subsequently ruled that those living outside the Land of Israel would keep two days rather than one for each of the festivals, with the exception of the Day of Atonement. Even those living in Israel kept two days of Rosh ha-Shanah for the same reason. Once the Calendar was established during talmudic times, there was theoretically no need to retain the extra days, but the Talmud. (Bétsah 4b) nevertheless required the previous customs to be maintained (see Second Day of Festivals).

As with the Sabbath, all types of work are forbidden on the Day of Atonement (called the Sabbath of Sabbaths). On the other festivals, categories of work related to the preparation of food are permitted. Thus, cooking is allowed on these festivals (unless they fall on the Sabbath). Fire may be transferred, but not created. Carrying from one domain to another is permitted.

The three Pilgrim Festivals, Passover, Shavu'ot, and Sukkot, all have both agricultural and national significance. Thus Passover celebrates the Exodus from Egypt and is "the festival of spring." On the second night of this festival an Omer---a specific measure---of barley was harvested and taken to the Temple. Shavu'ot is the day upon which traditionally the Torah was given at Mount Sinai and is also the "harvest festival" which marks the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. Finally, Sukkot commemorates the 40 years during which the Israelites wandered in the desert but is also "the festival of ingathering," when the grain is brought from the fields into the barns. The other two festivals, Rosh ha-Shanah and the Day of Atonement, have neither a national nor an agricultural element but are days of introspection at a time when the entire world is being judged for the coming year.

Generally, whenever a festival is celebrated for two days, the ceremonial aspects of the two are identical, except for some minor changes in Piyyutim (liturgical poems). The exception is Shemini Atseret, on which, outside Israel, the different ceremonial aspects of the day are divided between the two days of Shemini Atseret and Simḥat Torah. Thus, in the Diaspora, the completion of the yearly cycle of the Pentateuchal readings was moved from Shemini Atseret to Simḥat Torah. The intermediate days of Passover and Sukkot (ḥol Ha-Mo'Ed) are semi-holidays when work is permitted, although the rabbis preferred that these days too be observed as a holiday if possible.

In addition to these seven festival days, the Bible singles out each New Moon as being a special day, and in ancient times it was celebrated as such. These observances have since lapsed (except for liturgical additions) and there is no prohibition against working on the New Moon.

Various festivals are rabbinically ordained, the two major ones being Purim and ḥanukkah. Other semi-festive days include the New Year for Trees (Tu bi-Shevat), Purim Katan (the 14th and 15th days of Adar I in leap years; see Purim), Second Passover (the 14th day of Iyyar; see Passover), Lag Ba-Omer, and the Fifteenth of Av. While there are specific liturgical additions to the service on Purim and Ḥanukkah, the only difference in the liturgy of the semi-festive days is the omission of the Taḥanun prayer.disney movies list Non Status Mortgage


Modern-day Israel has seen the development of two new festivals, Israel's Independence Day (Yom ha-Atsma'ut, 5 Iyyar), and Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim, 28 Iyyar). These festivals are still too new to have been adopted universally in the Diaspora, or to have a universally accepted ritual.

Festival Liturgy